St Dominic's Priory School, Stone

St Dominic's Priory School
Motto Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare
("To Praise, To bless, To preach")
Established 1843
Type Independent day school
Religion Catholic
Headteacher Mrs R. Harrison
Founder Margaret Hallahan
Location 21 Station Road
Stone
Staffordshire
ST15 8EN
England
Coordinates: 52°54′38″N 2°08′27″W / 52.91065°N 2.14070°W / 52.91065; -2.14070
Local authority Staffordshire
DfE number 860/6011
DfE URN 124476 Tables
Staff 45
Students c. 200
Gender prev.Girls
Coeducational up to age 16
Ages 3 months–16
Houses Hallahan
Ullathorne
Colours Blue
Publication St Dominic's Newsletter
Website www.stdominicspriory.co.uk

St Dominic's Priory School is an independent Catholic day school in the town of Stone, Staffordshire, halfway between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. The school buildings are set within the grounds of St Dominic’s Convent.

The school was founded by the Dominican Sisters and still maintains a close affiliation with the resident community and with St Mary’s Nursing Home[1] and the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Dominic,[2] the centre of an active Catholic community with a resident priest and deacon. It is joined onto this Convent founded by Margaret Hallahan.

History and Ethos

Within the grounds stands the small chapel of St Anne designed by Pugin. This school chapel was the centre of the Catholic mission started by Blessed Dominic Barberi in 1843 and continues to be a place of pilgrimage. Both the parish church and the chapel are used by the school for Mass and other services. The buildings have Grade II listed status and houses various and important stain glass, statues and gargoyles, as assigned in Public sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country (G. Noszlopy, F. Waterhouse, 242).[3]

According to the school history, it was founded after a young girl, the niece of one of the sisters, refused to leave the convent, and holding onto the railings, and she was then educated there.

The school incorporates an all-girls senior school and a mixed junior school and nursery which has been defined as good to outstanding[4] by Ofsted. It has consistently high results at both GCSE and A level, in 2008 becoming one of the top 200 A-level institutions nationally. and 12th best small school. The school achieved an average A-level point score per pupil of 971.8, placing it second in Staffordshire under this measure and the best independent girls' school. ISI describes the school as very good, where lessons are often like that of a University tutorial.[5] Outstanding behaviour for learning and courtesy are typical qualities of girls at the school. The 2004 ISI Inspection defined the pupils as "courteous towards staff and visitors and respectful to all. The older girls provide excellent role models for the younger ones. The pupils exhibit courtesy and good manners in all that they do. Their behaviour is calm and civilised and they display good table manners".[6] The school has three departments, Nursery, Prep and Senior, located on the same site: All departments occupy their own self-contained buildings but are united as one school.

The school's motto is "Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare" : "To Praise, to Bless, to Preach",

The Arts and Enrichment at St Dominic's Priory

St Dominic's Priory School has a high reputation for achievement in the Arts and in the variety of its enrichment programmes such as Duke of Edinburgh, Public Speaking and Enterprise. Students go on to study at Universities such as Birmingham, Keele, Warwick Edinburgh to study Medicine, Art or Physiotherapy. The school has regular visiting speakers including Dom Anthony Sutch,[7][8] Trevor Bayliss, Barbara Mitchel-Hill,[9][10] and poets and scientists, and hosts conferences on scientific, ethical, spiritual and academic issues. Students have many opportunities and take part in theatrical life locally and further afield.[11] Indeed, many of its alumni have moved onto life in business, film and theatre including Charlotte Salt.[12][13][14]

Students at St Dominic's Priory pride themselves on their social enterprise skills and in 2009 made an attempt at breaking the record for the largest Red Nose on Comic Relief Day.[15]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Church Address and Location
  3. ↑ text of book showing ref. to significant school sculptures
  4. ↑ http://www.isi.net/reports/EY/St%20Dominic's%20Priory%201508_06_EY.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.isi.net/reports/2004/1508_04.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.isi.net/reports/2004/1508_04.htm
  7. ↑ "Church pays £1,300 to see light". BBC News. 2005-10-18. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  8. ↑ Gledhill, Ruth (2007-08-30). "Priest offers festivalgoers the chance to confess their green sins". The Times. London. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  9. ↑ http://www.barbaramitchelhill.com/home.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/World-Book-Day-Aliens-authors-kids-write-idea/article-750494-detail/article.html
  11. ↑ http://www.ellasawyer.com/6.html
  12. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1083395/
  13. ↑ Charlotte Salt interview in which she talks about her time at St Dominic's Priory School
  14. ↑ Charlotte Salt as Lady Ursula Misseldon in The Tudors
  15. ↑ Red Nose Day record attempt in The Sentinel
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