The first Catholic School in Swindon was founded in the mid 19th Century. Holy
Rood School was an all age school with children from 5 to 14 and latterly 15. In 1958 St
Joseph's Secondary School was opened for pupils aged 11 to 15. Built close to the centre
of the town within the parish of Holy Rood it soon became so popular under its first
Headteacher, Mr Cyril Greenough, that the community decided that a second school
was needed. This was to be St Thomas More Secondary School. The founding fathers in the
1960s recognised that to serve the entire Catholic community required a school with a
Sixth Form allowing students to enter the Catholic system of education at the age of 5
and leave at 18 ready to enter the world of work, college or university.
It was decided to create the first 'comprehensive' school in Swindon. St Thomas More
school, nearing completion was designated St Joseph's Upper School. The two sites,
separated by some two miles, were opened as a single school in 1965. The school soon
made its mark in the town being recognised as one which achieved academically, in sport
and where moral values were unashamedly promoted. That reputation has been preserved and
enhanced throughout succeeding decades with the school always achieving a success which
placed it amongst the top schools in Swindon, North Wiltshire and surrounding areas.
In the 1970s the school grew until, at the time of Cyril Greenhough's retirement in 1977
it had grown to some 1600 pupils. The new Head Teacher, Mr Steve Williams,
preserved the character and reputation of the school while facing the difficulties of the
1980s. Demographic changes meant that the school had a declining roll throughout the
period and by the time of his retirement in 1991 the numbers at the school had fallen to
999. The staff during that time remained largely unchanged with names like Terry Lappin,
Malcolm Huish, Ken Humphries, Frank Rutzler, Ann and Peter Greevy all dating from the
1960s and still serving the school at the dawn of the 1990s.
The third Head Teacher of St Joseph's was Peter Wells [appointed in 1991]. He
faced a different set of challenges which represent the recent history of St Joseph's.
In the 1990s the school thrived first as a Voluntary Aided School and then as a Grant
Maintained School. GM status was achieved in November of 1993. The school looked to
locate on one site with a new purpose built complex ready for the Millennium and beyond.
Year on year since 1991 the school has grown and year on year examination performance has
improved taking results above local and national averages in all the major subject areas,
Mathematics, English, Science and importantly Religious Education which is studied by all
students in the school.
In the summer of 1996 the school was the subject of an Ofsted Inspection which recognised
the fine educational standards set by the school and achieved by the pupils. This was
matched by a Diocesan Inspection at the same time which also concluded that the school
secured the religious foundation in full and proper measure. It was the view of both
teams of inspectors, who spent the equivalent of some fifty-five days in the school
during one week in April, that St Joseph's was a very good school moving in the right
direction. The school had been approached by the Funding Agency for Schools with a view
to becoming a 'Path Finder' School for PFI funding in 1995. They recognised that the
case for moving to one site was undisputed and over the following two and a half years
the school, supported by funding from the FAS (£150,000) pursued the idea. Regrettably a
new administration with new priorities meant that the project was turned down.
In the summer of 1999 two events took place which have irrevocably altered the path along
which St Joseph's moves. In mid May Phil Burchall, Deputy Head since 1985 died suddenly
of a heart attack. This was a blow to the school and to our community. The sadness
which engulfed the school cannot easily be described.
We found these words which Phil had written ready to say at the Sixth Form Mass on the
same day, the 18th May:
"To thy own self be true"
Wishing all Year 13 students and friends success in your examinations and a bright
and successful future.
God Bless and Take Care.
Phil Burchall
Remember to Keep in Touch!
Phil is remembered in our prayers.
He was an outstanding Deputy Head, an exceptionally able teacher, a loyal colleague and a
true friend who is missed by us all. The second event was that in September 1999 the
school reverted to Voluntary Aided Status. In real terms it was an easy transition as
the Governors, Staff, Pupils and Parents think of the School as 'St Joseph's' and the
status did not and does not alter our vision and intent.
The decade of the 1990s had seen the school step forward with academic results improving
year on year securing the position of the school amongst the very best in Swindon. Set
backs to hopes of a single site did not prevented the Governors from investing more than
£500,000 in building improvement. Many retirements and the promotion of colleagues to
new schools with new challenges meant the appointment of many new teachers but the spirit
of the school, its vision and purpose as well as its sense of history have been preserved
with a refreshing and invigorated momentum towards the future.
The New Millennium
The Year 2000 saw our second Ofsted Inspection which concluded that the school was
succeeding and in some notable areas exceptionally so. In their report published in
January 2001, Ofsted described GCSE performance A* to G as placing the school in the top
10% nationally. The attitude of pupils is positive and parental support was viewed as
excellent. The school was deservedly perceived as 'a good school' where discipline is
firm but fair and where moral values are unashamedly promoted. This was affirmed by
Ofsted in 1996 and confirmed most recently in the Registered Inspector's Report of
January 2001:
'My view of the quality of the school has gone up each day as I got to know the school
and the people in it'…'Pupil's achievements, the quality of provision including teaching
and the quality of leadership and management make this a good school'…(St Joseph's)
'provides very good value for money.'…'There is very good provision for spiritual, moral,
social and cultural education.'
It was a good start but there was also the prospect of a new school. We at long last
obtained agreement of the DfES to appoint consultants and architects to move the project
forward and to develop a detailed bid. We are today at the stage, after forty-five
years, of having gained approval for the complete replacement of both schools onto a
single site. This will be a brand new, green field development at the heart of Swindon,
visible and accessable to all.
This £17,000,000 project will be completed in the summer of 2006. It will be the first
new secondary school in Swindon since the 1970s and will reflect the vision of our
vibrant community, confirming present excellence and focussed towards raising achievement
for all concerned with the school today and in the future. A detailed description of the
new school and all that is going on can be found in the News area of the school website
Other achievements have included gaining the Investors in People standard for a second,
consecutive time, the Healthy Schools Award and the DfES Achievement Award for 2002. In
2003 the school achieved its best ever examination results and two students were placed
in the top five students in the country for English Literature and Religious Education.
We are looking to the future with justifiable confidence.
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