Bishop Challoner School review

228 Bromley Road

Shortlands

Bromley

BR2 0BS

020 84603546

London Borough of Bromley

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Pupils

350

Ages

3 - 18

Gender

Mixed

Type

Other Independent

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NATIONAL AVG. 1.96

Independent inspection report

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All Reports

73%

NATIONAL AVG. 53%

5 A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) inc. English and maths

78%

NATIONAL AVG. 59%

GCSE grade C or better in
English and maths

59.2

Attainment 8 score
Results in 8 core subjects

NATIONAL AVERAGE 48.5

DATA
GUIDE

Secondary Data 2016
Information for parents

23%

NATIONAL AVG. 11%

Pupils achieving AAB or higher inc. two facilitating subjects

33.2

A level average point score

NATIONAL AVERAGE 32.1

Average A level result

NATIONAL AVERAGE C+

+0.33

A level progress score
GCSE to A level

NATIONAL AVERAGE 0.0

Day

Boarding Type

Available

Scholarship Status

PREP

Preparatory school

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School Description

We are a Catholic, Independent, Co-educational, Day School from 3 to 18. We provide a broad & challenging education within a caring & secure environment. The partnership of teachers, pupils & parents creates a community where pupils are able to grow to their full potential. We are committed to 'outstanding pastoral care' within a nurturing ethos, and the highest level of academic achievement.

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News & events from Bishop Challoner School

Last update: 05 May 2017

Our next Open Event takes place on Saturday 30th September 2017.

Our next open event takes place on Saturday 30th September 2017 at 9.00am -1pm. This visit will give you an opportunity to have a tour of the school with one of our pupils as your guide and speak with individual class teachers who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Click on these links for information about our four points of entry:

Nursery Junior Senior Sixth Form

If you would like to arrange a personal tour, you are warmly welcome to contact Sue Long by email at [email protected] or click on the button below to contact our Admissions Team.

Arrange a visit >>

NEW OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Award-winning children’s author, Lara Williamson, paid us a visit in March for World Book Day to talk about her new book ‘Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy’ published on 1st March by Usborne.

Local author Lara, a Blue Peter Awards shortlisted author, visited Year 5 to talk about writing. She talked about the places that inspired her writing and advised pupils to be observant and always 'dig a little deeper'. She recommended keeping a small notebook or journal to jot any observations or good ideas down.

Some of Lara's ideas come from her own journals which she has kept since she was a child growing up in Ireland. She even had the diaries of when she first started dating!

Her latest book ‘Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy’ is about Adam Butters, whose real mum called him ACE and now he’s just got to prove to the world that's what he is. One mission at a time...

Lara, whose daughter Millie attends Bishop Challoner, signed books for pupils who were dressed up as fictional characters for World Book Day

More news and events >>

GREAT GCSE AND A LEVEL RESULTS

We are very proud of our students who have achieved some excellent results again this year. With hard work, commitment and determination our students are able to succeed.

GCSE

Results have continued to improve this year, with 92% of pupils achieving at least 5 A*- C grades this summer (73% including Maths and English Language) compared with 84 % in 2015. Biology, Chemistry, Latin, Physics and Spanish scored 100% A*-C. In Biology 95 per cent achieved at least A*-B grades and in Physics at least 86 per cent A*-B grades and chemistry with 75 per cent A*-B grades. 100 per cent grade A achieved in Latin. Over half of the students taking Spanish achieved an A*-B grade.

A LEVEL

This year our students gained 82% A*-C grades, an improvement on last year with seven subjects achieving 100% A*-C grades, namely Chemistry, Dance, French, History, Geography, Mathematics and Physics. 100% A* /B grades were gained in Physics, Dance and French.

Special congratulations to Stephen Clifford who achieved 2 A* and 1 A grade and to Josephine Wilson who achieved 3 grade As. They both headed off to Warwick University to read French with History and French with Japanese respectively.
Our Year 13 students were accepted at a number of notable universities to study a range of courses including Brighton to study Environmental Science, Brunel University, Greenwich to study Building Surveying, Hull to read Biomedical Science, Laban to pursue Dance and Nottingham to read Architectural & Environmental Engineering.

Academic success at Bishop Challoner >>

A GLOWING REPORT

“Pupils’ personal commitment to the school and the local community is very strong, they are beacons for the school in the community”.

This is just one extract from our recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate which reported that Bishop Challoner School has met all of the Compliance standards with no action points.

We are extremely proud to have been graded as 'Good' for The Quality of Pupils’ Academic and other Achievements and 'Excellent' for the Quality of the Pupils’ Personal Development and pleased that the report reflects the hard work and dedication to education and pastoral care that is demonstrated by staff, pupils and parents alike throughout our school.

Download a full copy of our report here >>

Parent reviews

Average Rating:

BY PARENTS, FOR PARENTS

“We love it at BCS”

04 December 2016 AUTHOR: MumOf3

I have 3 children in the junior school who are all flourishing and genuinely LOVE school. The values and pastoral care are second to none and with the small class sizes, my children receive the attention they require. Having been with the school for 6 years I have seen many changes - good and bad - and am very pleased with the positive direction the school has taken under the leadership of the new Head. The grounds look wonderful and fill the children with pride in their school, there are more after school activities available and anywhere I go I receive compliments on how well behaved and intelligent my children are; testimony to the well rounded nurturing they receive at BCS.

“Excellent school”

15 November 2016 AUTHOR: VeryPleasedMum

Excellent all round school with a family, nurturing feel. Smaller school means all staff know your child and understand them. Excellent transitions at all phases of this through school - nursery to juniors, junior to senior. Very happy with a flourishing, happy child.

“Extremely Impressed”

15 November 2016 AUTHOR: Prospective Parent

My son and I were extremely impressed with the visit to this school in October. Not only was the school outstanding, it was as described on your website word for word. We found it very comfortable, caring and full of all aspects of an environment to enrich a child in their educational path. The young gentlemen from the sixth form who gave us the tour was of a very very high standard, very knowledgeable, wonderful manners and conducted the whole tour in a clear and professional way. The children we came across during the tour gave a shining example of what is truly inspired for children and young adults to be. I was so very much taken back when I entered a room and the class stood up. I felt humbled at this display of manners and respect.

“Very Good Nurturing School”

11 August 2016 AUTHOR: Happy Mum

Excellent school with assessment type of entry. Every child is respected. When we were selecting a school for our oldest child we were looking for a school that offered academic excellence, in a pastorally supportive environment. The school might not look modern but what goes on inside is excellent! No child is left alone; they make sure children are friendly and obedient. Its a good school with Catholic values. Academic depends on both sides. We were happy with the results (2011-2012).

“My experience was not good”

31 January 2016 AUTHOR: Bromley Dad

When my children started at this school back in 2010, it was good. Unfortunately in recent years there has been a high turnover of staff and this led to my son having his GCSEs disrupted. In our experience, in some subjects there was a lack of guidance around coursework. I moved my daughter to a local state school and she is much happier.

“BCS”

03 November 2015 AUTHOR: bromleylad

Excellent nurturing school. Good for pupils overwhelmed by a large school. Class sizes are around 20-24. A lot of older somewhat stuck in the mud teachers have been cleared out and it is now much more vibrant. My daughter is very happy there.There is a new head recruited from nearby Bromley High and she has made a big impact.

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Meet the Head: Mrs Paula Anderson

Paula Anderson became Head in 2014, joining from Bromley High School for Girls where she was Senior Deputy Head for ten years. She has taught in a number of independent schools including The Royal High School, Bath where she was Head of a Faculty and Deputy Director of Studies. Mrs Anderson has a BSc (Hons) and an MBA in Educational Management from the University of Leicester. She is married with two teenage boys.

Who/what inspired you to become a teacher?

This is not down to one person but as a result of a holistic experience of my school days, having been taught by many excellent teachers who brought enthusiasm and creativity to the classroom. I knew that I wanted to work with children and inspire them to do their best and enable them to reach their full potential and enjoy learning.

What achievement are you most proud of as Head?

I ensure that I make time to listen to the pupils at Bishop Challoner and meet with them regularly. I am keen to learn all about their interests and their likes and dislikes and what makes them buzz. It is extremely important to me to meet the pupils in small groups over the course of each year whilst they enjoy cake and juice in my room. Since I interview all the 11+ entrants I am already a step ahead because when they join us I can remember their names and what they have told me. I also enjoy meeting them on a Monday morning for commendations to reward extremely good work and effort. The nursery children are adorable and they take time to feed me with their produce that they have been making!

What does a successful school look like to you?

A school where the pupils can be themselves and are happy. If they are happy they will thrive and be successful. A successful school is one that engages the pupils through excellent teaching enabling them to learn effectively and be challenged, to grow in knowledge and develop skills in preparation for the wider world. Development of the whole child is key and this is achieved through a range of extra-curricular activities and excellent pastoral care. Achieving excellent examination results is an expectation of an independent school but the personal development of every pupil is the key to their future.

What is the most important quality you want every child to have when they leave your school? And why?

We want our pupils to leave Bishop Challoner as confident and responsible individuals. During their time with us we give the pupils every opportunity to develop into well balanced and rounded individuals through our broad curriculum and extra-curricular provision as well as through leadership opportunities. These areas of development allow pupils to grow in confidence. We are ambitious for every pupil and we want them to have the confidence and desire to be ambitious for themselves, following our school motto of ‘Dare to do their best’.

Please give 5 words to describe the ethos of your school.

Catholic
Our Catholic ethos allows us to support and guide pupils in their own faith journey through Mass and prayer. We celebrate Mass and hold regular services. Roman Catholic pupils in Year 3 are prepared for First Confession and Holy Communion in partnership with parishes where they worship.

Nurturing
Our enduring aim is to provide each pupil with a tailored education within a caring and nurturing environment whereby they can maximise their abilities and achieve their personal objectives. Our pastoral support ensures that the pupils remain happy and feel supported.

Respect
We respect all faiths and create a learning partnership for all. Our pupils are respectful of other views and listen to each other. The school responds with sensitivity and openness to the needs of those who belong to other churches or faiths and to value their beliefs. The pupils are polite and well mannered.

Tolerance
Our strong discipline and pastoral care provide a good moral grounding and the pupils can see the value in goodness and they learn to be tolerant of each other.

Community
There is a strong sense of community among the pupils, staff, Trustees, and parents and our alumni. We are very proud of the strong sense of community that exists amongst the former pupils with one another and with the school.
Bishop Challoner recognises the important contribution pupils can make to their community and traditionally we have provided leadership opportunities through the School Council, House and Sports Captains, Senior Prefects, Chaplaincy, Charity representatives, Youth Travel Ambassadors and Head Pupil Team.

Catchment information

This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.

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