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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool
St Francis Xavier's College (abbreviated SFX) is an 11–18 boys Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Woolton, Liverpool, England. The college is under the trusteeship of the Brothers of Christian Instruction. Their mission is that of their founder, Jean Marie de la Mennais, "To make Jesus better known and loved". By October 2021, a total of 1,097 boys attended the school, 108 of whom were in the Sixth Form provision.

The school is a specialist school for mathematics and computing, and was the first school in Liverpool to gain specialist school status in that category. The schools most recent inspection by Ofsted took place in October 2021, and inspectors concluded that the school "required improvement" across all areas, including quality of education provided, behaviour and attitude of pupils attending the school, as well as leadership and management.

History

Establishment

The college was founded in 1842 in association with Stonyhurst College, Lancashire by the Society of Jesus which is a Roman Catholic religious order.

The college had a rector from 1842 to 1844. It had two pupils.

A year later, it had a dozen pupils. Father Francis Lythgoe moved the college to St. Anne Street where it stayed until 1845. In 1844 Father Johnson took over from Father Francis Lythgoe and moved his 24 pupils to the newly opened Presbytery on Salisbury Street. Father Collyns took over the college in 1853. With more than 50 pupils the rector Father Collyns decided that a new premises was needed. By 1856 the college had its own building built alongside the Presbytery and in 1877 a new college was built on 6 Salisbury Street.

Second college building

The newest Salisbury Street building was designed by Henry Clutton, a Catholic architect. He used the designs of Father Vaughan as the bases of his designs. The new college was completed in the summer of 1877 and cost £30,000.

Move to Woolton

In 1961 the college was transferred as a grammar school to its present twenty-six-acre site at High Lee, Woolton. From 1984 to 1990 the Lower School site for Years 7, 8 and 9 was located on Queens Drive (Formerly Cardinal Newman RC) in Wavertree L15. Later, the Lower School was re-sited with the Upper School at High Lee. In 1990, the college opted out of local authority control, becoming a grant-maintained school. The college was granted Technology College status from April 1996. In September 1999 it became a Foundation School. In 1992, the college became co-educational in the sixth form and in September 2000 the De La Mennais Sixth Form Centre was opened.

Overview

School uniform

All boys attending the school are expected to wear the agreed school uniform which is determined through the schools School Uniform policy. The current school uniform for boys consists of;

  • Maroon school blazer (Years 7–11)
  • Black school blazer (Years 12–13)
  • Black, normal style school trousers
  • Plain white school shirt
  • School pullover with embroidered school badge
  • School tie
  • Black school shoes

Boys attending the school are permitted only to wear formal style school shoes, with pumps, trainers, or walking boots being forbidden. Additionally, the wearing of make up by pupils is also forbidden for pupils in Years 7–11.

Curriculum

All boys attending the school, and who are in Years 7–9, are taught at Key Stage 3 with a curriculum designed "to offer students a broad and balanced opportunity to experience a wide range of subjects". Subjects studied between Years 7–9 include English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Modern Foreign Language (Spanish and French), Humanities (History and Geography), Creative Arts and Design (Music, Art, Design and Technology), Computing, Physical Education, PSHCE, and Literacy and Reading.

For boys in Years 10–11, they are taught at Key Stage 4 and study the core curriculum subjects of English, Maths, Science, Physical Education and Religious Studies. Additionally, boys have the option of choosing other subjects, either at GCSE, Vocational Award or Cambridge National level. Such optional subjects include Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Film Studies, French, Geography, History, Information Technology, Music, PE, Physics, Spanish, Sport, Technology and PSHCE.

Pupils in Years 12–13 are taught at Key Stage 5, and pupils are granted a degree of flexibility over their subject choices. Pupils are provided with a choice of 15 A Levels, 3 BTECs, 1 CTEC and 2 Cambridge Technical awards to choose from. Pupils may additional wish to undertake courses provided at St Julies, the schools collaborative partner where pupils have the option to choose an additional 6 A Levels, 1 BTEC and 1 Technical Certificate.

School choir

The choir was formed in 1994 and has performed in front of Pope John Paul II. They have toured Europe and the United States, and gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records for singing at every cathedral in England and Wales.

The school sang on the reworked version of The Farm's 1990 hit "Alltogethernow", remixed by BBC Radio 1's DJ Spoony. The single, which reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart, was the official song for the England football team at the UEFA Euro 2004 competition. It was performed by the choir on Top of the Pops in 2004.

Head Teachers

D Hayes 2021 Present
P Evans / C Flaherty 2020 2021
P Halliwell 2019 2020
P Ferguson / K Maddocks 2019 2019
D Yates 2018 2019
G Flowers 2016 2018
L D Rippon 2004 2016
Brother Francis Patterson 1979 2004
Brother Robert Power 1974 1979
Father Doyle 1962 1974
Father Edward James Warner 1953 1961
Father Neylan 1939 1953
Father Brinkworth 1937 1938
Father Woodlock 1919 1937
Father J. Sponson 1902 1919
Father Thomas Poter 1870 1902
Father Collyns 1853 1870
Father West 1851 1853
Father Johnson 1844 1853
Father Francis Lythgoe 1842 1844

Notable former pupils

Main page: Category:People educated at St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool

See also