St. Simon Stock School
Encyclopedia
St. Simon Stock Catholic School is a mixed secondary school in Maidstone
, Kent
, United Kingdom
. It was founded in 1967 and is the only Roman Catholic
secondary school in the area. It was named after the Carmelite
St. Simon Stock, who was believed to be born in Aylesford
and is linked to the nearby Aylesford Priory and St Francis' Church, Maidstone.
school with a strong academic and pastoral tradition. The school's official name with the DfES was officially changed in 2001 upon the appointment of then new headteacher, Mr John McParland, from Saint Simon Stock School to St. Simon Stock Catholic School. Mr McParland states that this is to emphasise the school's Catholic ethos.
There are currently, over 1000 students on roll, including almost 200 in the Sixth Form
.
The students of the school range from 11–18 years. It is a Roman Catholic
comprehensive
co-educational school and the primary function is to serve the educational needs of Roman Catholic
students in the Mid Kent area. Students are also admitted from other Christian
denominations and other faiths whenever places are available, and if the parents clearly value the school ethos, however, the school has been over-subscribed every year for some time, and it proves almost impossible to get into the school after the age of eleven.
The school is linked to the ME16+ consortium, which deals with 'post 16'(after Year 11). This integrates the school with other local schools such as Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
, Astor of Hever
, Maplesden Noakes
, Oakwood Park Grammar School
and Oakwood Park MidKent College
. ME16+ gives students in sixth form a wider choice of subjects to study.
One other new block has been built, which contains three specialist ICT rooms, which are equipped with a full class set of 30 desktop computers, and interactive whiteboard
s. The block also includes two business rooms.
In the 2000s, a drama studio was built in memory of Kath Topping, along with two science classrooms.
On 30th November 2009, it was announced to the school that Mr McParland would be departing as headmaster, for a job as principal at a new academy to be formed from Christ Church C of E School in Ashford.
On Wednesday 22nd June 2011 an arson attack was committed at the school on the science, art and food technology rooms, police and forensics were called to investigate. Early on the morning of wednesday somebody came to the school with a bag of six petrol bombs and threw them at the school one hit the window inside the science department and exploded soot all around science and the other one thrown hit art but did go inside then the person ran away without the rest of the petrol bombs.
a sixteen teenage boy has been questioned and arrested he has been put on bail until the twenty seventh of july due to lack of information over the crime.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was founded in 1967 and is the only Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
secondary school in the area. It was named after the Carmelite
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
St. Simon Stock, who was believed to be born in Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
and is linked to the nearby Aylesford Priory and St Francis' Church, Maidstone.
School
St Simon Stock is a mixed Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
school with a strong academic and pastoral tradition. The school's official name with the DfES was officially changed in 2001 upon the appointment of then new headteacher, Mr John McParland, from Saint Simon Stock School to St. Simon Stock Catholic School. Mr McParland states that this is to emphasise the school's Catholic ethos.
There are currently, over 1000 students on roll, including almost 200 in the Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
.
The students of the school range from 11–18 years. It is a Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
co-educational school and the primary function is to serve the educational needs of Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
students in the Mid Kent area. Students are also admitted from other Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations and other faiths whenever places are available, and if the parents clearly value the school ethos, however, the school has been over-subscribed every year for some time, and it proves almost impossible to get into the school after the age of eleven.
The school is linked to the ME16+ consortium, which deals with 'post 16'(after Year 11). This integrates the school with other local schools such as Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, also known as Maidstone Girls Grammar School , is a selective grammar school in Maidstone, UK. It operates under the 11 plus exam system, in which students take an exam at the end of primary school in order to be accepted at this school...
, Astor of Hever
The Astor of Hever School
The Astor of Hever Community School, located in the United Kingdom in Maidstone, Kent, is a mixed gender school for students aged 11-18. It is maintained by the Kent County Council. In September 2004, the school became the specialist Sports College for Maidstone...
, Maplesden Noakes
Maplesden Noakes
Maplesden Noakes School is an 11-18 co-educational school in Maidstone, Kent, England. Since September 2005, the school has had a planned admission number of 180. The school is regularly over subscribed and has approximately 950 students on roll of which 160 are currently in the sixth form...
, Oakwood Park Grammar School
Oakwood Park Grammar School
Oakwood Park Grammar School is a boys foundation grammar school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. The school is co-educational in the sixth form . The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over by examination and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE results. It is a mathematics and computing...
and Oakwood Park MidKent College
MidKent College
MidKent College is a further education college in Kent, England. It runs courses from three separate campuses across Maidstone and Medway....
. ME16+ gives students in sixth form a wider choice of subjects to study.
History
The school was designated as a Specialist Technology College by the DfES in 2003 and since then, a new Sports Hall and Sixth Form building/teaching rooms have been built, including a conference room.One other new block has been built, which contains three specialist ICT rooms, which are equipped with a full class set of 30 desktop computers, and interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
s. The block also includes two business rooms.
In the 2000s, a drama studio was built in memory of Kath Topping, along with two science classrooms.
On 30th November 2009, it was announced to the school that Mr McParland would be departing as headmaster, for a job as principal at a new academy to be formed from Christ Church C of E School in Ashford.
On Wednesday 22nd June 2011 an arson attack was committed at the school on the science, art and food technology rooms, police and forensics were called to investigate. Early on the morning of wednesday somebody came to the school with a bag of six petrol bombs and threw them at the school one hit the window inside the science department and exploded soot all around science and the other one thrown hit art but did go inside then the person ran away without the rest of the petrol bombs.
a sixteen teenage boy has been questioned and arrested he has been put on bail until the twenty seventh of july due to lack of information over the crime.
Alumni
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