The Holy Cross School A GSG School
- The Holy Cross School
25 Sandal Road
New Malden
Surrey
KT3 5AR - Head: Mrs McConn-Finch
- T 020 8395 4225
- F 020 8395 4234
- E hxs@holycross.kingston.sch.uk
- W www.holycross.kingston.sch.uk
- A state school for girls aged from 11 to 18.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Kingston Upon Thames
- Pupils: 988; sixth formers: 214 (in partnership with Richard Challoner)
- Religion: Roman Catholic
- Open days: September
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
-
Ofsted:
- Latest Overall effectiveness Good 1
- 16-19 study programmes Good 1
- Outcomes for children and learners Good 1
- Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 1
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 1
- Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 1
- 1 Full inspection 18th May 2022
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Religious dimension ever present – a cross formed from coloured glass blocks in sixth form centre contrasts with older stained glass in entrance hall – and never apologetically. Catholicism remains defining part of school life, with RS taken at GCSE by all, and compulsory part of sixth form education. School that doesn’t stint on detail - new head student’s name already on honours board early in autumn term. ‘Treat every individual in holistic way,’ said parent. ‘It’s not just about the academic progress, you get sense that…
What the school says...
Converted to an academy 2012.
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Headteacher
Since 2021, Mrs Dervla McConn-Finch, previously deputy head. She previously worked at Oaklands Catholic School as head of year and head of Spanish and then assistant headteacher. Degree in Italian and Spanish from Queen's University Belfast, plus a diploma in Catholic school leadership from St Mary's University College.
Entrance
Securing one of the heavily oversubscribed 150 year 7 places a doddle as long as you meet the criteria (Catholic trumps all, with priority, after looked-after Catholic children, given to priest-endorsed attendance at mass) and remember to fill out the right forms (supporting form for faith criteria applications) as well as standard common application. One member of staff thought non-Catholics might stand slightly better chance applying for in-year place, but we’d suspect slightly forlorn hope in a school which attracts applicants from almost 50 different feeder schools....
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The Holy Cross School is an inclusive school. All students, irrespective of ability, are offered a broad and balanced curriculum. Holy Cross has due regard for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 Years; following the statutory guidance for working with and supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Students identified as having special educational needs are given appropriate help and support. This might be adult support in lessons, teaching in small groups, withdrawal to work outside the classroom either individually or in a very small group. This support may be offered for a short time as required or for the whole school career. Where necessary, help is sought from outside agencies for example speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. The special needs and disability co-ordinator, teachers and learning support staff work closely with parents as well as students who need help. The school offers a challenging curriculum to ensure that the needs of gifted and talented students are recognised and met. All students have access to the national curriculum and are fully integrated into the extra-curricular life of the school.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Interpreting catchment maps
The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.
Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.
For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained
Further reading
If there are more applicants to a school than it has places for, who gets in is determined by which applicants best fulfil the admissions criteria.
Admissions criteria are often complicated, and may change from year to year. The best source of information is usually the relevant local authority website, but once you have set your sights on a school it is a good idea to ask them how they see things panning out for the year that you are interested in.
Many schools admit children based on distance from the school or a fixed catchment area. For such schools, the cut-off distance will vary from year to year, especially if the school give priority to siblings, and the pattern will be of a central core with outliers (who will mostly be siblings). Schools that admit on the basis of academic or religious selection will have a much more scattered pattern.
*The coloured areas outlined in black are Census Output Areas. These are made up of a group of neighbouring postcodes, which accounts for their odd shapes. These provide an indication, but not a precise map, of the school’s catchment: always refer to local authority and school websites for precise information.
The 'hotter' the colour the more children have been admitted.
Children get into the school from here:
regularly
most years
quite often
infrequently
sometimes, but not in this year
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Cross Preparatory School | 2024 | 2 |
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