Gunnersbury Catholic School

Gunnersbury is a Voluntary Aided School for Catholic boys.  It takes six forms of entry at 11+ and is administered by a Board of Governors acting under the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Westminster.  The annual intake is 184 pupils and the total number of pupils on roll is 1180, including a Sixth Form of 224 boys and 48 girls.  We achieved outstanding in all categories of our latest Ofsted Inspection in January 2023.  The school regularly achieves excellent examination results.  In 2022 95% of year 11 pupils gained at least five GCSEs at A*- C (9-4), including English and Maths.  Our ‘Progress 8’ score for this cohort was +0.8.  As such we are ranked the leading Boys’ Comprehensive School for GCSE achievement in the country(DfE Performance Tables 2022).   Similarly we achieve excellent results at A- level.  Our latest Ofsted (2023) determined our provision to be outstanding.

The school was founded in 1919 by Fr William Roche, became a Voluntary Aided Grammar School in 1932, took its first comprehensive intake in 1972, became Grant Maintained in April 1993 and returned to Voluntary Aided in September 1999. It has been designated a Specialist School in September 2003.  Since then we have been awarded a further specialism, Leading Edge, whilst also achieving High Performance Specialist Status.

Although located in the London Borough of Hounslow, Gunnersbury considers itself a Diocesan School and draws from a wide catchment area consisting mainly of the London Boroughs of Hounslow, Ealing and Richmond, but some pupils attend from even further afield coming from Central London, Brent, Hillingdon, Spelthorne and Harrow.

The Catholic character of the school is an essential and important part of school life.  It is made explicit not just in the religious education programme and shared values but in the liturgical life of the school.  There is a voluntary mass on Fridays and important feast days together with family liturgies, a retreat programme and Morning Prayer in Advent and Lent.  The School Chapel is set-aside as a quiet area for prayer and liturgy.

The school is led by a Headteacher supported by three Deputy Heads within a senior staff of 7.  Each member of the Senior Leadership Team is responsible for a distinct pastoral, academic, administrative and policy area of the school.  Departments are subject based.  The school has a well-developed system of pastoral care, overseen by a Year Head and Form Tutor.  High standards of behaviour and dress are expected and the pastoral system aims to promote the development of self-discipline and consideration for others.  The School Council meets regularly chaired by a member of the Sixth Form.

Gunnersbury is always over-subscribed with first choice applications from Catholic pupils.  Our mission is to continue to provide these pupils with the very best Catholic education for their lives ahead.