"Christ at the Centre"
The experience of Catholic worship for the whole school community is outstanding and clearly central to the life of the school
Section 48 Report
We are a proud Catholic Federation that bases its identity, beliefs and actions upon our Catholic Faith and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Our ethos of providing the best education for all pupils embraces Christ’s own call to love God, love self and love others. We believe our schools offers unique benefits arising out of our Catholicity. We provide a genuine Christian education through which students recognise the dignity of the person and equality of all. We achieve this through establishing a caring community where the uniqueness of each student is acknowledged and their abilities, aptitude and gifts are developed to the full.
Bishop Richard Challoner
Bishop Richard Challoner dedicated his life to the scriptures and the education of the youth in London and was famous for saying “True holiness is doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well”.
At Bishop Challoner, we pride ourselves on the breadth of opportunity available, the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom and the motivation that comes from good relationships between staff and students. Each student is equally loved and valued and this is reflected inside and outside of the classroom, with all students encouraged to achieve their potential and have their achievements recognised and praised.
Bishop Challoner Chaplaincy is integral to the spiritual life of the community. It aims to be present in every aspect of Federation life and to constantly remind students of their worthiness and talents. The Federation Chapel, the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy, offers students and staff a quiet place to reflect, pray and meet God. Mass and the Holy rosary are said regularly onsite. Throughout the year, we have Federation Masses to mark important events, there are pilgrimages to Lourdes and Rome and also regular retreats for students of all ages.
Retreats and Pilgrimages
Throughout the year our students take part in a programme of retreats, some in London and many at the St Cassians Centre in Kintbury. These retreats provide our students with the chance to pause, reflect and grow closer to God.
Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy
We are very proud of our roots. After arriving in East London, the Sisters of Mercy set about doing God’s work by looking after the poor within their communities. In honour and with our thanks, we dedicated our new Federation Chapel to the Sisters of Mercy who live in the Convent nearby still to this day. Students use the chapel daily, enjoy its peaceful atmosphere and feel invited to spend time in God’s presence.