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Notre Dame Catholic College

The Notre Dame Catholic College was originally the residence of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Liverpool, and began as a pupil-teacher centre with links to local primary schools. The collegiate school did not actually come into existence until 1902, with this merging with the pupil teacher centre in 1908. It was known as Notre Dame Collegiate School and became a direct grant grammar school in 1946 as a result of the Education Act 1944.

The sisters did not move out of the building until 1978 due to the expansion and the intake of the school building, and the school building also followed this expansion to pave the way for the institution to become an all-girls comprehensive school in 1983, which also tallied with the amalgamation of both St John’s Secondary Modern School and St Catherine’s Secondary Modern School to form Notre Dame High School in the same year.In 2001, the school inserted the word ‘Catholic’ into its title to become Notre Dame Catholic High School, but 2002 saw the school become a specialist ‘Performing Arts College’ – returning the institution to a College as it once originally wasThe former all girls College began accepting boys into Year 7 in September 2012. Boys were already enrolled into Sixth Form. In September 2013, the College moved to a new, state-of-the-art building next to Everton Park sports centre on Great Homer Street as part of the wider Project Jennifer scheme

Following the tradition the form classes in each year group are named after Sisters of Notre Dame.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Mrs. J Ball
Contact Position
Headteachers PA
Telephone
E-mail
ao@notredame.liverpool.sch.uk
Website
notredameliverpool.com/

Where to go

Name
Notre Dame Catholic College
Address
Great Homer Street
Liverpool
Postcode
L5 5AF
Notes

The school also houses the Resonate Music Hub

Resonate, Liverpool's Music Hub, funded by Arts Council England, operates as a gateway for Liverpool's young musicians, meaning over 13,000 pupils in Liverpool have regular access to outstanding music opportunities which will impact on their lives and enhance our city.

http://www.resonatehub.co.uk/

Time / Date Details

When is it on
8.00 am until 3.00 pm (Monday to Thursday) 8am until 2.20 pm (Friday)

Other Details

Availability

Referral required
No
Referral Details

Application through the Local Authority process for Secondary School Applications.

Other notes

Please note that there is no offer of the Flourish @ Notre Dame for the academic year 2024/2025 as the school is only commissioned for two classes which are now in place with no further growth for the next two academic years

Resourced provision at Notre Dame Catholic College - 'Flourish @ Notre Dame'

Our resourced based provision is named ‘Flourish @ Notre Dame Catholic College. 

All of the pupils who are within the provision have an EHCP and have difficulties in Social Communication and Interaction and have a diagnosis of Autism. In the first year the provision is set up for a maximum of eight pupils, supported by three members of staff, a teacher, Higher Level Teaching Assistant and a Teaching Assistant.

This means that the maximum ratio of staff to pupils will be 3:8, which will create a highly supportive environment on which positive relationships will be built. When placing pupils, we carefully consider the needs of the pupils and whether they can be met here at Notre Dame Catholic College, working with families to make sure that they are happy with the offer and support that will be in place. Pupils will be taught within a specialist Classroom that has direct access to our state-of-the-art Sensory Room.

All pupils are provided with an individual workstation that they have ownership of, but also provided with their own space for self-regulation and quiet working when it is needed.

There are opportunities to use the group table for larger discussions or work that is delivered to the whole group. With the ratio of staff to pupils and a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) in the room, smaller group sessions can be delivered to the pupils when needed.

Pupils individual needs are catered for as detailed in their EHCP and the commissioning of services (Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychologist) is something that the school put into place through consultation with the Local Authority. There is also an area for the development of life skills within the room and space for sensory diets and activities to take place within the classroom. Pupils within the resourced based provision also have direct access to our new Sensory Room and have this resource as and when it is needed to support their individual needs,l.

Admissions and Consultation with the Local Authority

Admissions to the Flourish Provision are led by the Local Authority. Notre Dame Catholic College will respond to any request for a place based on whether needs can or cannot be met. Careful consideration of the setting’s response is given by Liverpool City Council and they will notify the setting of the placement allocation with a confirmation email.  Until the receipt of the confirmation email, no allocation will have been made.

Curriculum

Pupils have full access to a relevant curriculum for both their chronological age and their academic age. It is adapted in a highly personalised way for pupils’ individual needs and this is carried out in a carefully planned way that allows our pupils to flourish and prepare them for their next steps in life.

Wider School Access

All of the pupils within the resource-based provision are Notre Dame Catholic College pupils and are part of the whole school community. When it is appropriate for individual pupils and when they are ready, they will have full access to the entire school building and all of the facilities. As specialists, we fully understand that the larger school environment may cause some anxieties and stress, but we would never wish to increase they by forcing anything on a pupil until they are fully ready and they have had a bespoke and personalised transition to do so. Wider school access will include activities such as break and lunch times, year group assemblies, whole school activities and extracurricular activities and clubs. At all times a transition plan will be put into place with the support of the family and the pupil and at all times this will be managed by the staff team within the school.

Access to mainstream lessons

As this is a resource-based provision, pupils will have the opportunity to integrate into mainstream lessons when it is appropriate for their individual needs and when they are ready to transition into these lessons. It is also important to consider that if they have a talent for a lesson or a special interest in it that they are given the opportunity to attend these lessons within a specialist classroom and with access to the often specialist equipment. When a pupil is ready, once again a transition plan will be put into place and this will be fully supported by the staff within the provision and from the wider SEND team within the school.

Transition into the mainstream school

If you pupils are able to and when they are ready they may have the opportunity to transition into the mainstream school full time, but this will be carefully planned and would only be carried out if the pupil was ready and would require a substantial well managed plan that allowed.  A plan would be drawn up with school staff and also the family to make sure that there was total success in this happening and it would be carried out at the pupil’s pace and only when they are ready to move onto the next phase of the transition. 

Accredited Learning

When pupils reach Key Stage 4 they will have the opportunity to undertake accredited learning and qualifications that meet their individual and academic needs. These qualifications will be pitched at the pupil’s individual needs and will allow them to progress onto further study as they move through their educational journey.

 

Local Offer

Description

At Notre Dame Catholic College we seek to nurture the gifts, aspirations and talents of all in the spirit of St Julie. Teaching staff at our college recognise that the young people we teach, often learn in different ways and therefore strive to provide a differentiated approach through quality first teaching. The SEND Department work closely with pupils, parents and teachers to coordinate provision in order to meet the needs of those pupils with an identified SEND.

The school caters for the needs of young people in years 7 to 13 of Secondary School. We have named SENCO and Assistant SENCO in school who support students with the whole staff team with their learning. The team have a good understanding of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and they 4 broad areas of need. The school has a SEND Register and also students who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

The school also support parents/carers and students with referrals to external providers and support packages that are available. These include, but are not limited to YPAS, CAMHS, Educational Psychology, Bereavement Counselling, SENIIS and The Sensory Team.

Contact Name
Mr A McVerry (SENDCo) and Kathyrn Sweeney (Assistant SENDCo)
Contact Telephone
0151 330 5122
Contact Email
ao@notredame.liverpool.sch.uk
Links
SEND Information
Notre Dame Catholic College SEND Padlet
Local Offer Age Bands
Secondary (11 to 16)
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