Holy Cross is a Beacon College in the further education sector. Its present development is the latest stage in the growth of an educational establishment that had its birth in 1878. In that year, a group of dedicated religious women, Daughters of the Cross, came to the Salford Diocese and set up as teachers in Bury. Originally, there was a small private school; this grew into a large direct grant girls’ grammar school. Now we have a Sixth Form College. We also work with local high schools to deliver courses for 14-16 year olds and we have entered the adult education field with upwards of 500 plus people who live locally and are continuing with their studies, enabling us to take our part in life-long learning which has to be the pattern for the future. Over the years, the title has altered from Bury Convent High School to Bury Convent Grammar School through to Holy Cross College.
So what is it that animates us now and where are we going?
First of all, we are a group of people who are very aware of the rich spiritual heritage of our institution. History has endowed us with a clear tradition of caring for all who live and work here. Our task is to educate the students who choose to come to us and, of course, facilitate their learning. How we deliver that education is something that has changed considerably over the years and is changing very rapidly now. In our present development all our students are preparing for examinations. For them we must provide, in a short space of time, a rigorous curriculum which will secure them their qualifications and equip them for the competitive world ahead.
But we are an inclusive college where a narrow curriculum would not be suitable in all cases, nor indeed in any case. We aim to take care of the individual and to create a climate where he/she can become his/her best self. We aim to make our students spiritually aware so that they can see beyond the material and transient and be able to witness to things eternal. Being human beings as they are they have to develop their personalities in the period of history in which they find themselves. To do this now they need the tools such as spiritual and moral awareness, self-confidence, self-esteem, aesthetic awareness, emotional maturity, awareness of others, literacy, numeracy, computer literacy, and so on. So, whatever the gifts of our students, we aim to provide a core curriculum where they gain the tools for meaningful, purposeful human existence through which they can reach out to the divine and transcendent. We realise that academic excellence is only one form of excellence and we have to be in the business of developing all the many and varied talents of the students who come to us.
We must also care for the carers. All the staff who work here, in whatever capacity, need to be sustained and developed in an atmosphere of encouragement and support. Our College is situated within a community – local, national and international. We aim to have links with that community to contribute to it and receive from it. In common with other people, we realise that we have a responsibility for the environment, we need to respect it and preserve it for those who come after us.
Our mission statement says that we accept staff and students of all faiths. In practice that means that we are aware of other persuasions and faiths and have the greatest respect for those motivated by them.
Our specific religious instruction and our worship is in accord with the doctrines and tenets of the Roman Catholic Church. This is not a static institution either but is very insistent that all its believers are on a journey of faith. Our task is to nurture and develop that faith during the students stay with us.
In short, we aim to provide a well-rounded education for the development of the whole person of each student. We would hope to exercise this responsibility in a safe and secure environment that facilitates growth and development. As well as having a dedicated staff who are being continually developed by in-service training we have been involved and still are in an ambitious programme of improvement in building and resources that should ensure very good facilities for our students and staff.
"Catholic Colleges for the Communtity: The Mission of the Catholic Sixth Form Colleges in England and Wales is based on the values of the Gospel and the living traditions and teachings of the Catholic Church. The distinctive nature and character of our Catholic provision inspires every aspect of college activity."
This mission is characterised by:
- a belief that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, each with a divine origin and an eternal destiny, and should be equally accorded respect and dignity
- the highest quality teaching and learning which promotes the welfare, growth and development of the individual human person
- appropriate learning opportunities which strive to meet the needs of the learner for growth and development through the individual lifelong journey to wholeness
- opportunities to reflect upon, explore and celebrate the individual spiritual journey, common to all humankind, and to the cultivation of the human spirit at the heart of a distinctive post-16 Catholic education
- opportunities to make and build community, cherishing diversity and inclusivity in the service of the common good, social cohesion and a justice-for-all mentality
- positive experiences of a living, forgiving, loving and vibrant Church and of its life-giving message of hope, healing, reconciliation, and life-in abundance for all
- learning opportunities based on awareness of, respect for, engagement with and celebration of the Spirit of God at work in the major world religious traditions
Whilst the role of Catholic Sixth Form Colleges continues to focus on the education of those aged 16-19, we welcome recent opportunities for our work to include the 14-16 cohort as well as adult learners, consistent with the spirit of lifelong learning. We also welcome the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of partners to enable us to fulfil this role in the interests of the Catholic and wider communities we serve. Such provision embeds the distinctive Catholic concern with the growth of the whole person and witnesses to the Common Good.