Last year, Maricourt Catholic High School reached its 60th year of operation, with a diverse and interesting history that spans back to 1957.
During its existence, the school has taught tens of thousands of students, maintaining an average annual attendance of 1,500 pupils or more since 1968. Several high profile footballers, Olympic contestants, and authors have attended Maricourt over the years, making it one of Liverpool’s most prestigious Catholic schools.
Starting from a Headteacher’s Vision
The foundation of Maricourt Catholic High School was largely spearheaded by Sister Mary Magdalen, who noticed a strong need for a new school in the Maghull area. Initially, it was merely a grammar school that served a single classroom of only 16 girls. Eventually, Maricourt became the only Catholic Comprehensive school located within the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Sister Magdalen served as headteacher for more than 32 years, and still to this day at the age of 92, she regularly receives thank you letters from people who praise her for her efforts in education.
From a Small Grammar School to a Large High School
Maricourt was launched under the name “Mater Misericordiae High School,” a fitting name for what would become one of Merseyside’s first Catholic comprehensive schools. When translating from Latin to English, ‘Mater Misericordiae’ translates to Mother of Mercy and that’s why the name is apropos. To put the timeline into perspective, The Beatles were not yet famous when Maricourt first opened its doors to students. Queen Elizabeth II had begun her reign only a few years earlier, and Liverpool was just a small community that was in dire need of a good Catholic school. Since the school’s inception, the population of Liverpool has increased substantially, and along with the growing community came an ever-increasing attendance. Today, Maricourt is one of Liverpool’s largest Catholic schools in terms of attendance numbers.
Providing Some of the Best Sixth Form Advanced Results in Merseyside
Maricourt High School’s Sixth Form is consistently rated above the national average and is known for producing some of the best A-Level results out of all schools in the region. Maricourt cooperates with Deyes High School and Maghull High School within the Maghull Collaborative, thereby broadening the A-level curriculum available to students within each of these programs. Furthermore, A-Level students at Maricourt have a 100% pass rate, so the school’s academic efficacy is an undeniably top-tier establishment.
Looking Forward to Another 60 Years of Educating
During the August Holidays of 2011, the facilities at Maricourt underwent significant refurbishment, with several study areas being modified and an oratory being added to the first floor of the Quarry Brook House. As schools throughout the UK continue to adopt progressive teaching methodologies that incorporate the latest technology, it makes sense that Maricourt has expressed interest in further modernising the school’s operations. As Maricourt continues to integrate with surrounding schools within the Maghull Collaborative, it also stands to reason that the curriculum and teaching methods will become even broader in the near future.
