St Bede’s College, which was founded by Cardinal Vaughan in 1876, is a Roman Catholic co-educational independent grammar school with 858 pupils on roll as of September 2008. In September 1976, when the direct grant system began to be phased out, the College continued its role as an independent school providing an essentially academic education for boys from the age of 11 to 18 years.
Girls were admitted to the Sixth Form in 1984 and at 11+ from 1986.
The general rule as to admissions to the College is that the prospective pupil should be a baptized Catholic. However, applications are welcomed from non-Catholics, provided that the prospective pupil is a committed Christian, who wishes to participate in a Catholic grammar school education. In extraordinary circumstances, subject to the express approval of the Governing body, the Headmaster may consider applications from other prospective pupils who wish to participate in a Catholic education. All pupils will be expected to attend all classes and services during College hours.
In order to maintain the Catholic ethos of the College, the Governors’ policy is that there shall be no more than 3 non-Catholics in any class. Further, the Governors’ aim is that there shall be no more than 5% of non-Catholics on the College roll at any time.
The College’s mission statement refers to St Bede’s as “a Catholic school which endeavours to transmit the message of the Gospel and uphold the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It is a College and not just a school. We are a community of believers aiming to provide for the children in our care an excellence of education rooted in and sustained by our shared commitment to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
The mission statement also emphasises that “the vision of Cardinal Vaughan, our founder, was that the opportunity to pursue educational excellence should be available for the Catholic children of Manchester. More than 100 years later we aim to develop highly educated and articulate young men and women strong in their faith and possessing a conviction to establish God’s kingdom in this world.”
