The school was founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1954 to cater for the needs of a growing Catholic population in Harold Hill. The school began its life in the Church Hall of what is now the Holy Redeemer Church. Before the Infant school was built, the children also travelled by bus to Elm Park Church Hall.
Sister Paul and Sister Bernadine were the first two teachers of St Ursula’s Catholic Infant School. St Ursula’s Catholic Infant school opened in 1955 and coaches were arranged to enable the children from Harold Wood to get to the new school. For the first 2 years, some of the Infant staff and children remained in the Holy Redeemer Church Hall and this was known as the ‘Annex.’
St Ursula’s Catholic Junior school was opened in 1957. Whilst it was being built, the Infant School hall was used as a classroom for the Junior school children. In 1955 Sister Bernadine was the Headteacher of the newly built school and in 1957 she became the Headteacher of the Infant School. Sister Paul became the Headteacher of the Junior School.
60 years after the Junior school was built, it was decided that both schools would work towards becoming 1 school. In 2017, the Infant School and Junior School federated and became St Ursula’s Catholic Federation; however, both schools were still classed as separate entities and although there was 1 Headteacher and both schools were working closer together, one was still a Junior School and the other an Infant school.
It was decided in 2019 that both schools would finally become 1 school (amalgamate) to form a new primary school and in 2020 St Ursula’s Catholic Primary school was formed!
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