Hollies Convent FCJ School

The Hollies Convent FCJ School was a girls' direct-grant Roman Catholic grammar school in south Manchester, England.

History[]

In 1820, Marie-Madeleine d'Houët, also known as Marie Madeleine Victoire, founded the society of the Faithful Companions of Jesus in Amiens, France.

The school began at the Hollies in September 1900 in Fallowfield.

Grammar school[]

In the mid-1940s, it became a direct-grant grammar school. The University of Manchester acquired the site in the late 1950s for student accommodation (Fallowfield Campus), so a new site opened at West Didsbury in September 1961. A new preparatory school was built too. 520 girls joined the new £250,000 school in Didsbury, with grounds of 16 acres. By 1973 there were around 720 girls.^[1] The school had an excellent academic reputation.^{[citation needed]}

Comprehensive[]

In 1976, the school was requested to become a comprehensive, as direct grant schools were being phased out. It became a comprehensive in 1977. In 1983, RC Salford Diocese planned to amalgamate the school with the St Mark's school, on the St Mark's site, with the Hollies site closing in August 1984. The Hollies High School closed and the new and The Barlow Roman Catholic High School in 1985.^{[citation needed]}

Demolition[]

The site was demolished, and it is now a housing estate.

Structure[]

The school was around a half-mile north-east of the M63 (now M60) junction 5, close to the River Mersey, near the B5167.

Alumni[]

• Caroline Aherne, actress, known for The Fast Show
• Dame Joan McVittie, (nee Docherty), headteacher, President from 2011-12 of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
• Catherine Reilly, bibliographer and anthologist^[2]
• Paula Wilcox, actress

See also[]

• Catholic Church in England
• Upton Hall School FCJ

References[]

External links[]

• School history