Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School

Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School, is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided secondary school for girls aged 11–18 located in Upper Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon, England.

Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School
Address
147 Central Hill, Upper Norwood London , SE19 1RS England
Coordinates	51°25′17″N 0°05′40″W
Information
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1848
Local authority	Croydon
Department for Education URN	131280 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Mrs. Hilary Meyer
Gender	Girls
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	642
Website	http://www.virgofidelis.org.uk

History

The original building on the site was a hunting lodge (of unknown age). In the late 1700s, the building was owned by the Earls of Bristol, and was known as Norwood House, the residence of the notable socialite Mary Nesbitt.[1] In the early 1800s the lodge was sold and became known as the "Old Park Hotel".[2]

Mother Saint Mary (Henriette le Forestier d'Osseville; 1803–1858), who had arrived in the United Kingdom in September 1848 with the intention of establishing a school under the patronage of Cardinal Wiseman, acquired the site with funds provided by her father, Count Theodose le Forestier d'Osseville in 1857.[2] The current building was designed by William Wardell and built in phases in the gothic style to accommodate Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School commencing at that time.[2] The convent is part of the Congregation of Our Lady of Fidelity, an international Roman Catholic religious organisation, founded in France in 1831.[2]

Notable former pupils

• Maura McGowan, High Court judge
• Su-Elise Nash, Member of the UK girl group Mis-Teeq

References

1. Stevenson, Janet H. (2004). "Nesbitt (née Davis), Mary". Oxford Biography Index. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
2. "A short history of the Convent and Church of the Faithful Virgin at Upper Norwood". The Norwood Society. Retrieved 25 July 2017.

External links

• Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School
• Our Lady of Fidelity website