John F Kennedy Catholic School facts for kids

John F Kennedy Catholic School is a voluntary aided Roman Catholic comprehensive secondary school located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. It opened in 1967 and now has a student population of approximately 1100, aged 11 to 18. The headteacher is currently (?). The school's motto is Pacem in terris (peace on Earth).

The school is also part of a local partnership of secondary schools, offering a variety of subject choices for post-16 students, but as of 2020, this partnership is more limited.

Achievements and recognition

The school gained Technology College status in 1998, has received Ofsted inspection reports describing it as "outstanding", and appeared on Ofsted's "honours list". It has also received the following special recognitions:

• Schools Curriculum Award 2000
• Investor in People

The secondary school currently has a student population over 170 in 6th form, which is its largest 6th form on record.

Future of the school

In September 2009 the school opened a major £8.4m ($16.2m) new building project which has expanded facilities for several of the school's subject departments. The new developments include:

• A new teaching block, taking up part of the area where the school's current tennis courts used to be
• 4 new tennis courts on currently unused field area
• A new sports hall in the 'spinney' (a wooded area on the school site)
• A new playground in front of the school's largest teaching block, the 'B Block'
• A new car park to help deal with local parking issues, which will take up the remainder of the current tennis court area

The school has minimised the impact on the local environment by avoiding significant loss of trees. The project also involved the planting of new trees, and using trees which are required to be cut down as wood-chip paths and for the construction of the gazebo-type structure in the so-called 'spinney'.