Report on a visit to Saint Mark's Roman Catholic School, Hounslow West, London

Abstract

As part of the two-year evening Diploma Course in Educational Administration and Management organised by the Faculty of Education, University of Malta between 1985 and 1987, arrangements were made so that a group of students could visit and observe an English school. Mr Patrick Topp, Headmaster, Saint Mark's Roman Catholic School at Hounslow West, London, accepted my request for a placement at his comprehensive secondary school between the 11th and the 25th September 1986. During my stay I tried to have a fairly close look at the organisation and running of the school and at the curriculum, teaching methods and opportunities and activities offered to students. Following the visit, I was expected to write a report. The present report, obviously, cannot in any way be considered as comprehensive, primarily because of the short duration of the visit. Hopefully, not much that is very significant was left out. But it is necessarily the view of an outsider, with all the handicaps and the advantages he has to face in carrying out such a task. It would be presumptuous on my part if I were to pass any definitive qualitative judgement on what I observed, what I was told or what I discussed. My main interest was to note good practice which could be eventually adopted within the local context. Sometimes I compared the situation in the school I visited with the local scene at institution and systems levels. I wish to thank Mr Topp (who was soon to become Education Officer for the Archdiocese of Westminster), the Staff at Saint Mark's, Professor Charles Farrugia, Head of the Faculty of Education, and Ms M Ball and Ms M Castle for their help in making my visit to London possible and fruitful.