Establishment

The college was founded in 1842 in association with Stonyhurst College, Lancashire by the Society of Jesus which is a Roman Catholic religious order.^[4]

The college had a rector from 1842 to 1844. It had two pupils.^[5]

A year later, it had a dozen pupils. Father Francis Lythgoe moved the college to St. Anne Street where it stayed until 1845.^[5] In 1844 Father Johnson took over from Father Francis Lythgoe and moved his 24 pupils to the newly opened Presbytery on Salisbury Street. Father Collyns took over the college in 1853. With more than 50 pupils the rector Father Collyns decided that a new premises was needed. By 1856 the college had its own building built alongside the Presbytery and in 1877 a new college was built on 6 Salisbury Street.^[6]

Second college building

The newest Salisbury Street building was designed by Henry Clutton, a Catholic architect. He used the designs of Father Vaughan as the bases of his designs. The new college was completed in the summer of 1877 and cost £30,000.^[6]

Move to Woolton

In 1961 the college was transferred as a grammar school to its present twenty-six-acre site at High Lee, Woolton. From 1984 to 1990 the Lower School site for Years 7, 8 and 9 was located on Queens Drive (Formerly Cardinal Newman RC) in Wavertree L15. Later, the Lower School was re-sited with the Upper School at High Lee. In 1990, the college opted out of local authority control, becoming a grant-maintained school. The college was granted Technology College status from April 1996. In September 1999 it became a Foundation School. In 1992, the college became co-educational in the sixth form and in September 2000 the De La Mennais Sixth Form Centre was opened.

School uniform

All boys attending the school are expected to wear the agreed school uniform which is determined through the schools School Uniform policy. The current school uniform for boys consists of; ^[7]

• Maroon school blazer (Years 7–11)
• Black school blazer (Years 12–13)
• Black, normal style school trousers
• Plain white school shirt
• School pullover with embroidered school badge
• School tie
• Black school shoes

Boys attending the school are permitted only to wear formal style school shoes, with pumps, trainers, or walking boots being forbidden. Additionally, the wearing of make up by pupils is also forbidden for pupils in Years 7–11. ^[8]

Curriculum

All boys attending the school, and who are in Years 7–9, are taught at Key Stage 3 with a curriculum designed "to offer students a broad and balanced opportunity to experience a wide range of subjects". Subjects studied between Years 7–9 include English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Modern Foreign Language (Spanish and French), Humanities (History and Geography), Creative Arts and Design (Music, Art, Design and Technology), Computing, Physical Education, PSHCE, and Literacy and Reading. ^[9]

For boys in Years 10–11, they are taught at Key Stage 4 and study the core curriculum subjects of English, Maths, Science, Physical Education and Religious Studies. Additionally, boys have the option of choosing other subjects, either at GCSE, Vocational Award or Cambridge National level. Such optional subjects include Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Film Studies, French, Geography, History, Information Technology, Music, PE, Physics, Spanish, Sport, Technology and PSHCE. ^[10]

Pupils in Years 12–13 are taught at Key Stage 5, and pupils are granted a degree of flexibility over their subject choices. Pupils are provided with a choice of 15 A Levels, 3 BTECs, 1 CTEC and 2 Cambridge Technical awards to choose from. Pupils may additional wish to undertake courses provided at St Julies, the schools collaborative partner where pupils have the option to choose an additional 6 A Levels, 1 BTEC and 1 Technical Certificate. ^[11]

School choir

The choir was formed in 1994 and has performed in front of Pope John Paul II. They have toured Europe and the United States, and gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records for singing at every cathedral in England and Wales.^[12]

The school sang on the reworked version of The Farm's 1990 hit "Alltogethernow", remixed by BBC Radio 1's DJ Spoony. The single, which reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart, was the official song for the England football team at the UEFA Euro 2004 competition. It was performed by the choir on Top of the Pops in 2004.^[13]

Head Teachers

Notable former pupils

• James Clement Baxter – Liberal politician and former chairman of Everton FC^[14]
• Piaras Béaslaí (Percy Beazley) – Irish revolutionary and writer^[15][16]
• Charles Brabin – American film director^[17]
• Keith Briffa – climatologist
• Denis Cosgrove – former professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles
• Gabriel George Coury – recipient of the Victoria Cross^[18]
• Chris Crookall – actor^[19]
• Walter Bryan Emery – former Edwards Professor of Egyptian Archaeology and Philology at University College London
• Jon Flanagan – footballer
• Paul Gallagher – Roman Catholic cleric and diplomat, titular archbishop of Hodelm
• John Gregson – actor
• Franny Griffiths – musician
• Augustine Harris – Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough from 1978 to 1992, prison chaplain at HM Prison Liverpool from 1952 to 1965
• George Hartland – Conservative MP for Norwich from 1931 to 1935
• Paul Aloysius Kenna – recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Lancelot Lawton – British historian, military officer, scholar of Ukrainian studies
• Sammy Lee – former footballer and assistant manager of Liverpool FC^[20]
• George Lynskey – High Court judge on the former King's Bench
• Vincent Malone – bishop
• Jimmy McGovern – screenwriter^[21]
• Brian Nash - musician
• Mike Newell – footballer^[22]
• Laurence O'Keeffe – UK ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1988 to 1991, and to Senegal from 1982 to 1985
• Edward J. Phelan – director-general of the International Labour Organization^[23]
• Paul Raymond – publisher of pornographic magazines
• Peter Serafinowicz – actor, writer, comedian^[24]
• Leslie Stuart – composer of Edwardian musical comedies^[25]
• Tony Warner – footballer
• Michael Xavier – musical theatre actor