Our Academy

We are very proud to be part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nottingham, to be involved with two of our local Parishes, and to be a part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.

Opened in 1970, our school serves the young people of the Bestwood Park area of North Nottingham. We are a one form entry primary and nursery school with a roll of around 228 pupils.

We are fortunate to be a part of two of our local Catholic Parishes: Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Bulwell and The Good Shepherd Church, Arnold.

Father John and Father Philipp Ziomec, our two Parish Priests, often come in to school to celebrate Mass with us, and any parents/carers are always welcome to join in our celebrations.

Our school also joins our parish communities for Saturday evening masses, providing readers and gift-bearers, on a scheduled basis to both parishes.

We enjoy a close relationship with our parishes and work closely together to provide Sacramental Preparation for our pupils before their First Reconciliation and First Communion.

Who was Saint Margaret Clitherow?

Margaret Middleton was born in York in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. When Margaret was about 16, she married John Clitherow, a retail and wholesale butcher.They lived in a house in the Shambles and had three children, William, Henry and Anne. Margaret converted to the Catholic faith during her twenties. She was well-known and respected in York.

Margaret became a very enthusiastic Catholic and refused to attend Church of England services. Because of this, she was fined on a number of occasions and imprisoned more than once. During her time in prison she taught herself to read and write. She spent a great deal of time studying the bible.When one of her friends was imprisoned for caring for visiting priests, Margaret took over this role. She had a secret place in her house to conceal priests and a set of vestments was hidden there. A young boy, playing in the house, discovered the vestments and soon after that the soldiers were informed, the house was searched and Margaret was taken to court. She was brought before a judge who asked her to plead. Margaret felt that she had done nothing wrong and could not in all conscience plead guilty, but if she pleaded not-guilty, her children would , no doubt be subjected to great pressure, and even torture to provide evidence against her. As she refused to plead, her punishment was to be crushed to death. The judge begged her to reconsider, but she would not.

Margaret was not allowed to send a message to her family, so she sent her stockings to her daughter, Anne, as a sign that she should walk in her footsteps and her hat to her husband to indicate that she held him as head of her family.Soon after this she was taken to the bridge and a heavy door was placed on her with stones on top. After two hours the door was removed and a sharp stone placed under her back. The door and weights were replaced.Margaret died and so became a martyr for her faith.Her feast day is March 26th.