Our Catholic History
Ratcliffe College was founded in 1847 by the Institute of Charity. Our Founder, Blessed Antonio Rosmini, was renowned as an educational innovator and that spirit has propelled the College forward ever since.
The College ‘Victorian Gothic’ buildings were designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, who co-operated with Sir Charles Barry on the design of the Houses of Parliament. The buildings have been continuously added to, a process which continues today, preserving the glories of the old buildings whilst adding the modern teaching and learning accommodation our students now require.
Co-education was a major milestone in the development of the College. Girls were admitted to the Sixth Form in 1977 and full co-education was introduced in 1984. In 1998, a Nursery for 3-5 year-olds was opened to teach the Early Years Foundation Stage and, in 2001, the development of the Junior School for 5-11 year-olds was completed. In September 2014, a new state-of-the-art Preparatory School building was opened for our 5-11 year-olds. Interestingly, our beautiful Preparatory School was designed by David Franklin, himself a distant descendant of Pugin. Alongside our Senior School for 11-18 year-olds, these innovations mean that Ratcliffe College offers a rounded and fulfilling continuous education for students from aged 3-18 on a single campus.