St Oscar Romero Catholic School
| St Oscar Romero Catholic School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
Goring Street , , BN12 5AF England | |
| Coordinates | 50°48′58″N 0°26′01″W / 50.81606°N 0.43361°W |
| Information | |
| Former names | St Mary's Catholic Secondary Modern School (1957—1959) Blessed Robert Southwell Catholic Secondary Modern School (1959—1973) Chatsmore Catholic High School (1973—2020)[1] |
| Type | Voluntary aided school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1957 (as St Mary's Catholic Secondary Modern School) |
| Local authority | West Sussex County Council |
| Department for Education URN | 126096 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Governing chair | Chris Silk |
| Headteacher | Peter Byrne |
| Staff | 100+ |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1072 |
| Colour(s) | Red, Blue, Black, Purple, Green |
| Website | stromeros |
St Oscar Romero Catholic School (formerly Chatsmore Catholic High School; formerly Blessed Robert Southwell High School) is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school located in the Goring-by-Sea area of Worthing, West Sussex, England.[2]
It is a voluntary aided school administered by West Sussex County Council and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The school is named after Archbishop Óscar Romero.
Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a bishop of the Catholic Church in El Salvador and became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on March 24, 1980.
After his assassination, Romero was succeeded by Monsignor Arturo Rivera. In 1997, a cause for beatification and canonisation was opened for Romero, and Pope John Paul II bestowed upon him the title of Servant of God. His canonisation was finalised in 2018.[3] He is considered by some of the unofficial patron saint of the Americas and El Salvador and is often referred to as "San Romero" by Catholics in El Salvador. Outside of Catholicism, Romero is honoured by other religious denominations of Christendom, including the Church of England through the Calendar in Common Worship. He is one of the ten 20th-century martyrs who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey in London, a testament to the respect for him even beyond the Catholic Church.[4] In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 15 Champions of World Democracy by the Europe-based magazine A Different View.
Controversy
In 2008, the school banned the drink Red Bull as it believed that the drink had an adverse effect on the behaviour of the pupils.[5]
In 2025, headteacher Peter Byrne was convicted of dangerous driving for driving the wrong way into traffic on the A24.[6]
Notable former pupils
- Brenock O'Connor – actor, best known for his role as Olly in the Game of Thrones series
- Leo Sayer - singer
References
- ^ Holden, John (17 September 2020). "Worthing high school renamed for fourth time". Worthing Herald. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "St Oscar Romero | Catholic School". stromeros.co.uk.
- ^ "Murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero canonised". 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Westminster Abbey: Oscar Romero".
- ^ Clout, Laura (6 June 2008). "School bans Red Bull after bad behaviour rise". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media group. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
- ^ "Dangerous driver sentenced for travelling wrong way on A24". www.sussex.police.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
Further reading
Dunn, Karen (3 August 2023). "School is planning to make a sixth form".