main content Unique specialist status for Cator Park School

Cator Park, the only Community school for girls in the borough, will become the country’s first Technology and Performing Arts Specialist College in September.

The unique accolade follows on from success at last year’s Beckenham Festival, where performing arts pupils from the school picked up numerous awards, including most entertaining performance, as well as participation in Bromley Schools’ Prom and the Shakespeare Challenge at the Churchill Theatre.

Other events include a mini-enterprise week during last summer celebrating the work of technology students, and a family robot day when parents and pupils worked together with members of the technology faculty to produce their own robots.

Performing arts and technology pupils worked together on the Shakespeare Medley with technology pupils researching and producing "Elizabethan" food. The Specialist Status will allow the school to build on these links.

Headteacher Meryl Davies said: "We are absolutely thrilled and extremely excited about becoming a centre of excellence in these subjects."

"It will enhance the school’s culture of success, enrich the opportunities already available and challenge our students to even higher levels of attainment, breaking stereotypical career paths."

"We are grateful for all the support we have had along the way from governors, parents, the Local Education Authority and our MP Jacqui Lait."

The announcement means the school will be eligible for an extra £100,000 towards capital projects plus £129 per pupil additional funding.

Executive Councillor for Children and Young People Councillor Graham Arthur said: “This is a tremendous achievement and I would like to congratulate the headteacher, governors, staff, pupils and officers of the LEA for all the hard work they have put in over the last year."

"The unique combination of the two elements of the specialism indicates the emerging high-tech nature of how the Performing Arts are taught and it is extremely gratifying to see Bromley at the forefront of this developing trend."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• For further information, or to arrange photographs, contact Ms Davies on 020 8778 5917.
• Cator Park offers a wide curriculum, including five modern languages one of which is Russian.