Ratcliffe College is a coeducational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the village of Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Leicestershire, approximately from Leicester, England. The college, situated in of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the buildings were converted for use as a boarding school for upper-class boys. The college became coeducational under the presidency of Father Tony Baxter in the mid-1970s. As of the 2018–2019 academic years, there were 850 students on roll at Ratcliffe, from ages 3 to 18. The school buildings were designed by the Victorian Gothic revivalist Augustus Welby Pugin. Pugin, who is associated with Catholic architecture throughout the Midlands and north of England, is also noted for his collaboration with Charles Barry in the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster. The Square was designed by Charles Francis Hansom, brother of Joseph Hansom, the designer of the Hansom cab. various building works over the years have contributed to Pugin and Hansom's work, and modern buildings include a "new" gothic refectory and a Byzantine-style church.s
Management
The school, operated by Rosmini's Institute of Charity, used to use the title "Father President" for the most senior member of staff who, up until 1996, was always a Father of the Institute. In 1996, the school appointed its first lay President, Tim Kilbride, and the position was renamed Headmaster. He was succeeded in 2000 by Peter Farrar and then in 2009 by Gareth Lloyd. Its current Headmaster is Mr Jonathan Reddin who took up the post in January 2017.
Ratcliffe College is regularly inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. This is the body approved by the Department of Education for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to Independent Schools Council Associations and reporting on compliance with independent school regulations. A team of ten inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate spent four days examining every aspect of school life. You can download and read the complete report at: www.isi.net/schools/6822/ The School received 'Excellent' report in all 9 categories:
Pupils’ achievements and learning
Curricular and extra-curricular provision
Teaching
Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
In January 2015 Ratcliffe agreed a deal to educate 16 Thai students who had been selected by Leicester City FC to come to Leicester and who would benefit from regular exposure to the Academy facilities at Leicester City. Ratcliffe's Head of Boys' Boarding and former Director of Sport is ex-LCFC player, Phil Gilchrist.
Joseph Lauwerys, prominent educationalist who helped to found UNESCO
Patrick McGoohan, American-born actor of Irish parentage who rose to fame in the British film and TV industry: starring in the 1960s television series Danger Man and cult classic The Prisoner.
