The History of Our Lady of Muswell
The school Chaplaincy team researched the history of Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary school and shared the information with the school community.
In May 1904, the order of St Martin de Tours, an order of nuns that were originally based in France, opened a small privately run school in Muswell Hill
Three years later, in 1907, the sisters moved into a house named ‘Springfield’ in Pages Lane – this was to become St Martin’s Convent, which would later connect to the school. In 1929, the Convent school expanded when classrooms were built above the original hall.
The sisters could only accept children whose parents could afford the admission fees. This resulted in a small minority of Catholics attending the school. Therefore, the sisters opted to close the Convent High School in favour of a Catholic Diocesan Primary School.
Following an extensive building programme, the new school officially opened on Saturday 28th February 1959 by Cardinal Godfrey
OLM was then consecrated on 23rd September 1959. Canon Stewart with Cardinal Godfrey greeted children at the opening of OLM school.
The school expanded again in 1971, when the school took over the use of the two top rooms in the Convent building
Planning permission was given on 21st July 2000 to expand the school again.
After extensive building works, lasting over two years, the school was complete. On the 1st July 2004, the extension of the school was officially opened by Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Today modern lines of the new building vividly contrast with the traditional Victorian architecture of the original school - yet they are seamlessly joined.
