St Catherine’s sits perched on a hill overlooking the small seaside town of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Although it started to specialise in supporting students with speech, language and communication needs in 1983, its history of working with children and young people goes back to 1915. 

Originally, St Catherine’s was established as a residential home for children with respiratory conditions. It was run by the Society of St Margaret’s - an Anglican Order of nuns who worked in the community as nurses and teachers. 

St Catherine’s Open Air School, as it was known, supported 100s of children who all benefited from the clean air of Ventnor and the medical support of the nuns. However, due to medical advancements and cleaner air in our towns and cities, the need to support children away from home in schools like St Catherine’s waned. However, the nuns were still keen to support children. 

In the late 1970s, the nuns set up a speech and language unit within the school with the aim of providing young people with the skills necessary for them to reach their potential in life. During the 1980s the nuns decided to withdraw from St Catherine’s, due to a decline in numbers.

Meaning that, in 1983, St Catherine’s School, in its current form, was established and continues to thrive to this day.