Our History

We are very proud of our history and tradition at St Louis School.  The Sisters of St Louis were founded in France in 1842 by Louis Bautain and in September 1945 seven of the founding Sisters opened St Louis School as a convent in Aylesbury with 22 pupils. In 2006 we celebrated our Diamond Jubilee and we were delighted that four of the original pupils from that 1945 class were able to join us for our Jubilee Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Peter.

In 2015/2016 we celebrated our 70th Anniversary by a 3.5million expansion project which has seen a new building created and the older parts of our school refurbished. Although the school has expanded   some things have remained the same. The distinctive winter uniform of which we are very proud, is the same original Hunting Stewart tartan pattern which was worn by the girls in 1945 except the pinafore is now a kilt.  Our school motto and badge has not changed at all and ‘Ut Sint Unum – That We May Be One’ is as relevant today as it was in 1945.

Our School Badge

 

Each symbol on our school badge (the St Louis coat of arms) has a story to tell.  The gold sword in the middle with thorns around it reminds us that our patron Saint, King Louis IX of France fought in the crusades.  St Louis recovered the crown of thorns which the Saracens had taken and brought it back to France.  The Sisters of St Louis were founded in France and that is why the French symbol, the Fleur de Lys, is in the lower right hand corner.  In 1859 some Sisters came from France to Monaghan, a town in Ireland, and in the left hand corner the tower of Monaghan can be seen.  Finally the chain represents our motto and symbolises how Christians are closely bound together in God’s love, each working for the good of all.

 

 

Our Patron Saint

 

Saint Louis was born near Paris, in France on 25th April 1214. He was King of France (Louis lX) from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is the only King of France to become a Saint and as such had many places named after him, including St Louis in Missouri, USA. Louis was very kind to the poor and took part in the Crusades. He was very well respected and known as a Christian Prince. He had a reputation for fairness and was often asked to intervene in quarrels between different rulers. Louis was a devout Catholic and took seriously his role as ‘Lieutenant of God on earth’. Louis died on 25th August 1270 in Tunis from dysentery while on his second Crusade. The Congregation of the Sisters of St Louis was founded in 1842 and named after him. It is this religious order who founded our school.

Our School Aims, Ethos and Values

 

At St Louis School we aim  for our children to grow into the people that God wants them to be. This includes achieving their true potential in academic, sporting or music success and by becoming well rounded, thoughtful and caring citizens for the future. Learning is at the heart of our school and we have the commitment of a well qualified and dedicated team of staff, supportive parents and Governors and pupils who are proud to belong to our school family.

 

The motto of our school is:

 

'UT SINT UNUM - THAT WE MAY BE ONE'

 

and summarises our belief in the importance of being at one with God and the partnership between home, school and parish. We are supported in this by our parish priest who takes an active and full part in the life of our school. Our partnership enables us to achieve a family atmosphere providing a secure, happy, learning environment with Christ at the centre of all that we do.