Gunnersbury Catholic School, based on the Ride, Brentford, is, as its name suggests, a Voluntary Aided School for Catholic boys.

Administered by a Board of Governors acting under the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Westminster, it has a total of 1,132 pupils on its roll, including a Sixth Form of 205 boys and 25 girls, who are taught by 65 teachers.

The school was founded in 1919 by Fr William Roche, but became a Voluntary Aided Grammar School in 1932. It took its first comprehensive intake in 1972, before later becoming Grant Maintained in April 1993 and returning to Voluntary Aided in September 1999. Gunnersbury was designated a Science Specialist School in September 2003.

Mr Heffernan has been in post as Headteacher for fourteen years.

"I feel privileged to be Headteacher of this great school which has a wonderful history. Gunnersbury has a really good reputation and is known to be a school where standards of work and behaviour are high," he told the Times.

Pupils are very hardworking and continue to achieve outstanding results in public examinations. Last year, 70 per cent of the boys achieved 5 A*-Cs in their GCSE examinations well above the national average for boys' schools.

The success of the school is put down to the positive attitude of the pupils and the dedication and commitment of the staff who work as part of a team to provide teaching of the highest quality.

Mr Heffernan continued: "The relationships that exists between teachers and pupils is recognised to be a strength of this school.

"It is a friendly school where people care for one another. It is an exciting school to study in. We have just secured science Specialist School Status.

"We have some outstanding facilities. There are opportunities to participate in a wide variety of extra curricular activities. School journeys include visits to museums, theatres and art galleries. During the course of this year, boys will travel to Spain, France, Germany, Canada, New York and California.

"The school is built on Catholic Christian Foundations in which gospel values are lived out. All who work here are committed to helping the students become responsible citizens who understand what it is to be a good neighbour.

"Gunnersbury is a school which recognises the value of sport as an important part of its offer of education.

"Boys play and participate in football, rugby, basketball, cross country, athletics and cricket; with some older students participating in golf and tennis.

"We are one of the few schools which continue to play Saturday fixtures.

"There is also a very active and highly successful Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which went to Trinidad and Tobago last year for the silver award.

"Music is a real strength of this school. The school now has a wonderful new music facility.

"There is an established school choir and chamber choir and the boys play a range of musical instruments to a really high standard.

"Boys have performed at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. They also put on an annual production.

"The boys study French and Spanish to A' level and are encouraged to extend proficiency with their family language.

"They participate in the French exchange and European work experience and this year a group went to Barcelona for a week.

"This year we are supporting the Log Cabin in Ealing, CAFOD, the Crusade of Rescue and Plan International.

"Pupils raise over £6,000 each year for charity.

"The school is working hard to develop its Science Programme in accordance with Science Status.

"We are also looking forward to the opening of the brand new Sixth Form Centre in June."