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Grace Griffiths' 'History of Teignmouth' relates that Trinity School was formerly the Convent of Notre Dame. About 1826 the Redemptorist Order of Priests and Brothers bought a site on Bugridge Farm. The monks built a monastery, Notre Dame, with a small public church and a private chapel. Within 20 years the monastery was felt to be too big for the Order and it was offered for sale. Purchased by the congregation of Notre Dame it became a boarding school for girls in 1901. The school grew and became both a boarding and a day school with a first class reputation. It was extended and then expanded into neighbouring properties.

By 1977 the Sisters of Notre Dame were faced with the fact that the admissions to their Order were decreasing: not enough nuns were coming forward with the right qualifications to make the school economically viable. The parents of the pupils did not want the school to close and formed a trust to buy the school, which became known as Trinity School, and was both ecumenical and co-educational. The Bishop of Exeter and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Plymouth were patrons.

The school's website Link adds that in 1977 the nuns decided to close the school and the existing parents proposed that a co-educational joint faith Roman Catholic and Anglican school could be created using the same buildings and many of the same staff.

Created: Tue, 23 Oct 2012, Updated: Tue, 23 Oct 2012