ICT has been a prime focus of the school; winning the 2009 Becta Excellence ICT Award for the best whole school in Yorkshire and the Humber and other awards including a national award at the Specialist Schools and Academies Conference in 2005 and again in 2007 in recognition of this work. A new environmental learning centre website has been set up and an eco-classroom has been built by the on site Hallam CLC in the school woodland area which makes use of the latest technology to enhance learning and set an example for sustainable buildings as part of the approach to the sustainable schools strategy. Academic The GCSE (A*–C) rate in 2009 was the strongest in school's history with the 80% barrier of the number of pupils gaining 5 good GCSE being broken for the first time. The figure including English and maths was well above average for Sheffield with 70% of 5th Year (Y11) pupils attaining these grades, compared with Sheffield's average of 39.9%. It was the second highest for Sheffield in the state sector, with Silverdale School in Sheffield being the highest. In 2007, there were 280 in the sixth form, 111 of whom took A-levels, with an average point score of 84.70, compared with the average of 79.9 in England overall. Houses The school has four houses: Picardy, Compiègne, St Julie, Cuvilly, all having roots in places associated with St Julie Billart, the founder of the Order of Notre Dame. There are two school inter-house competitions, the sports day and the house cup, with the latter measuring academic ability and effort of house. The houses are balanced equally, with two forms from each year. Ethos and traditions The school's Catholic ethos offers many opportunities for pupils and staff to work together to prepare for pastoral occasions, for example, the whole school Mass at the end of the year, and for the 5th year leavers' mass during May. Charities The school contributes mainly to Christian charitable work and the internal charity FOND (Friends of Notre Dame). Notre Dame Virtual School The school collaborates with Notre Dame schools all over the world through the Global Virtual Learning Environment 'Notre Dame Virtual School' (NDVS). Alumni Notre Dame High School for Girls Prof Sheila Hollins, Professor of Psychiatry at St George's, University of London since 1990, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2005 to 2008 Judy Parfitt, actress Notre