The school opened in 1953 in its current location which was then a property called "St Catharine's".

[1][2][3] In November 2017, Blackfriars covered up and eventually removed an outdoor statue of St. Martin de Porres after its "unintentionally provocative design .

created a flurry of activity on social media, prompting the school to take quick action", according to a news report.

[4] The statue depicted the figure of St. Martin "handing a young boy a loaf of bread, which appears to have emerged from his cloak".

Students posted photos of it on social media, and the next week it was "cordoned off".