Experience St Mary’s

People often find the best way to get to know St Mary’s is by visiting us. As well as Open Mornings and private tours we hold free activity sessions that enable people to get an even better insight into life at St Mary’s.

For those who register to join us we also offer Familiarisation Sessions and Taster Days, where children get to experience what it’s like to attend St Mary’s before they start.

Free classes for pre-school children

Throughout the year we hold free classes for children aged 2-4. These one hour Mini Sessions are a great opportunity to get to know St Mary’s in an informal setting and experience some of the activities on offer to the children in the Kindergarten and Lower School.

Mini Explorers is led by one of our trained Forest School practitioners. Children explore the woodland environment and have a go at den building, bug hunting and playing in the mud kitchen. It’s a fantastic opportunity for pre-school children to get hands-on with nature whilst discovering the beauty of our nine acres of grounds.

Mini Investigators is a free drop-in session in our dedicated Kindergarten outdoor learning area and children grow their understanding the natural world around them.

Mini Movers is a free music and dance session run by a trained dance professional in our purpose built Studio. Children love dancing around in the session, watching themselves in the mirrored walls as they show off their moves!

Our next Mini Investigators session is TBC.

Places for these events are limited and can be reserved via the online form.

Lower School and Senior School events

Throughout the year we hold various events and those looking to join St Mary’s are welcome to attend. These include interactive workshops covering a range of subjects as well as productions, such as whole school drama performances, music concerts and our spectacular Fashion Show, where Textiles students model their creations. We also hold Empowering Girls events where inspirational speakers explore topics such as creating environments, both at home and at school, for girls to flourish.

To find out more about what’s coming up please get in touch with our Registrar at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256.

Familiarisation sessions and taster days

Once registered, those looking to join the Kindergarten attend a Familiarisation Session. These are a great opportunity for us to get to know your child and help them settle in smoothly.

Registered Preparatory Class girls are invited to attend a series of Familiarisation Sessions, starting in the Spring Term before they are due to start school in the September.

Registered Year 7 students are invited to be a ‘St Mary’s girl for a day’ at one of our Taster Days, where they will get to experience some of what we have on offer at St Mary’s and meet other girls looking to join us.

For those interested in joining any other year, girls will be invited to spend the day with their own year group where they will have the opportunity to take part in all aspects of school life during the day. They will get to meet the other students and get a real flavour of what it’s like to attend St Mary’s.

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