Download Prospectus and Scholarship Guide
Thank you for your interest in St Mary’s. See below to download our Prospectus and Year 7 Scholarship Guide:
Meet a group of new Year 7 St Mary’s students who joined the Senior School in September. The girls give an insight into their time at St Mary’s so far, and what to expect as a new starter.
YEAR 7 2024 ENTRY
Key admissions dates for Year 7 entry September 2024
Sunday 29 October 2023: Deadline for Scholarship Applications
STEM, Art, Drama, Music and Sports (Games and Sports Excellence) Scholarships can be applied for online from 1 September 2023. Academic Scholarships are also offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the Entrance Assessment. All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarships are awarded following interviews and cannot be applied for.
Saturday 4 November 2023: Entrance Assessment and Interviews plus Sports Scholarships assessments
The online entrance assessment consists of English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning. St Mary’s is a non-selective school, but the entrance assessment allows our staff the opportunity to gauge the suitability of the school for the prospective pupil and is used as the basis for setting in Year 7. Pupils who perform exceptionally well in the entrance assessment may be considered for an Academic Scholarship. All candidates are also interviewed by a member of the St Mary’s Senior School Senior Leadership team.
14 November 2023: Scholarship Assessments: The Arts – Art, Drama and Music, and STEM Scholarships
Candidates wishing to be considered for scholarship awards must have applied in advance and will be invited to the assessment day on the strength of their application. Please contact the Registrar for more details of the format of non-academic scholarship assessments.
28 November 2023: Taster Day for girls registered for Year 7 2024
We recommend that girls join us for a Taster Day before sitting the entrance assessment, to familiarise themselves with the school and meet other girls looking to join.
29 November 2023: All-round Scholarship (Miss Comrie) Interviews by invitation
Candidates who perform exceptionally well in the entrance interview may be invited to attend an interview for the prestigious Miss Comrie Scholarships (named in honour of St Mary’s first headmistress). These interviews are conducted by a panel and scholarship offers are made in conjunction with the Principal.
December 2023: Offers of Places and Scholarships
Parents will receive written notification by post of their daughter’s offer of a place at St Mary’s, or otherwise, by this date, as well as any scholarship offer.
4 March 2024: Deadline for Acceptance of Places and Scholarships
Parents are requested to accept or decline the offer of a place and any scholarship by this date, in writing by post. If no communication is received, it will be assumed that the place and any scholarship has been declined and it will be reallocated to a child on the waiting list.
July 2024 New Students’ and Parents’ Induction
Girls joining Year 7 in September are introduced to their form teachers, their forms and their Buddies (older girls who will help them to settle into the school). Meanwhile, their parents hear talks by the Principal, Head of Senior School, Faculty Leads and the Phase Lead for Year 7 on life at St Mary’s. This is followed by tea and cakes in the Dining Hall and an opportunity to chat informally to members of staff and ask any remaining questions.
YEAR 7 2025 ENTRY
Admissions process for Year 7 entry September 2025
Visit
Families are invited to attend the Senior School Open Day on Friday 6 or Saturday 7 October 2023, 9.30-11.30am, or are welcome to book an individual tour with our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney by telephoning 01206 594256 or by emailing registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk
Register
The next step is to register your daughter by completing the online registration form and paying a non-returnable Registration Fee of £75.
Scholarships
STEM, Art, Drama, Music and Sports (Games and Sports Excellence) Scholarships can be applied for online from 1 September 2024. Academic Scholarships are also offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the Entrance Assessment. All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarships are awarded following interviews and cannot be applied for.
Taster Day
Once registered, your daughter will be invited to join other Year 6 pupils to be a ‘St Mary’s girl for a day’ at our Taster Day in September 2024. These Taster Days offer prospective Year 7 pupils to take part in a day of lessons at St Mary’s Senior School.
Entrance Assessment, interview and report
St Mary’s is not an academically selective school, but we do ask girls who might like to join us in Year 7 or any other year to sit an Entrance Assessment. This enables us to ensure that St Mary’s is able to offer just the right amount of challenge and support to every new student. We also identify our Academic Scholars on the basis of their performance in the Year 7 Entrance Assessment.
The one-hour online Entrance Assessment takes place at St Mary’s Senior School and ascertains candidates’ underlying potential in literacy, numeracy and verbal reasoning. It is not possible to coach for the assessment.
The Entrance Assessment is just one element of St Mary’s admissions process. We also request a report from the current school and invite each candidate to take part in an informal interview with the Principal, Mrs Nicola Griffiths.
Acceptance of a place
Once a place is offered, parents are asked to complete and sign the Acceptance Form, issued by the Registrar, and return it to the school along with an Entry Deposit of £400, which is returned when your child leaves us (subject to meeting the terms and conditions issued along with the offer). See further information on the how to pay page. If your daughter is transferring from St Mary’s Lower School, the Entry Deposit paid when she joined the Lower School continues to the Senior School, so there is no need to pay it again. Year 7 Scholarships are offered at the same time as the offer of a place. Bursaries may be applied for once a place has been offered.
Joining
At the New Students’ and Parents’ Induction in July 2025, girls joining Year 7 in September 2025 are introduced to their form teachers, their forms and their Buddies (older girls who will help them to settle into the school). Meanwhile, their parents hear talks by the Principal, Head of Senior School, Head of Year 7 and Heads of School on life at St Mary’s. This is followed by tea and cakes in the Dining Hall and an opportunity to chat informally to members of staff and ask any remaining questions.
Once your daughter is a student of St Mary’s, her form teacher will keep in touch with you as she settles in and will be happy to answer any questions.