EMPOWERING GIRLS

Find out more about how St Mary’s empowers girls by attending an Open Day.

The St Mary’s transport service is designed to assist busy families by offering a safe and reliable method of conveying St Mary’s Senior School students to and from school.

NEW FOR 2024: due to demand, our Senior School transport will be expanding from September 2024, with new routes from Frinton and Ipswich and an extended service to Sudbury. Stops will depend on interest but may include Great Bentley, Frating, Wivenhoe, Capel St Mary, East Bergholt, Dedham and Leavenheath.

Our expanding St Mary’s bus routes currently include Great Horkesley, West Bergholt, Braiswick, Danbury, Chelmsford, Maldon, Witham, Felsted, Great Notley, Coggeshall, Mersea, Peldon, and Layer. New stops and routes are considered each year.

Our routes are flexible, and we look to accommodate requests for additional stops.

Other providers of school transport, also stop right outside St Mary’s Senior School.

Please get in touch with our Registrar on 01206 594256 or at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk to find out more.

There a few last remaining places available for Year 7 2024 entry

If you are interested in a place for Year 7 in September 2024, please see below for the admissions timeline.

Visit

Families are invited to reserve a place at an Open Day or 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

There is still time to be considered for an Academic Scholarship, which are offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the Entrance Assessment. The deadline for Art, Music, Sports, STEM and the All-round (Miss Comrie) Year 7 Scholarships has now passed for September 2024 entry.

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. 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, 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, 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.

Visit

Families are invited to reserve a place at an Open Day or 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.

There are three terms per academic year. There is a range of ways for parents to pay their fees, including termly cheque, bank transfer or direct debit.

You can also spread your fees and pay monthly through My School Fee Plan.