Basic Information & Location
Founded in 1873, St Mary’s Calne is an independent day and boarding girls’ school. Surrounded by stunning greenery and Downs, the School is just a short drive away from Bristol and 2 hours west of London. St Mary’s Calne is a boarding and day school for around 300 girls aged 11–18. Approximately 80% of the girls board and it is a rich boarding life with all girls taking part in the full-curriculum and extracurricular activities on offer. Unlike many other schools, which usually recruit a large number of intertiol students to ensure better academic performance in public examinations, St Mary’s Calne is an authentic English school with majority of local students. Graduates of St Mary’s School are often be described as gentlewomen who are self-assured and unaffected, without being arrogant and indifferent to the society.
Academic Development
St Mary’s Calne is committed to providing an education that will challenge and inspire its pupils, as well as helping them to achieve outstanding public examination results. The school offers tailor-made seminars and activities to help students prepare for college life, including social entrepreneurship, debate contests, employment counseling, leadership development programs and other activities. On average, 15% are Oxbridge candidates and the 90% of 2017 Leavers gained places at their first-choice university, these include top universities in the UK, USA and other destinations. St Mary’s Calne scored ‘well above the national average’ in the school comparison chart published by the Department for Education in the UK, and there are only of 4% of elite schools in England achieve this score.
Pastoral Care & Boarding
There are currently seven boarding houses at St. Mary’s Calne. Girls enjoy the privacy and independence of a single room from the age of fourteen, which encourages girls to adopt from an early age independent learning skills which will be vital in the future. Each room is equipped with a comfortable study area for use between lessons. The school has a close and caring community where every girl is known and cared for as an individual. Every girl has a Tutor to support and guide her through every aspect of school life, from organisational skills and subject choices through to university application. Weekends are an essential part of the boarding experience, the impressive range of activities include ice skating, bowling, horse riding, theatre trips, craft activities, cookery workshops and so on. Students can also join the cultural visits to Marlborough, Bath, Oxford and other nearby towns.
Extracurricular & personal development
St Mary’s Calne is renowned for its diversified extra-curricular activities. Each girl becomes a member of one of the five School Companies after entering the school. The Company system provides the opportunity for inter-Company activities and competitions in Drama, Music, Public Speaking and Sport, amongst others, giving pupils the opportunity to mix with and work together with other year groups, and encouraging a spirit of teamwork and friendly competition. In addition to music, drama and sports clubs and practices, there is horse-riding, cooking, debating, photography and a range of art and craft clubs, as well as First Aid.
St Mary’s Calne is strong in many areas of sport. The school is represented at county level in several major sports, nationally in athletics and lacrosse and internationally in horse riding. A significant number of pupils learn a musical instrument and take part in a wide variety of ensembles. The prestigious school choir has even taken a touring performance to Paris in Easter 2014.
Of a similar high standard are drama productions which are held in the School’s purpose-built theatre. In cooperation with the RADA, the Drama department offers an advanced communication skills course in Year 13. All girls work towards the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with many striving to achieve higher levels. The Young Enterprise Programme is also a popular choice at the St Mary’s.
