St Mary's School, Shaftesbury
St Mary's School | |
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Location | |
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Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
Closed | 2020 |
Local authority | Dorset |
Ofsted | Reports |
Chair of governors | V Younghusband[1] |
Head teacher | Maria Young[1] |
Gender | Girls |
Age | 9 to 18 |
Colour(s) | Green |
Publication | The Beech Tree |
Diocese | Plymouth |
Website | http://www.stmarys.eu/ |
St Mary's School was a
Although the school's postal address was in Dorset, its site lay just over the county border in Wiltshire, within the parish of Donhead St Mary.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/STMEntrance.jpg/220px-STMEntrance.jpg)
St Mary's was founded in 1945
The school became a registered charity[3] in 1995. It was managed by a board of governors, but retained its strong Catholic ethos.
In 2018, the charity had an income of £4.7 million. This was £866,000 less than its expenses, which included £943,000 in bursaries and scholarships that were granted to 96 pupils.[1]
Pastoral care
As a Catholic school, pupils attended mass and worship services on a regular basis, and spirituality was considered an important part of school life. The houses took turns to lead services, giving pupils a chance to participate in the service themselves. Spiritual retreats were held by year groups throughout the year.[4]
There were three main houses which were named after places where Mary Ward had lived: Newby, Harewell and York.
The school's pastoral care was commended in the 2007 ISI inspection.[5]
Boarding
Over half of the school's pupils were boarders, all of them full-time and organised by year groups into five boarding houses.[6]
- St Jude: Years 5 to 8
- St Edith: Years 9 and 10
- St Thomas More: Years 11 and 12
- Mary Ward: Year 13
Academic achievement
St Mary's was one of the top performing independent schools in the county.[7][8] It was one of the few schools in the county which did not suffer from the new GCSE grading system using the English Baccalaureate introduced in 2010, as candidates achieved a 100% pass rate.[9]
Closure
After operating at a loss for some years, the school entered administration in mid-July 2020 and was immediately closed. The school's governors wrote that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic had "wiped away" recent financial progress.[10]
Despite lying in Wiltshire, the site was purchased for £10.05 million in January 2021 by Dorset Council, which described it as "suitable for a broad range of services and community uses, which could include provision for Dorset children, supported living for our Dorset care leavers, provision for adults with disabilities, as well as a possible site for businesses to boost our local economy and more besides".[11]
Notable former pupils
- Laura Lopes
- Lady Flora McDonnell
- Anna Chancellor
- Martha Fiennes
- Sophie Kinsella
- Sarah Bradford
References
- ^ a b c "St Mary's School Shaftesbury Trust: Trustee's report and financial statements". Charity Commission. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Freeman, Jane; Stevenson, Janet H (1987). Crowley, D.A. (ed.). "Victoria County History: Wiltshire: Vol 13 pp126-138: Donhead St Andrew". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ "St Mary's School Shaftesbury Trust, registered charity no. 292845". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ^ Faith Life Archived 25 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Gold star for girls' school". Dorset Echo. 13 May 2007.
- ^ "Introduction to Boarding". St Mary's Shaftesbury. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ "2009 A levels results". Western Daily Press. 28 August 2009.
- ^ "Dorset schools are winners in league tables". Dorset Echo. 13 January 2010.
- ^ "Dorset schools hits back over league tables change". Western Daily Press. 13 January 2011.
- ^ Baker, Hannah (15 July 2020). "75-year-old school closes after collapsing into administration". Business Live. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- ^ "Important site will remain a community asset". Dorset Council. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Profile on MyDaughter
- Profile on the ISC website
- ISI Inspection Reports