St Mary’s Calne (founded 1873) is located near the market town of Calne amidst the Wiltshire Downs. St Mary’s Calne is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18, a happy, purposeful and flourishing community of around 360 pupils with an 80% to 20% boarding to day ratio.
Focus on the individual
St Mary’s provides exceptional all-round education in a warm, nurturing environment. It is the individualised approach to every aspect of school life that makes St Mary’s Calne special.
“What a wonderfully nurturing and exciting environment you and your staff have created at St Mary’s. I can see why the girls thrive in such a lovely place.” – Prospective parent
The pastoral care is outstanding Every girl has a Tutor to support her through aspects of school life, from organisational skills and subject choices through to university application.
Public Examination Results
St Mary’s Calne has a well-deserved reputation for academic excellence. The school was the top achieving independent school in the South West, (The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2018) and is also the first independent school in the UK to be given the prestigious Platinum Science Mark Award.
Extra-Curricular
Opportunities in sport, music, art and drama abound and the facilities are superb, including a new £2.55 million sports complex and full-size astro, theatre, and a Sixth Form Centre with 115+ girls.
80% of girls play musical instruments and take part in a wide variety of ensembles. The girls perform at many events, both in the locally community and further afield.
Drama productions in the purpose-built theatre are of the highest standard and have transferred to the London stage. The Drama Department has a unique relationship with RADA, offering a course in advanced communication skills and girls also perform annually at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The girls do exceptionally well in the Young Enterprise Programme, progressing to the National Final in 2017.
Many pupils are talented artists and 2018 saw one girl win the Digital Prize in Saatchi’s National LOVE ART Competition and two girls had their works longlisted by The Arts Society to become Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) Scholars.
The girls excel at sport, and the school is represented at county level in several major sports, nationally in athletics and lacrosse, and internationally in horse riding, with all girls taking advantage of the superb sports facilities. The girls also enjoy many other sports, including tennis, hockey, fencing and ski racing.
Trips abound and in 2017-18 included a Classics Trip to Rome, a French Trip to Samoens and a Music Tour to Poland.
Fees
For the 2018-19 academic year, per term:
Boarders: £12,975
Day: £9,675
Notable Alumnae
Belinda Stewart-Wilson – Actress
Laura Tomlinson MBE – Team Gold and Individual Bronze in Dressage at London 2012 Olympics
Roya Nikkhah – Journalist and broadcaster
Lucy Hughes-Hallett- Author and winner of the 2013 Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction
Professor Julia Buckingham – Brunel University’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Eva Rice – Author and Musician
Rosamund Strode – Rosamund was Benjamin Britten’s musical assistant and amanuensis for the last 12 years of his life
Avery Agnelli – Anglo-American architect and socialite.