Skip to main content

What says..

We aren't highly selective but we really add value,' the deputy head academic told us. 'There is a culture of working hard.' Everyone we spoke to described Calne as ‘a happy school’ and pastoral care is highly rated by girls and parents. ‘I looked at a lot of schools and this was the first school where I thought “yes, this is the right place,”’ recalls one parent. ‘All the children were smiling and everyone looked happy. I remember breathing a sigh of relief.' 'They love their sport', a mother told us. 'You aren't seen as uncool if you play...'

Read review »

What the school says...

Throughout a girl's time at St Mary's, she is taught as an individual and is supported continually by her personal tutor who supervises her general welfare and academic progress and gives her parents a clearly identified point of contact. St Mary's encourages independent learning that motivates, challenges and inspires the girls so that they become lifelong learners.

'We had high expectations and St Mary's has exceeded these consistently' - Current parent. We look for girls who have potential and an eagerness to learn, whatever their education before joining us.

There are many opportunities for leadership, community service and extra-curricular activity which enhance and are a key part of the curriculum. The Chamber Choir regularly performs at home and abroad. Drama productions in the theatre are exceptional and have transferred to both the London stage and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The school is currently represented nationally and at county level in sport, and all girls have access to our fitness suite and indoor pool. Life at St Mary's is about much more than what goes on in the classroom; the girls thrive in a safe, healthy and happy atmosphere.
...Read more

Do you know this school?

The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.

Please login to post a comment.

Sports

Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.

What The Good Schools Guide says

Acting head

Since August 2023, Mrs Diana Harrison (acting head). An integral part of the senior leadership team for the last 10 years, she attended an all-girls school in Essex before studying engineering at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. As an undergraduate, she was ladies' boat club captain, won an RAF officer scholarship and learned to fly solo with the university air squadron.

She did her teacher training at the University of Bristol before going on to teach physics at a number of boarding schools in the south of England. Within three years of starting her career at Canford, she was promoted to deputy housemistress and took charge of her own boarding annex two years later. She later moved to Bradfield College, where she was a housemistress for four years, before moving to...

Subscribe now for instant access to read The Good Schools Guide review.

Already subscribed? Login here.

Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

St Mary's has a well-established learning support department who support girls with individual learning needs. The girls may be dyslexic, dyspraxic or merely struggling with a particular subject. Our objective is to 'fill the gap' and provide individual tuition to girls. We maintain a close liaison with subject staff in order to support specific needs. 09-09

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Y
Aspergers
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders Y
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia Y
Dyspraxia
English as an additional language (EAL) Y
Genetic
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class Y
HI - Hearing Impairment
Hospital School
Mental health Y
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
VI - Visual Impairment

Who came from where


Subscribe for instant access to in-depth reviews:

☑ 30,000 Independent, state and special schools in our parent-friendly interactive directory
☑ Instant access to in-depth UK school reviews
☑ Honest, opinionated and fearless independent reviews of over 1,000 schools
☑ Independent tutor company reviews

Try before you buy - The Charter School Southwark

Buy Now

GSG Blog >

The Good Schools Guide newsletter

Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.