Stonyhurst St Mary's Hall A GSG School

Other features

All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since 2022, Fr Christopher Cann, previously headmaster of Ratcliffe College prep school in Leicestershire. Before that he was head of Leicester Preparatory School and Denstone College prep. Has an MA in French from St Andrews and in theology from the University of Oxford. Married to Honor, who is a GP, with six children and two grandchildren.

Entrance

Admission is via a meeting with the head and staff; pupils are invited for a day. Those transferring from another school provide school reports and reference. Students who speak little English are welcomed. Those entering in year 7 sit an 11-plus exam.

Exit

Virtually full cohort transfers to Stonyhurst for year 9. (A few overseas boarders return home.) There is an exam at the end of year 8 but this is not related to the right to transfer (just preparation for senior school). School says it is not pressured, includes revision guidance; the results are important to the ‘handover’ process.

Our view

Although day pupils greatly dominate, this is a boarding school in outlook: most day pupils stay for prep until 7pm. All mix in ‘playrooms’ (year groups) though they are also members of ‘lines’, which are akin to houses in that they encompass all age ranges and meet for sporting and special interest inter-line competitions.

Ages 3-7 attend Hodder House, a delightful building packed with colour. The focus is on social development, literacy, numeracy, art, PE, swimming and French. There is outdoors teaching, exploring woodland and insects. Children have access to iPads. The whole school comes together for assemblies, easing the transition to the main building.

Within SMH, pupils’ academic progress is rigorously measured by assessments, diagnostic tools to ensure all are on track and to identify those excelling and those who need extra help. A detailed picture of each child is built up, including pastoral wellbeing. Parents spoke of the school working on little weaknesses with the children, who didn’t feel pressured, didn’t notice ‘tests’. Average class size is 15-18.

The national curriculum, enriched by the International Primary Curriculum, integrates cross-curricular themes, providing an opportunity to utilise the extraordinary Stonyhurst collection: studying the Tudors means touching Anne Boleyn’s prayer book or Thomas More’s hat. Wow! Evolution lessons can involve viewing dinosaur poo (oh yes). Artefacts enliven learning as pupils are asked what it tells them about the human story. And it’s not just the artefacts either; Lord of the Rings must have extra sparkle knowing Tolkien wrote in the guest rooms. Not to mention that Oliver Cromwell, the cheeky wee scamp, slept on a school table before the battle of Preston. The grounds are used for activities from fossil hunting to looking at natural landforms.

Every class has an interactive whiteboard. Older pupils have timetabled access to a well-equipped IT suite. Internet safety is impressed from the start; portable laptops are used across the school to help pupils develop discerning research skills. Years 7 and 8, whilst still living and learning in SMH, are taught mainstream academic subjects by Stonyhurst teachers, some in college classrooms.

Currently 20 per cent of pupils receive learning support. School develops individual plans, ranging from one-to-one to group interventions to in-class support. Staff receive specialist training in areas like dyslexia. One parent whose child had been in a ‘not very academic’ box at his previous school said he blossomed academically after transferring to SMH. Another slightly dyslexic pupil had benefited enormously from teachers picking up she needed a worksheet next to her, rather than looking at a whiteboard; she is now ‘flying academically’. High performers receive extension work.

The director of music has expanded opportunities considerably: orchestras, choirs, big bands, the ukulele Odd Bod band. Some 75 per cent of pupils have music tuition and there are lots of concerts. While we visited, the inter-line music competition had unleashed pupil enthusiasm to the tune of 270 auditions.

There is a cracking theatre and each year group performs a show: Grease, The Jungle Book, Bugsy Malone. Some older pupils prefer the technical side. Public speaking is encouraged; a Question Time style Brexit debate was one event (a trip to the Supreme Court in London the day before saw them, meeting Dominic Grieve MP). Parents waxed lyrical about the confidence-imbuing aspects of all this. One talked about her previously shy daughter flourishing to become head girl.

The sports facilities are tremendous: tennis dome, huge sports hall, netball courts, athletics field, cricket pitch, rugby fields, use of Stonyhurst’s AstroTurf pitch, heated pool and nine-hole golf course. Other activities include fencing and horse riding. Parents enthused about increased sporting fixtures; one parent was astonished that her previously unsporty daughter was keen to join a netball summer school.

Frequent educational trips but the annual trip to the Somme stands out. Each pupil is given a photo of a SMH pupil who died in the Somme and asked to research their life. Parents say they ‘adopt that person’ and are immensely moved on finding their grave. Visits from charities, like the Society for the Blind, also widen the perspective beyond me me me.

Some super clubs, like Big Thinkers (philosophy, neurology) and astronomy club. Parents said children were encouraged in whatever area they showed interest.

Head feels all pupils benefit from the familial pastoral set-up in place for boarders. While in their playroom, a pupil can wander over to a teacher and mention a worry. One teacher said informality in the dining room meant staff could pick up eating problems; it might seem relaxed but vigilance prevails. Weekly staff pastoral meetings mean any worries are logged and monitored. Each child’s pastoral log stays with them their entire time at SMH and Stonyhurst

Mobile phones not allowed during the day. Boarders have phones for 45 minutes a night. Certain day pupils are permitted them to travel on school transport but they are signed in and out. Day pupils join boarders in mass each week in the theatre (the magnificent chapel can’t host the whole school).

Parents spoke of excellent communication. One parent of a boarder praised staff who nursed her son after he broke his hand in a sports match and her daughter when she hit puberty: ‘This level of support for teenage girls is vital.’ Parents said the tiniest query is sorted the same day.

This ancient school is set in magnificent grounds amidst beautiful scenery. The vibe within the school is a little two-tonal: some corridors are light, bright, covered in large photos of pupils in action, which ‘tell the story of the school’. They do, and it feels uplifting. Other corridors, lined with traditional annual school photos, seem an echo of the past; as one parent politely put it, ‘shabby chic’.

The playrooms for each year group, however – the social and pastoral planks of the school – are full of inspiring pictures, quotes, games tables. They are terrific and age-appropriate, each room having its own distinct identity.

Parents are a blend of entrepreneurs, professionals and old money. No competitive inquiries – ‘Why isn’t Jimmy reading Tolstoy now he’s 8?’ – but empathy with the school’s ethos and respect for its heritage. Certainly the parents we spoke to placed great emphasis on their children acquiring a broader view of the world, an awareness of the plight of others less fortunate. (Life beyond ‘selfies’.)

Boarders

Boarders sleep in galleries of up to six. The boys’ gallery seemed a little functional (though with breathtaking views of lush green hills), the girls’ cosier with cushions and photos. One parent wished for more storage space. Separate boys' and girls' sitting rooms; joint playroom and kitchen. Staffing levels are 1:7. Houseparents write a weekly newsletter (about pupils watching Man United play, a trip to Blackpool Tower, snooker games, watching a movie).

The last word

In one of the playrooms, there is a fabulous poster of St Ignatius saying, ‘Go forth and set the world on fire.’ These children are being emboldened, their intellect and sensibilities refined, to do just that.

Special Education Needs

There is an SEN teacher who works with individuals, small groups or in a classroom setting. We also have an EAL teacher.

Leavers' destinations