St Mary’s School, Gerrards Cross is an independent day school for girls aged 3–18 situated in the heart of

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in south Buckinghamshire, England, separated from the London Borough of Hillingdon at Harefield by Denham, south of Chalfont St Peter and north bordering villages of Fulmer, Hedgerley, Iver Heath and St ...

South Buckinghamshire South Bucks was one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Bea ...

, England. The current Head is Patricia Adams. There are around 350 pupils, 110 of whom are in the Prep Department.

History

St Mary’s School was established in 1872 by the Anglican Foundation of The Sister of the

Community of St Mary the Virgin The Community of St Mary the Virgin (CSMV) is an Anglican religious order based at Wantage in Oxfordshire, England. It was founded in 1848 by the vicar of Wantage, the Reverend William John Butler and is one of the oldest surviving religious commun ...

in Paddington, London. However the finances became precarious and in 1901 the college was relaunched by a new management committee. Jane Latham became the principal of both the college and the school. In 1904 the school passed its inspection and Latham was credited with much of the improvement. Latham left the school to establish a new career as a missionary in India. The school relocated to Lancaster Gate in 1911, where it was known as St Mary’s College. In 1937 the school relocated to its present site, Orchehill House, in Gerrards Cross. The religious teaching in the school has changed since it was first established by the

but the school remains associated with the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, though girls of all religions and denominations are admitted. In 2016 the Sixth Form facilities were upgraded with the opening of Cedar House and a new classroom block, Cherry Tree House, was added in 2018.

Facilities

The school has traditional buildings with period features as well as new classroom blocks, providing a wide range of facilities. Pre-Prep are in Paddington House, whilst the remaining year groups of the Prep Department are in the Oakdene and Smith buildings. Senior House is in Orchehill House, the original building, as well as Cherry Tree House. The Sixth Form is in a dedicated facility, Cedar House.

Co-curricular

There is a range of co-curricular clubs available in both the Prep Department and Senior School including tap dancing, chess, gymnastics, crafting, a wide variety of sports, language clubs, cookery, puzzle club, football, Economics Society, media club, dance, playwriting, choirs, orchestra and bands, book club, drama club, street dance, debating, the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Headteachers

* Sister Kate ( C.S.M.V), 1874 * Sister Mary Louisa ( C.S.M.V), 1876 * Sister Mary Monica ( C.S.M.V), 1877 * Sister Geraldine ( C.S.M.V), 1885 * Sister Louisa ( C.S.M.V), 1885 * Sister Mary Margaret ( C.S.M.V), 1886 * Sister Madeline ( C.S.M.V), 1886 * Jane Leeke Latham, 1901-1909 * Helena Powell, 1909-1925 * Dorothy Apperson, 1925-1942 * Winifred Joan Chalk, 1942-1967 * Hazel Thomas, 1967-1969 * Victor Joseph Bailey, 1969-1973 * Audrey Timberlake, 1973-1984 * Joan Lilwall Smith, 1984-1995 * Fanny Balcombe, 1995-2010 * Jean Ross, 2010-2018 * Patricia Adams, 2018 - Present

Notable alumnae

* Gwyneth Bebb She was the first woman to graduate from Oxford with a First in Jurisprudence and was the sole woman in her undergraduate class of 400. Gwyneth famously argued the case of Bebb v. The Law Society in 1913. Though the judgment was against her, this case paved the way for women to be admitted to the legal profession in Britain in 1919. * Marie Laura Violet Gayler A metallurgist who specialized in aluminium alloys and dental amalgams. Gayler was one of the first two women to join the scientific staff at the National Physical Laboratory. *

Tessa Hilton Tessa Hilton (born 18 February 1951) is a British magazine executive and former newspaper editor. After failing to start a career in acting, Hilton trained as a journalist with the ''Daily Mirror'' before becoming a news reporter with the ''Sunda ...

A prominent British magazine executive and a former newspaper editor. *

Lin Huiyin Lin Huiyin (; known as Phyllis Lin or Lin Whei-yin when in the United States; 10 June 1904 – 1 April 1955) was a Chinese architect and writer. She is known to be the first female architect in modern China and her husband the famed "Father of M ...

A renowned writer and the pioneer as the first female architect in modern China.

References

External links

*
St Mary's School, Gerrards Cross
listing at

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the busin ...

St Mary's School, Gerrards Cross
listing at

Girls' Schools Association The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) is a professional association of the heads of independent girls' schools. It is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council. History The GSA can trace its history back to the Association of Headm ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's School, Gerrards Cross 1872 establishments in England Gerrards Cross Educational institutions established in 1872 Private schools in Buckinghamshire Girls' schools in Buckinghamshire