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 Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham, Buckinghams ...

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 Beac ...

, England. The current Head is Patricia Adams. There are around 450 pupils, 132 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 commu ...

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 State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

, 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 and a purpose built facility for Nursery and Reception was built in 2021

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 Gwyneth Marjorie Bebb, OBE (27 October 1889 – 9 October 1921) (later Mrs Thomson) was an English lawyer. She was the claimant in '' Bebb v. The Law Society'', a test case in the opening of the legal profession to women in Britain. She was ex ...

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 Marie Laura Violet Gayler (25 March 1891 – 2 August 1976) was an English Metallurgist whose most notable contributions to her field were in the areas of Aluminium alloys and dental amalgams. She spent most of her career at the National Physical ...

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 ''Su ...

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

Lin Huiyin Lin Huiyin ( zh, c=林徽因, born 林徽音, p=Lín Huīyīn; 10 June 1904 – 1 April 1955; known as Phyllis Whei Yin Lin when studying in the United States) was a Chinese architect, writer, and poet. She is known to be the first female architec ...

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 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...

St Mary's School, Gerrards Cross
listing at

Girls' Schools Association The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) is a membership association for the heads of independent and state girls' schools in the United Kingdom. It is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), and works with the Association ...

{{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