At the start of the new academic year, more girls are attending St Mary’s School than at the start of any academic year over the past decade.
This milestone comes as the independent all-girls school celebrates outstanding academic success, with pupils achieving exceptional results across GCSEs, SATs and the 11+.
- GCSEs: Over 55% of pupils achieved grades 7–9, more than double the national average.
- SATs: Year 6 pupils far exceeded national averages in all areas, with 90% achieving the higher standard for Reading, 74% for Maths, 58% for Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling, and 42% for Writing.
- 11+: Eight pupils passed the 11+, securing places at Colchester County High School for Girls, making St Mary’s the top feeder school.
Principal Mrs Nicola Griffiths commented: “We are thrilled to see so many pupils attending St Mary’s at the start of this academic year – the highest in over a decade. This milestone reflects both the strength of our empowering educational provision and the apparent growing recognition of the power of all-girls education.”
Research from around the world demonstrates numerous benefits of an all-girls education. Neuroscience and brain research has shown that male and female brains differ and that the sequence as well as the rate of development of the brain are different, which can impact on the way pupils learn. All-girls schools such as St Mary’s can tailor their teaching to how girls learn best.
Benefits include higher academic achievement, freedom from stereotypes and higher aspirations. All-girls schools have also been linked to increased confidence and improved mental wellbeing.
As more families question whether co-educational environments are meeting their daughters’ needs, St Mary’s is proving that an all-girls approach not only still has a place – it may be more relevant than ever.
