School Life

Putting wellbeing first

For young people to thrive they must feel confident, relaxed and secure. Our pastoral support is at the centre of school life and all we do and we’re delighted the national Wellbeing Award for Schools recognises our excellence in this area.

At St Mary’s Colchester mental health and wellbeing is at the forefront of our agenda and we are always looking for new ways to support our students and parents. As a result of this we have recently invested access to the Teen Tips Wellbeing Hub, a website for students, parents and teachers that provides a wealth of resources and information, including webinars and podcasts. The school provides a link for current parents who wish to register for the site.

The atmosphere at the school is calm, supportive and nurturing. Every student is valued and the girls here are not afraid to have a go at something new, to take risks or put themselves forward to be a leader. With our excellent understanding of girls, we’re able to provide students with the pastoral care and safe environment they need to truly blossom.

Before girls even start at St Mary’s we take time to get to know them and their families, and we have initiatives in place from induction programmes to buddy systems to help the girls settle quickly.

There’s a very positive culture at St Mary’s and visitors often comment on how staff and students are always smiling. It is in this positive environment where the girls develop the self-confidence needed to flourish.

Partnerships with parents

We believe in working in partnership with parents to ensure our students get the best support for their learning and development. We have an open door policy and encourage parents to speak to us if they ever have questions or concerns, even if they may feel it is trivial. Working together we believe we can provide the best support for the girls.

International links

Those who attend St Mary’s benefit from our international links, which helps to broaden their horizons. We’re a global member of the Round Square Organisation, a worldwide network of 180 top schools in 50 countries, which offers the school a unique framework for excellence and continuous improvement, as well as opportunities to collaborate and share experiences with like-minded peers and establishments across the globe.

Environmental awareness

We’re also keen to foster a respect for the environment and there are numerous initiatives throughout the school aimed at improving sustainability and encouraging pupils to be eco-friendly. Our own school campus is as efficient as possible, with water recycling and collection boxes for everything from pens to jewellery. St Mary’s School is an Ambassador EcoSchool and hosts national conferences, sharing our expertise with other schools and organisations.

Charity and community

We believe in instilling the values of respect and courtesy, and through our charity and outreach work the students develop a strong sense of community. Students at St Mary’s are keen to be involved in their communities and to give their support to charities.

Healthy lifestyles

St Mary’s Colchester is an accredited Healthy School and health and nutrition are taken seriously. Students are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles now and throughout their lives. All students eat a hot meal at lunchtime, cooked on the premises by specialist caterers and served in a ‘family dining’ style – students sit at tables, serving each other and helping to clear away afterwards. Girls are also introduced to a wide variety of sports and activities, many of which they choose to continue in their own time.