St Mary’s is a popular school and places are limited. Details of the Kindergaren, Lower School and Senior School admission processes can be found below. As date of registration is a key consideration when offering places, we highly recommend enquiring as early as possible. If you have any questions at any point, please don’t hesitate to contact our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney, at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256.
Admissions process
Accepting your Kindergarten place
Following an offer of a place, we ask parents to complete and sign the Acceptance Form, issued by the Registrar, and return it to the school. The Kindergarten Entry Deposit is due at this point.
Prior to joining, your child will be invited to take part in a Familiarisation Session, to help them feel settled in the Kindergarten and create a smoother transition from home or nursery. We encourage parents to discuss their child’s learning experiences with the Kindergarten team to make sure that, together, we are giving your child the best possible start in education.
Pupils in our Kindergarten wear the St Mary’s uniform, which is available to order online. Further information will be provided prior to your child starting.
Once your child has joined the Kindergarten they will have a nominated ‘key person’. This is a member of staff assigned to your child who will monitor their progress and wellbeing throughout their time in the Kindergarten. The key person will also by your first point of contact if you have any questions or concerns.
You will also be sent an invitation to enrol and download the St Mary’s app. It is through the app that we will send any messages and post news and photos. Key dates can be found within the calendar and there are also useful links and documents such as lunch menus, the parent handbooks and Tapestry, a leading childhood education platform where photos and details of your child’s learning journey will be shared with you.
Further details regarding St Mary’s admissions for Kindergarten can be found in our Admissions Policy. Alternatively, contact our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney, at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256 to find out more.
Accepting your Lower School place
Prep (Reception) places are offered in the winter prior to girls joining. Once a place is offered, parents are asked to complete and sign the acceptance form and return it to the school by the deadline in mid-April, along with an Entry Deposit of £400. This is returned when your child leaves St Mary’s, subject to meeting the terms and conditions issued along with the offer.
Please note, the majority of girls in our Prep (Reception) class move up from our Kindergarten. There is high demand for places in our Kindergarten so we advise you contact our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney, at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256 as early as possible regarding a place.
Those interested in a Lower School place other than the Prep (Reception) class are invited to take part in a taster day. In this way, we get to know your child and draw on our many years of experience to ensure that St Mary’s is the right environment for her to learn and develop, and that she will in turn contribute to the life of the school. When a place is offered, parents are asked to complete and sign the acceptance form and return it to us. The Entry Deposit of £400, which is returned when your child leaves us subject to meeting the terms and conditions issued along with the offer, is due at this point.
Further details regarding St Mary’s admissions for the Lower School can be found in our Admissions Policy. Alternatively, contact our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney, at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256 to find out more.
Accepting your Senior School place
You can register for a Senior School place online. A non-refundable registration fee of £150 is also payable at this point. Once registered, we will guide you through the admissions process and are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Year 7 places and Scholarships are offered before the end of the autumn term prior to joining. Once a place is offered, parents are asked to complete and sign the acceptance form and return it to the school by the deadline in early March, along with an Entry Deposit of £400. This is returned when your child leaves St Mary’s, subject to meeting the terms and conditions issued along with the offer.
Those interested in a Senior School place other than Year 7 are invited to take part in a taster day where she will also sit an assessment. In this way, we get to know your child and draw on our many years of experience to ensure that St Mary’s is the right environment for her to learn and develop, and that she will in turn contribute to the life of the school. When a place is offered, parents are asked to complete and sign the acceptance form and return it to us. The Entry Deposit of £400, which is returned when your child leaves us subject to meeting the terms and conditions issued along with the offer, is due at this point.
Further details regarding St Mary’s admissions for the Senior School can be found in our Admissions Policy. Alternatively, contact our Registrar, Mrs Justine Tierney, at registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk or on 01206 594256 to find out more.
Year 7 admissions timelines
Year 7 September 2025 entry
Saturday 5 October 2024: Taster Day for girls registered for Year 7 2025
We recommend that girls join us for a Taster Day before sitting the entrance assessment, to familiarise themselves with the school and meet other girls looking to join.
Sunday 3 November 2024: Deadline for scholarship applications
STEM, Art, Drama, Music and Sports (Games and Sports Excellence) Scholarships can be applied for online from 1 September 2024. Academic Scholarships are also offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the Entrance Assessment. All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarships are awarded following interviews and cannot be applied for.
Saturday 9 November 2024: Entrance assessments and interviews and Sports Scholarships assessments
The online entrance assessment consists of English, Mathematics, Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning. St Mary’s is a non-selective school, but the entrance assessment allows our staff the opportunity to gauge the suitability of the school for the prospective pupil and is used as the basis for setting in Year 7. Pupils who perform exceptionally well in the entrance assessment may be considered for an Academic Scholarship. All candidates are also interviewed by a member of the St Mary’s Senior School Senior Leadership team.
Wc 11 November 2024: Scholarship assessments (The Arts, STEM)
Candidates wishing to be considered for scholarship awards must have applied in advance and will be invited to the assessment day on the strength of their application. Please contact the Registrar for more details of the format of non-academic scholarship assessments.
November 2024: All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarship interviews
Our prestigious All-round Scholarship is named in honour of Miss Phyllis Comrie, St Mary’s headmistress, 1935-1957, who had a desire for outstanding St Mary’s Lower School pupils to progress to Senior School on a special designated Scholarship and kindly bequeathed a gift in her Will to enable this. They are awarded to St Mary’s Lower School pupils following interviews to those with the potential to make a substantial contribution to the life of the school.
December 2024: Offers of places and scholarships
Parents will receive written notification by post of their daughter’s offer of a place at St Mary’s, or otherwise, by this date, as well as any scholarship offer.
Tuesday 4 March 2025: Deadline for acceptance of places and scholarships
Parents are requested to accept or decline the offer of a place and any scholarship by this date. If no communication is received, it will be assumed that the place and any scholarship has been declined and it will be reallocated to a child on the waiting list.
Thursday 5 June 2025: new parents’ information evening
Key information will be shared with parents of pupils who will be joining in the September. There will be an opportunity to meet key staff and ask any questions.
friday 20 june 2025: New Pupil induction day and new scholars presentation
Girls joining Year 7 in September are introduced to their form teachers, their forms and their Buddies (older girls who will help them to settle into the school). They will enjoy a day of activities designed to help create a smooth transition to Senior School.
Year 7 September 2026 entry
Saturday 14 June 2025: 10am-2pm: Experience day for girls considering joining Year 7 in September 2026 or 2027
Our new Experience Days are an opportunity for girls considering joining St Mary’s to gain an insight into the empowering all-round education we offer. These interactive events include fun-filled activities based on our values of being ambitious, bold, compassionate, dynamic and enquiring. We also highly recommend that girls join us for at least one Experience Event before the admissions process begins in Year 6, to familiarise themselves with the school, meet other girls looking to join and get to know key staff.
Sunday 2 November 2025: Deadline for scholarship applications
STEM, Arts and Sports Scholarships can be applied for online from 1 September 2025. Academic Scholarships are also offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the Entrance Assessment. All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarships are awarded to St Mary’s Lower School pupils following interviews and cannot be applied for.
Saturday 15 November 2025: Entrance assessments, interviews and Scholarships assessments
The online entrance assessment consists of English, Mathematics, Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning. St Mary’s is a non-selective school, but the entrance assessment allows our staff the opportunity to gauge the suitability of the school for the prospective pupil and is also used to help with setting in Year 7. Pupils who perform exceptionally well in the entrance assessment may be considered for an Academic Scholarship. All candidates are also interviewed by St Mary’s Principal. Shortlisted Scholarship candidates will be invited to assessments on the strength of their application. Specific times will be allocated following the Scholarship application deadline.
November 2025: All-round (Miss Comrie) Scholarship interviews
Our prestigious All-round Scholarship is named in honour of Miss Phyllis Comrie, St Mary’s headmistress, 1935-1957, who had a desire for outstanding St Mary’s Lower School pupils to progress to Senior School on a special designated Scholarship and kindly bequeathed a gift in her Will to enable this. They are awarded to St Mary’s Lower School pupils following interviews to those with the potential to make a substantial contribution to the life of the school.
December 2025: Offers of places and scholarships
Parents will receive written notification by post of their daughter’s offer of a place at St Mary’s, or otherwise, by this date, as well as any scholarship offer.
Tuesday 3 March 2026: Deadline for acceptance of places and scholarships
Parents are requested to accept or decline the offer of a place and any scholarship by this date. If no communication is received, it will be assumed that the place and any scholarship has been declined and it will be reallocated to a child on the waiting list.
June 2026: new parents’ information evening
Key information will be shared with parents of pupils who will be joining in the September. There will be an opportunity to meet key staff and ask any questions.
june 2026: New Pupil induction day and new scholars presentation
Girls joining Year 7 in September are introduced to their form teachers, their forms and their Buddies (older girls who will help them to settle into the school). They will enjoy a day of activities designed to help create a smooth transition to Senior School.
