| Motto | Only the best |
|---|---|
| Established | 1873 |
| Type | Independent |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headmistress | Dr Helen Wright MA (Oxon.) MA Leics EdD (Exeter) FRSA MIoD[1] |
| Chaplain | Rev. Peter Giles |
| Founder | Canon John Duncan |
| Location | Curzon Street Calne Wiltshire England |
| Staff | 90 (approx.) |
| Students | 320 (approx.) |
| Gender | Girls |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Companies | Edmund Rich, Grosstete, Moberly, Osmund, and Poore |
| Website | stmaryscalne.org |
St Mary's Calne, is an academically selective independent school at Calne, Wiltshire, for girls aged eleven to eighteen, with about 320 on roll. Most girls are boarders.[2] Dr Helen Wright, Headmistress since 2003 has recently been awarded the Tatler Best Head of Public School 2010-2011, and will take up the role of President of the Girls' Schools Association in January 2011.
The school was founded in 1873 by Canon John Duncan, Vicar of Calne, who worked for over thirty years to establish it as an outstanding girls’ school.[3]
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Entry to the school is by the Common Entrance Examination, set by the Independent Schools Examination Board, or by the School's own entrance exam.[1]
A balanced curriculum broadly follows the National Curriculum. Girls are taught mainly in form groups, with setting in Mathematics and French. There is one lesson a week in Chinese.[4]
In Years 8 and 9, Spanish is added, then in Year 9 another language, either German or Classical Greek. All girls are taught Critical Thinking and Personal Development. Core subjects are Art, Information Technology, Music, Drama, Latin, Physical Education, English Language, English Literature, Maths, Religious Studies, and Science. Most girls take ten GCSEs. As options, Geography, History, French, Classical Greek, Italian, Russian, and Japanese are available.[4]
Good linguists can take public examinations early, and GCSE Maths is offered early to the most able. Musicians can take the AS Level Music examination as early as Year 10. Girls choosing Drama as a GCSE option begin the AS Level course, taught over two years, and the school offers a unique communication course in conjunction with RADA.[4]
In the Lower Sixth (Year 12) most girls take four subjects at AS Level, then three to A-Level in the Upper Sixth (Year 13), and are prepared for university entrance.[4]
The choice of A-Level subjects is from Art, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Classical Greek, Economics, English, French, Geography, German, Government and Politics, History, History of Art, Information Technology, Italian, Latin, Maths, Further Maths, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Studies, Spanish, Sports Science and Theatre Studies. There are also supplementary courses in Physical Education, Personal Development and Careers Education. Girls not studying IT to A Level follow a general Information Technology course which leads to the European Computer Driving Licence qualification. All girls continue with Critical Thinking and may sit the AS Level in it.[4]
Between the ages of eleven and fourteen, girls sleep in dormitories in four junior houses called School House, St Prisca's and St Cecilia's, each of which has a housemistress and an assistant housemistress, and some a resident tutor. After the age of fifteen, girls have their own single room in one of three senior houses.[5]
There is also a medical centre, with two Registered Nurses and a counsellor, which has three beds.[6]
The School is divided into five Companies, all named after bishops with local connections: Edmund Rich (sometimes called Ed Rich), Grosseteste, Moberly, Osmund, and Poore. Each girl remains in the same Company throughout her time at the school. The Companies are similar to houses in other independent schools, except that they have nothing to do with the house a girl sleeps in. The Companies compete in sport, drama, music, and other activities such as public speaking and maths challenges. Each company has its own colour, red for Edmund Rich, green for Grosseteste, blue for Moberly, orange for Osmund, and purple for Poore. [7]
There are only about fifty day girls in the school. Unusually, most of the boarding Houses have places for day girls in their dormitories, so that day girls can stay overnight instead of going home, making it easy for them to take part in after-school and weekend activities. Day girls are looked after by the by housemistresses.[8]
All girls use the dining room, run as a cafeteria. There are at least four choices at lunch and at supper-time, which are reviewed by the School Council. On Sundays of free weekends, there is a brunch. In 2005, the school won the Tatler Award for Best School Food.[9]
The formal part of the school day ends at 5.30 p.m. Outside this, activities include music, drama, sailing, community service, sports clubs, riding, cooking, archery, arts and crafts, First Aid, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.[10]
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