St Mary's Shaftesbury
Encyclopedia
St Mary’s School, located in a rural setting near Shaftesbury
, Dorset
, England
, is a Catholic
boarding and day school which welcomes girls from all Christian
denominations. Its mission is "to educate each individual to the highest standard through fostering traditional values in the spirit of the gospel
."
The school has 325 pupils aged between nine and 18 and is two thirds boarding. Day girls are fully integrated in every aspect of school life. All pupils have responsibilities such as organising outings or events. St Mary's School is a member of the Girls' Schools Association
and a MyDaughter
school.
Founded in 1946, the school's ethos was based on the life and works of Mary Ward
. The school site includes teaching classrooms, dorms and extensive sports facilities.
is at the heart of St Mary's and girls are involved at every level – from formal Mass
es to simple night prayers. Many local and international charities are supported by the school and fund raising events are organised by the school to support the charities.
Boarders at the school enjoy a busy range of extra curricular activities, such as rock climbing
, sailing
, riding
or kayaking
.
Pupils compete at national and county level on the sports field and a 25m indoor pool has just been built. Music is an important part of life at St Mary’s – the £1m complex housing individual practice rooms and a concert hall. Drama and art are also popular with frequent cultural trips.
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
boarding and day school which welcomes girls from all Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations. Its mission is "to educate each individual to the highest standard through fostering traditional values in the spirit of the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
."
The school has 325 pupils aged between nine and 18 and is two thirds boarding. Day girls are fully integrated in every aspect of school life. All pupils have responsibilities such as organising outings or events. St Mary's School is a member of the Girls' Schools Association
Girls' Schools Association
The Girls' Schools Association is the professional association of the heads of independent girls' schools in the UK and overseas and is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council .-History:...
and a MyDaughter
MyDaughter
MyDaughter is a British website set up by the Girls' Schools Association offering advice to parents of daughters on all aspects of raising and educating girls...
school.
History
Mary Ward (nun)
The Venerable Mary Ward, I.B.V.M., was an English Catholic Religious Sister who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters...
. The school site includes teaching classrooms, dorms and extensive sports facilities.
Extra-curricular
SpiritualitySpirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
is at the heart of St Mary's and girls are involved at every level – from formal Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
es to simple night prayers. Many local and international charities are supported by the school and fund raising events are organised by the school to support the charities.
Boarders at the school enjoy a busy range of extra curricular activities, such as rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
or kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
.
Notable former pupils
- Laura LopesLaura LopesLaura Rose Lopes, née Parker Bowles, is the daughter of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Andrew Parker Bowles, OBE. Her mother's remarriage in 2005 made HRH the Prince of Wales her stepfather. She has one elder brother, Tom Parker Bowles....
- Lady Flora McDonnellLady Flora McDonnellLady Flora Mary McDonnell , also known by her married name Flora Pennybacker, is an artist, illustrator, and prize-winning author of children's books.-Family:...
- Lady Alice McDonnellLady Alice McDonnellLady Alice Angela Jane McDonnell , married name Lady Alice Gwinn, is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat.-Education:Lady Alice was educated at St Mary's Convent, Shaftesbury; Gresham's School, Holt; and St Hilda's College, Oxford .-Family:The daughter of Alexander Randal Mark McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim...
- Clare SmalesClare SmalesClare Smales is a British journalist.She was educated at St Mary's School, Shaftesbury and University College, Durham ....
- Anna ChancellorAnna Chancellor-Family:Chancellor was born in Richmond, London, England, the daughter of the Hon. Mary Alice Jolliffe and John Paget Chancellor. Through her mother's mother, Lady Perdita Rose Mary Asquith, Chancellor is the great-granddaughter of The Hon. Raymond Aquith and the great-great-granddaughter of Prime...
- Martha FiennesMartha FiennesMartha Fiennes is a British film director, writer and producer. An award-winning director, Fiennes is best-known for her films Onegin and Chromophobia .-Career:...