Public Benefit

St Mary's has taken part in a wide variety of activities in order to carry out the school’s aims for the public benefit.  These include: 

  • The school educates 370 children at no cost to the state. By providing an environment which is academic, residential, single sex and Catholic we are providing an environment not generally available in the maintained sector.
  • The school operates a means-tested bursary scheme.
  • The school donates £80,000 each year to increase the capital fund of the St Mary’s School Charitable Fund, established for the purpose of providing funds for the St Mary’s School Ascot scholarship and bursary programme.
  • We deliver academic results which are excellent, placing the school in the top 50 schools in the UK league tables.

The School is engaged in a multifaceted partnership with Charters School, our local state secondary school which includes:

  • The loan of a Latin teacher on a weekly basis enabling a GCSE class to take a subject which would otherwise not be available. 
  • Direct support to a student with her AS History coursework.
  • An Oxbridge interview study day providing benefit to staff and pupils from both schools.
  • Opening our Russian Club to their pupils who regularly attend.
  • Regular meetings between respective Headmistress and Bursar to share best practice.
  • Occasional and free use of the school swimming pool.
  • Provision of the school’s facilities to host large events in the event of an emergency at our partner school, for example a power cut.

The school supports St Francis School, the local state catholic primary school, in a variety of ways including:

  • The technical support through expertise and equipment for their annual school play.  Invitation for the St Francis children to attend drama productions at St Mary’s.
  • Regular use of our swimming pool at no charge with the additional benefit of a swimming teacher to deliver lessons.
  • Free use of the school’s netball courts for their senior squad when required.
  • The Science Department delivered a Space Talk to St Francis and St Cuthbert’s children.
  • St Francis' parents are invited to attend talks given to St Mary's parents on relevant subjects eg ICT safety
The school regularly organises conferences to benefit both our own pupils and staff and those from the local community.  This year this has included:
 
  • A Preparation for Theology Conference involving 200 students from independent and state schools. 
  • A School Nurses’ one day conference to provide professional continuation training for School Nurses.
  • A Hamlet Workshop involving upper sixth students from a Slough state Catholic school.
  • The school ran a Philosophy for Children INSET day run by an external facilitator and invited 20 local schools, of which 4 attended. 
  • The school hosted a practical PE A level moderation day for 4 local schools.
The School lets out facilities at either below market rates or for free on a regular basis including:
 
  • The swimming pool is let out to two local community group swim schools on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
  • The school has let the Upper Sixth residential accommodation and various practice rooms and venues around the site to Spring Music (chamber music workshop for 40 adults) for their 2 day, 3 night meeting at below market rates.
  • The school has hosted at nominal charge Berkshire chess tournaments including the use of extensive facilities over a bank holiday weekend when over 400 people attended the event.
  • The school is let during 5 weeks of the summer holiday to an international language school (180 children resident on site).
  • The school provides staff to act as Latin e-tutors for a variety of state school’s including the City Learning Centre, Brent and Burntwood School, Basingstoke College of Technology and the Capital City Academy.
  • The school’s art department has produced a large number of pieces of art (paintings, textiles and ceramics) for gifting to Wexham Park Hospital for display in their public areas.  This has not only involved the creativity of the pupils but also considerable time by the art department staff and the art technician.
  • The drama department engages with the local community by running weekend Stagecoach drama lessons for children and young adults.
  • Many members of the academic staff act as examiners for the public examination boards.
  • The school Accountant is an active Governor of a large local state secondary school and is regularly allowed time to attend to his duties.
  • A geography teacher accompanied a state school on their 7 day residential AS geography field trip to Wales.
  • The school loaned ICT equipment to a Reading state school in support of their Baptism programme.
  • The Sixth Form has designed a no charge web sites for local businesses, a local artist and a community club.

The school actively engages in charitable work in the local community (see examples below) which benefit not only the community but those pupils engaged in the work by developing social responsibility:

  • Community Service is a key activity at St Mary’s with extensive work being undertaken with local youth groups in the community and pupils supporting slow learners.
  • Fund raising for charitable purposes is a fundamental part of life at St Mary’s and this year pupils and staff have raised money for Breast Cancer charities and military charities including Help for Heroes.
  • The school choir are key participants in the annual Great Ormond Street Hospital Carol Service which this year raised £150,000.
  • The school’s pupils are actively involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and consequently pupils from the school are constantly involved in community service.  Beneficiaries include St Francis state primary school, the Ascot Day Centre, Oxfam charity shops, British Heart Foundation charity shop and Riding for the Disabled.
  • The school visits the local Star and Garter home presenting carol singing and a concert.