St Mary's School Community Life

Admissions

The school accepts about 65 pupils each year. Entry is at 11+ (our main intake), 13+ or 16+ and is by the school’s own entrance examination, an interview and a report from the current school. About 40 pupils are admitted to Year 7 (11+), 20 to Year 9 (13+) and about 5 to the Sixth Form (16+).

Applying

If you wish to apply for entry to St Mary’s Ascot, we suggest that you register your daughter at least two years prior to the year of entry. This will place your daughter on the candidate list to sit our entrance examination. If you would like to discuss any aspect of our admissions procedure, please contact the Registrar, Mrs Sandra Young, either by telephone on: +44 (0)1344 296614 or by email at admissions@st-marys-ascot.co.uk.

Open Mornings

Please register your interest and request a programme from the Registrar, Mrs Sandra Young, either on +44 (0)1344 296614, or by email at admissions@st-marys-ascot.co.uk.

These Open Mornings usually take place four times a year, two in the Michaelmas term, one in the Lent term and one in the Summer term. The mornings begin with refreshments and a welcome from the Headmistress, after which you will have an opportunity to ask questions. This will be followed by a guided tour of the school and a short concert in our Chapel. You are invited to stay for a buffet lunch where members of staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

Our next Open Mornings are on:

  • Saturday 18 May 2024
  • Saturday 21 September 2024
  • Saturday 23 November 2024
  • Saturday 1 March 2025
  • Saturday 17 May 2025

Booking is essential for all Open Mornings.

We look forward to welcoming you to St Mary’s.

Entrance Exams

The examinations and interviews for all 13+ and 16+ candidates take place at St Mary’s in November / December of the year prior to entry. For 11+ candidates, the assessment will take place at St Mary’s in the Lent term of the year of entry. The school does not issue past papers but will supply guidelines to the current school or parents upon request. 

The subjects tested are:

at 11+: English, Mathematics and a general paper (which could include: graded spelling; non-verbal puzzles; listening skills)
at 13+: English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Studies, History or Geography, French or an alternative modern language (Spanish, Italian or German) and Latin
at 16+: a general paper, and interviews in the subjects to be studied at A Level

Please contact the registrar, Mrs Sandra Young, on +44 (0)1344 296614, or by email at admissions@st-marys-ascot.co.uk, if you have any queries about our entrance examinations.

Results are normally notified within three weeks of sitting the examinations.

Fees

Academic Year 2023-24

  • Registration Fee: £300
  • Acceptance Fee: £2000
  • Boarding Fee: £16,710 per term
  • Day Boarding Fee: £11,900 per term

FAQs

An Open Morning is the best way to see St Mary’s for the first time and we usually hold four of these a year, in March, May, September and November.  At these events you will listen to the Headmistress’ talk, be shown around the school by a current girl and have the opportunity to talk to members of the teaching and pastoral staff.  Please contact the admissions office on +44 (0)1344 296614 or at admissions@st-marys-ascot.co.uk for further details.

You can register your daughter for a place to sit the entrance examination as soon as you wish. This ensures that the school can keep in touch with you until your daughter comes to sit the entrance examination. We do suggest that registration take place at least two years prior to the entry date. All who are registered come to St Mary’s to sit their entrance examination in the November or December preceding the year of entry.

The school’s main intake is at 11+, when we accept about 40 girls. There is also a smaller intake of about 20 girls at 13+. The school also has a small intake at 16+ for Sixth Form.

St Mary’s conducts 11+, 13+ and 16+ entrance examinations at the school. At 11+, girls come to St Mary’s for a day in the December before the year of entry. They will sit examinations in English, Mathematics and a General Paper, for which no special preparation is required.  Candidates are taken to lunch by current Year 7 girls who will also give them a tour of the school.

At 13+ girls come to St Mary’s for two days in the November before the year of entry and candidates are invited to spend the night at school. The examinations will include English, Mathematics, Religious Studies, Science, a modern language, Geography or History and a Latin paper.

Both the 11+ and 13+ examinations are similar to Common Entrance, although girls also have an interview with the Headmistress or with a senior member of staff. We do not recommend extra examination tutoring prior to your daughter sitting an entrance assessment for St Mary’s.

At 16+ girls come to St Mary’s for a day. They sit a general examination paper and will also meet the Heads of Departments of the subjects to be studied at A level. In addition they have an interview with the Headmistress and the Head of Sixth Form.

St Mary’s gives preference to girls who are Roman Catholic and 96% of girls at St Mary’s are baptised Catholic. Non-Catholic families considering St Mary’s Ascot for their daughter are, in the first instance, requested to contact the Admissions Office on +44 (0) 1344 296614 or at admissions@st-marys-ascot.co.uk. The Catholic ethos forms a cornerstone of life at St Mary’s and the whole school gathers for prayers in the chapel every morning.   St Mary’s Ascot is fortunate to have a resident Chaplain who oversees the Catholic life of the school.

Only approximately 15 girls are day boarders and these girls live very locally to the school. Day boarders participate fully in the programmes of activities organised at weekends and are required to be at school when their House is on duty at a weekend. Day boarders have to be at school by 8.15am. Although lessons end at 4.30pm, day boarders must stay at school to complete their study and/or take part in sports matches, drama productions or clubs. Day boarders must attend on a Saturday morning until 12.15pm. The majority of day boarders will go on to board as they progress through the school.
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