St Mary's Ascot

[jamonjamon]

Does anyone know anything about St Mary's Ascot? All reports (Good Schools Guide, Ofsted, ISI) are glowing without exception....

[irishcoffee2017]

I am reviving this very old thread as I'd love to hear recent views about St Mary's Ascot, notably on the academic front. Feel free to PM me if you prefer. Thank you.

[letsgetrealmums]

My daughter goes here and absolutely loves it. We live overseas and as a result of it being all boarding she is never alone on the weekends but always with her friends. Contrastingly with what was said previously on this thread, most of the girls absolutely love the head. She is a very impressive character and my daughter always comments on stories when she has come to talk to them at supper and really opened herself up to the girls. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone. The teaching is supreme as they always offer free lessons to anyone unsure of anything and the girls are encouraged to ask questions out of lesson times in order to gain a greater knowledge of their subject. I would say that the best friendships are made at this school and having known many people who have attended it previously they all have remained incredibly close group.

[mumsneedwine]

It seems a lovely school and my daughter plays them at netball a lot. Not snobby and very chatty to the local comp kids ! I know one girl who goes there and she is very confident and sporty (& bright) and loves it, but have met some of the other kids as well and they all seemed really nice. You see them in Ascot high street sometimes and they look like normal teenagers (although they do dress very well !). Teachers are very nice and the facilities are wonderful. If I had the money and had to board it would be my choice.

[spendthrift]

Umm, you might find that in a self assured school where people basically have confidence on who they are, it's not such a problem. My v well known but middle class secondary was far snobbier than my nuch much posher prep school where people liked you for who you were and the theoretically richest had the worst clothes because the money was in trusts, land or had been nationalised. The same happened for my nephew at another famous school where the type of ludicrous striving that had gone on at his prep school was derided at secondary. And our Ds is surrounded by people who have just gone to Munich for the champions league this weekend and none of them give a damn. Whereas down the road from here the competitiveness of the parents gets reflected onto their children. The results are pretty scary and hidden.

But you have to find somewhere you think she will thrive.

[jamonjamon]

Thanks everyone - it seems great in every way and the girls seem open, articulate and charming but we worry about the large London contingent and the potential snobbery at schools like this.

[spendthrift]

Hadn't changed.

Yes, I think there was always a toss up as to whether to send sons to slough comp or ampleforth in my generation and the parties were definitely joint. But that is back in the ark.

[peteneras]

I understand girls from St Mary's (amongst others) regularly go to that boys' boarding school at Windsor to act the female roles in plays/productions etc. Did your DS meet these girls there, grovel? And to think the claim that single-sex education is not representative of the real world is of course, rubbish.

[grovel]

My DS (now 20) has got a load of friends who went to St Mary's. I invariably like them. Lively, polite, bright. I gather that parents like the Head more than the girls do - but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

[spendthrift]

Only from some time ago when friends taught there and longer when friends were taught there. A nice mix of the last of the valois and the sixteen quartering brigade (Marie Louise, Mother says that if you are thinking of marrying an anglican you are to come home at once) with the rest. Good all round education, socially adept but with hidden social conscience, IME. Holidays in the pyrenees, yes , but one week spent at lourdes. V good pastoral care, or was.

If I were a catholic I would send a daughter there, assuming it hadnt