St Mary’s College is an Independent Catholic School for boys and girls of all faiths aged 0–18, rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). We are a thriving community which places a high value on outstanding academic achievement and all-round personal development. Our school is built on strong values which emphasise the importance of caring for others and striving for excellence in all we do. Boys and girls can start at our Bright Sparks & Early Years department (0–4 years) soon after birth and progress to our Preparatory School (4–11 years) before moving on to the College (11–18 years), where they achieve excellent public examination results. Our rich programme of extracurricular activities equips our pupils with the skills and values which will guide and support them throughout their lives. Scholarships and bursaries are available.
Numbers. There are 496 pupils in the Senior School; 172 pupils in the Preparatory School and 192 children in the Early Years department. There are no boarders.
Preparatory School. St Mary’s Prep offers an outstanding and inspiring primary education to 4–11 year olds. We provide individual attention, challenge and support which enables each child to achieve their own personal excellence, whatever that might be.
The academic thrust of the school is central with a strong focus on the key enabling skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Our curriculum is designed to give our pupils the best opportunity to succeed academically and develop a lifelong love of learning. Pupils are given a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy while developing skills in Science, History, Geography, Art, Design and ICT. These skills are developed through ‘themes’ chosen to capture the pupils’ imagination and offer them the opportunity to explore different ways of learning. Specialist tuition in French, Spanish, Music, PE and Games is also an integral part of our curriculum.
We also provide an extensive programme of extracurricular activities, and pupils are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to develop their confidence and extend their experience.
The Head of the Preparatory School, Mr Jonathan Webster, will be pleased to meet you and show you round.
Senior School. At St Mary’s College, pupils benefit from small class sizes and excellent facilities, including specialist IT, design and technology and learning resource centres, a well-equipped sports centre and our specialist music school.
We pride ourselves on our inspirational approach to education, and the focus for our highly qualified and experienced teaching staff is a combination of academic excellence with modern and imaginative teaching methods. We teach pupils how to think, not what to think. A rigorous yet broad and balanced curriculum is provided across the range of the humanities and sciences. During their first three years our pupils study 14 distinct subjects including separate sciences, Classics, Latin and two foreign languages. In their fourth year – after thorough consultation with pupils and parents – they begin two-year GCSE courses in a minimum of ten subjects, which must include English, English Literature, Mathematics, Religious Studies, and Science (either 3 or 2 GCSEs). A foreign language is strongly recommended to be one of the choices.
As well as academic excellence, we place a lot of emphasis on the cultural life of our pupils, with every child entering the college being given the opportunity to play a musical instrument. Drama and dance are also important features of life at St Mary’s, and our pupils are not afraid to tackle the classics, from Ajax and Electra to Grease and Oliver!
Specialist coaching is provided in numerous sports, including rugby, cricket, football, hockey, netball, swimming, athletics and cross-country, and we have excellent facilities at our 20-acre playing fields, sports centre and brand new state-of-the-art gym.
A wide range of other student interests are catered for by a large number of clubs and societies meeting at lunchtimes or after school. Our Combined Cadet Force (Army and Royal Air Force) offers opportunities including adventure training and air experience flying, while there is also strong participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Another important objective of the college is to broaden the horizons of our pupils and we do this via regular foreign trips, language exchanges and sport and music tours which have, in recent years, ventured as far afield as the United States and Australia.
St Mary’s is easily accessible to pupils throughout Merseyside and West Lancashire thanks to our extensive transport network of school coaches.
The Principal, Mr Michael Kennedy, will be pleased to welcome you to St Mary's College for an informal meeting and a tour of the school.
Fees per term (2024-2025). Senior School: £4,730; Preparatory School: £3,257.
Scholarships & awards. We offer a number of Academic Scholarships, which can be worth up to half fees and will be tenable throughout a pupil’s career in the senior school (including Sixth Form), provided the pupil’s efforts and behaviour remain consistent with the standard expected of scholars. The awards are based on academic merit alone and will be irrespective of income. There is no need to make a separate application: offers will automatically be made to parents whose children come top of the field in the entrance examination. Our Edmund Rice Scholarships (Assisted Places) are won by academic ability but also take a family’s earnings into consideration.
We also award scholarships for those gifted in art, music and sport although the financial value of these Excellence Awards, as they are collectively known, is more modest; our Art, Music and Sport Scholarships are typically worth a £1,000 discount off annual fees.
Sixth Form Scholarships. Edmund Rice Scholarships are available on merit, and are awarded on the basis of a Scholarship Examination.
Charitable status. St Mary’s College Crosby Trust Limited is a Registered Charity, number 1110311. The aims and objectives of the Charity are to advance religious and other charitable works.
Governors & Staff:
Governors:
Mrs S Ward (Chair of Governors)
Mr M McKenna (Deputy Chair)
Mr G Bourgade
Mr H Broekman
Mr C Cleugh
Mr M Fitzsimons
Mrs L Martindale
Mr D McCaughrean
Ms A O'Brien
Mrs P Old
Mrs H Thompson
Mr C Wright, BSc, MRSC, MIoD
Principal: Mr M Kennedy, BSc, MA, NPQH, CChem, MRSC
Vice Principal: Mrs J Thomas, BSc
Senior Leadership Team:
Mrs S Bartolo, BEd (Head of Lower School)
Mr A Byers, BA (Head of Middle School, Head of Music)
Mr P Duffy, MPhil (Head of Sixth Form)
Mr S Gray (Business Director)
Mr J Quint, BA, PGCert (Director of Marketing, Admissions & Development)
Mr N Rothnie, MA Oxon (Extended Learning Coordinator, Head of History)
Preparatory School Headmaster: Mr J Webster, BA
Head of Early Years: Mrs A Haigh, BEd