Somerset
Headmaster: Andrew Hobbs
Takes: girls and boys, aged 13-18
Approximately three-quarters of the pupils at Downside are boarders and more than 70 per cent are Catholic. Art, drama, design and technology as well as music are popular; concerts take place in Downside Abbey Church while pupils act in plays in a 450-seat theatre. Now the monks have left for Buckfast, the Chaplaincy team is assisted by a lay Benedictine community, the Manquehue community, who are based close to the school and offer support by leading Lectio Divina groups and assisting with the pastoral side of things.
Boarding fees: £9,415 to £12,635 per term
Day fees: £6,235 to £7,400 per term.
West Sussex
Headmistress: Antonia Beary
Takes: girls, aged 11-18
Mayfield is a vibrant and successful independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18, based in the West Sussex countryside, just an hour from central London. It was established in 1872 by Mother Cornelia Connelly, who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. Historically one of the top all-girls Catholic schools in the UK, though less high profile than the likes of St Mary’s Ascot, Mayfield thrives, without being too pushy. “They will get the academic child to Oxbridge if that is where they should go,” says a parent, “but without neglecting the others with different talents and abilities.” Girls study a wide range of subjects, including engineering, medicine, law, economics and architecture. While maths and science are among the most popular and successful subjects taken at A-level, pupils also excel in the creative and performing arts. The school has an expansive range of co-curricular activities on offer including the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as well as a full programme of sporting opportunities for all abilities and interests, including cricket and hockey. It particularly stands out for its top-class equestrian facilities which are on campus.
Mayfield is proud of its ethos which “reflects its Catholic heritage and encourages integrity, generosity, compassion and courage within an inclusive community which welcomes all”.
Once every half-term the whole school gathers to celebrate Mass, alongside the regular Sunday Mass, and there is also daily morning prayer, a weekly liturgy, and an annual day of recollection for each year group. The school’s “Actions not Words” programme provides opportunities to be involved in service both in the local community and further afield, ensuring that faith in action continues to be an important part of Mayfield life.
“Just as important as academic success, girls leave Mayfield with enduring friendships, open minds, strength of character and the lifelong support of a global community,” the school explains. “The aspiration, resilience, values and skills we instil in the girls prepare them to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century and to make a positive difference to the society in which they live.”
Day fees: £7,950 to £8,375 per term
Boarding fees:£12,975 per term
Boreham, Chelmsford
Headmistress: Katherine Jeffrey
Takes: boys and girls, aged 1-18
New Hall School is a large day and boarding school for students aged one to 18. It is housed in Henry VIII’s Palace of Beaulieu and set in 70 acres. There are five divisions within New Hall’s 1,300+ student community: nursery, pre-preparatory, preparatory, girls’ and boys’, and sixth form. This ensures that students quickly feel at home in their smaller community while being an integral part of the whole school. The 2018 Brentwood Diocesan Inspection report stated: “The school provides students with an outstanding Catholic education. Its clear ethos, Christian values and rich history are a beacon which is highly regarded by the school and its neighbouring community.”
Students meet every week in the historic and beautiful chapel, which has been a place for daily prayer for over 200 years. They participate in planning liturgies and take an active role in various ministries as servers, readers and musicians. In addition, the chaplaincy team holds Masses every Sunday and Wednesday, and at the start and end of each term. A smaller chapel in the preparatory school introduces the younger children to the Faith.New Hall is notable for being the only Catholic independent school in the UK to have implemented the diamond model of education whereby girls and boys in the nursery and preparatory divisions and the sixth form are taught in co-educational classes while those in Years 7 to 11 are educated in single-sex classes. “This approach reduces the gender stereotyping of subjects and the negative peer pressure of having to perform in mixed classes, with demonstrable examination success,” they explain. Outside the classroom students mix socially and in co-curricular clubs and activities. Under the 20-year leadership of principal Katherine Jeffrey, academic success has risen to 79 per cent of GCSE grades at 7+ (A*/A) and 97 per cent of A-level grades at A*-B for 2021. Pastoral care is also excellent and there is an extensive choice of co-curricular activities. Among these, dance, drama and music are especially popular. New Hall Voluntary Service, another co-curricular option, is an award-winning initiative nurturing leadership and teamworking skills and a desire to serve others. Girls and boys can board from Year 3 either as full or flexible boarders, the latter staying overnight for one to six days a week. The school attracts both international boarders and those who live within the UK, whether locally or slightly further afield. An unusual but highly successful aspect of New Hall School is its on-site farm, home to goats, sheep, ponies, pigs, ferrets, ducks, geese, rabbits, guinea pigs, peafowl, quail and a host of mini beasts. Students are encouraged to observe, hold and care for the animals as part of lessons, after-school clubs or the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Day fees: up to £7,128 per term
Boarding fees: up to £11,289 per term
Ealing
Headteacher: Sarah Raffray
Takes: girls, aged 3-18 (boys in nursery)
Set in 13 acres, St Augustine’s Priory is a day school for girls aged 3-18, with boys in the nursery. Rated as excellent by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, it’s a unique community with superb sports facilities and a working farm. Educating girls since 1634, the school has close ties with Ealing Abbey and welcomes students of all faiths to share their deeply rooted values to prepare for the future. The school hosts a beautiful chapel, with students regularly playing an active role in the celebration of Mass. From nursery to Year 13, St Augustine’s focuses on the whole child with the belief that happy and secure children learn best and achieve their full potential. According to the Good Schools Guide, pupils say their school is “loving”, “caring” and “friendly”. The school’s mission statement – “Our girls will change the world” – is at the heart of school life and students’ academic success. “Pupils are equipped with an outstanding education for the future, alongside a focus on building confidence, collaborative skills, emotional intelligence and self-awareness,” they say. “As a result students embrace all higher education and life after school offers, with girls going to the best universities in the world.” For the diary: Nursery, Pre-Preps and Preps open day is on 20 September. Senior School open day is on 4 September.
Fees: From £1,797 to £6,042 per term (Nursery to Seniors)
Weybridge
Headmistress (Senior): Rachel Owens
Headmaster (Junior): Antony Hudson
Takes: boys and girls, aged 3-18
St George’s comprises a junior school with 600 children and a senior school with over 1,000. Parents say the school suits high-achievers and multi-taskers, not slackers. The standard has improved vastly since the 2016 appointment of headmistress Rachel Owens, who has previously worked at Catholic schools Prior Park and New Hall. “Poised, super bright, smiley, energetic and highly pragmatic, she radiates quintessential head qualities,” says the Good Schools Guide. St George’s Weybridge was started in 1869 by a Belgian Catholic order of Josephite priests who were founded for the Christian instruction and education of young people. Josephite teaching continues to be central to the life of the school.
Day fees: £2,130 to £7,560 per term
Cardiff
Headmaster: Shaun Moody
Takes: boys and girls, aged 3-18
Established in 1987, St John’s College is the choir school of Wales’s national Catholic cathedral, Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral. It provides male and female choristers aged from eight to 18. The core values and Catholic ethos of the school continue to prosper and it prides itself on its outstanding academic results and exemplary pastoral care. In 2022, St John’s was ranked first for academic results in Wales. St John’s College has average class sizes of fewer than 16 pupils, small year groups and a stable, committed staff.
Day fees: £2,880 to £4,950 per term
Ascot
Headmistress: Danuta Staunton
Takes: girls, aged 11-18
One of the foremost Catholic girls’ schools in the country, St Mary’s Ascot has long been in the top drawer of independent schools and attracts the ambitious and socially well connected. It regularly tops the league tables in both GCSEs and A-levels. Of the 390 girls, some 95 per cent are Catholic, and admissions favour daughters, sisters and early registrations. Places are highly sought-after so apply sooner rather than later (at least two years in advance, if you can).
The chaplain, Father Dermot, is an important part of daily life and girls enjoy Mass in the school’s private chapel. Headmistress Danuta Staunton has made her mark with impressive results – she is now in her third year. Most pupils are full-boarders so weekends are packed with activity and the school is regarded as one of the best traditional boarding schools in the country, attracting international girls as well as from around Britain.
Day boarding fees: £10,155 per term
Full boarding fees: £14,260 per term
Lancashire
Headmaster: John Browne
Takes: boys and girls, aged 3-18
The Jesuit college educates close to 530 boys and girls, around two-thirds of whom are boarders (boarding starts from the age of seven). At Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall, the adjacent dedicated preparatory school, there are around 300 pupils aged three to 13. Stonyhurst is set on a 1,000-acre estate in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Stonyhurst is the oldest continuously active Jesuit school in the world. It was founded in St Omer, northern France (then the Spanish Netherlands), in 1593, and moved to its present site in Lancashire in 1794. Throughout the years of religious persecution in England, Stonyhurst educated the boys of the English Catholic aristocracy and gentry. Stonyhurst’s Jesuit mission and identity, and its sense of family, seem to set it apart from other schools. Pupils are urged to do as much as they can for others, following the example of Jesus Christ and the spirit and charism of the Jesuits, living by the school motto “Quant je puis” (“As much as I can”). The school achieves high academic results and offers an extensive range of co-curricular activities. The sixth form offers three options for study – A-level, International Baccalaureate Diploma, or the IB Career-Related Programme. Each route provides a wide range of subjects to choose from and a pathway to suit different learners.
“At the centre of the educational mission is the Jesuit ideal of finding God in all things, where young people develop the habit of reflection and grow in their personal relationship with God,” the school explains. “Pupils are helped to appreciate what they have and learn to make the most of their talents. They are actively encouraged to do their best in everything and to celebrate the successes of others through a spirit of gratitude and generosity.” The structure for pastoral care is designed to ensure each pupil feels emotionally secure and knows who to turn to for support. Pupils in Stonyhurst’s care are given the individual attention, resources and space in which to grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally.
Supported by world-class facilities, Stonyhurst has a strong reputation for rugby, hockey, netball, cricket and tennis. Facilities include a nine-hole golf course, swimming pool, an all-weather pitch, and a Grand Slam-standard indoor tennis facility. The school’s co-curricular offer is rich and varied with over 70 activities taking place each year; as well as sport, music and drama, these include dance, fencing, debating, social enterprise, scuba diving and astronomy.
Full boarding fees: £12,200 per term
Day fees: £7,250 per term
Surrey
Headmaster: Dr James Whitehead
Takes: girls, aged 11-18
The country’s first Sacred Heart School, Woldingham has for decades been one of the go-to girls’ schools for wealthy and well-connected Catholics. It has not always had the reputation it had in the 1960s, but today reviews of the pastoral care are very positive. Pupils seem well-adjusted and praise the school’s beautiful and tranquil setting. The school is not too pushy academically, but nevertheless girls do well-enough for Woldingham to make it into the league tables for exams. It was awarded “excellent” in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
Woldingham’s new headmaster, and its first male head, Dr James Whitehead, is into his second year. A former headmaster of both Rugby and Downside and an alumnus of Stonyhurst, he has been criticised by some parents and pupils for making the school “too Catholic” since his arrival. But the Herald is not concerned on this front as the school needed to be spiritually re-rooted. Just 25 minutes from London – by train not car – the school has a railway station in its grounds with a direct line to Clapham Junction, used by around one third of pupils many of whom are day girls (the school has heavily marketed itself in recent years to attract “London girls”). Over 80 extracurricular clubs take place each week. Woldingham typically spends around £1 million per annum on all forms of fee assistance.
Day fees: £8,250 per term
Boarding fees: £13,570 per term
West Sussex
Headmaster: Stuart McPherson
Takes: girls and boys, aged 11-18
Some 500 acres of pretty Sussex countryside are the backdrop to Worth, which has for over 60 years been a top choice among affluent Catholic families. Originally boys only, Worth became fully co-ed in 2012. Small yet sophisticated, the school is in the grounds of the Benedictine Worth Abbey and its ethos is rooted in the Benedictine educational tradition. There are eight monks in the chaplaincy team who teach the importance of Lectio Divina (sacred reading), liturgical worship and community living and services. Pupils regularly teach English and IT skills at the refugee detention centre at nearby Gatwick airport, and pilgrimages are arranged to Lourdes, Taizé and the Camino to Compostella. Worth offers IB and A-levels and was described as academically “outstanding” in a recent inspection report. The abbey choir has sung at a Mass in St Peter’s in Rome attended by the pope and in the Sistine Chapel.
Day fees: £5,630 to £8,360 per term
Boarding fees: £12,160 per term
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