Katherine Bennett speaks to the team now running the Marist School near Ascot in the UK.
I recently visited the Marist School, near Ascot in the UK. Established in its present form by the Marist Sisters in 1947, it is now also the flagship establishment for the new schools network “Concept Education” (CE). I sat down for a chat with its CEO, Hugh Dickinson, and the Marist’s principal, Jo Smith.
The meeting was all you might imagine: promotional material, a glowing ISI report which rated the school as “excellent” in all areas, fine bone china and some top-notch biscuits all placed within comfortable reach as we talked about the opportunities for Marist girls, of which there are plenty.
The theme which ran through both our conversation and the beautifully-branded material was of girls with their feet firmly on the ground, reaching for the stars. There is a symmetry between this sense of rootedness which allows the girls to flourish and the land on which the Marist sits.
Two things are increasingly lacking for young people today: access to nature and single sex spaces. At the Marist Ascot, parents will find both. The nuns no longer run the school, but left confident that CE would retain the faith traditions and values that were central to their charism.
It was when we moved from the prepared space through the unprepared upper rooms of the old nuns’ quarters and out to the 55 acres of woodland surrounding the school that we moved beyond the formal CE pitch and I began to get a sense of both what the Marist and its leaders were about.
Jo Smith is a delightful, smart and dedicated principal, who beamed proudly as we walked around the site. “When the sisters were here,” she said, “they’d come and chat with the girls. I remember the eldest one talking about the importance of simplicity, helping them to see it as a virtue.”
As we walked the grounds, we could hear the girls singing as they rehearsed for an upcoming concert, with the older pupils leading the younger ones. “This is the way of life here,” she said; “the happiness, laughter, the sheer realness of the relationships mean that human qualities, life skills and emotional intelligence are always to the fore.”
The academic results are also outstanding, with the Marist finding itself consistently in the top 1 per cent nationally for A-Level results, 100 per cent of students gaining a place at their first-choice university and over half of all GCSEs hitting two or more grades higher than nationally predicted.
“These results are important,” Jo continued “They will get you in the door of where you want to go, but when combined with the personal qualities … it’s then that you have the winning combination.”
There was something about the setting which could not be underestimated, as if it too helped to pull forth from the girls their very best selves. Aware of the gift they have in the wonderful grounds which surround the school, much use is made of them. “We hold outdoor Mass here,” said Jo, directing my gaze to the serene garden which ran alongside the main Rosary building, “and the girls design their own stations of the cross which are followed during Lent.”
The Marist, like other independent Catholic schools, is open to students of all faiths and none. “I say to the girls, regardless of your belief, take time to reflect: you will find Mass really interesting. Watch what the priest does and then when he comes in to chat with you, ask him why he does these things.” This gentle evangelisation, showing the beauty of the Catholic faith, is something Jo Smith believes in and encourages amongst her staff.
Having worked in education for 25 years, visiting many schools both state and independent, one starts to recognise the subtle markers of a discontented workforce. There was no sign of it here; quite the opposite. Of particular note was a conversation I had with one of the prep school teachers, an ex-Marist pupil herself, whose obvious dedication, competence and compassion were as much an advertisement as the glossy brochures.
Teachers across each of the key stages from nursery to the 6th form spoke with genuine enthusiasm for the work that they do. The PE staff took seriously their vocation to enable the girls to reach their full potential and not be limited in their vision. The range of sports on offer and the facilities available are exceptional. A thoughtfully designed 6th-form space gives the older girls a sleek working environment and an area of comfortable domesticity that their artificial worlds cannot.
As we walked on, I asked the principal whether it was difficult to navigate the inevitable tensions between the world and the Church. “I encourage debate,” she said, aware of the potential clash. “Church teaching is always presented as it gives them a grounding, but they are encouraged to ask questions.”
Meanwhile, I spoke with Hugh Dickinson about Concept Education, which he says has shown, in its running of the Marist, that “it can be trusted with the stewardship of Catholic schools”. I asked whether he had a message for other Catholic schools.
“To consider their options early,” he said, “while they are still in a good financial position to determine whether it would be sensible to team up with a group such as CE. Too often we are contacted when Catholic schools already face significant financial challenges, making it too late to save them.”
“The Marist,” he went on, “is accessible in terms of fees compared with a lot of independent schools. A school that delivers excellent education at a competitive level is going to be increasingly attractive.”
“Such a school will always be attractive,” I replied, “but it is the people who make it both what it is, and what it could be.” I told him about how my husband, who attended the Marist primary school in nearby West Byfleet, still remembers the joy experienced by the nuns when they boarded the coach once a year to visit their “mothership” at Ascot.
At this Hugh Dickinson began to open up about his own faith and family. There was something underneath the charm and polish which gave confidence that the Marist had indeed found a safe pair of hands and would thrive under his leadership.
In A View of the Woods, Flannery O’Connor’s wealthy and self-interested Mr Fortune tells his granddaughter that he’s “going to sell that lot right in front of the house for a gas station”. “But that’s where we play,” his granddaughter says. “Well, there’s plenty of other places you can play,” he replies coldly. “But we won’t be able to see the woods,” she says, desperately.
The girls at the Marist will continue to see and explore the woods because both Hugh Dickinson and Jo Smith recognise the value of what they have inherited, and are committed to reaching for the stars with their feet firmly on the beautiful, enchanting and holy Marist ground.
With the direction of travel clear, the wonderful sense of community and the demonstrable intellectual firepower of the Marist girls there is no doubt that parents receive excellent value for money.
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