On Sunday afternoon, we gathered in the Parish Church for our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols and what a wonderful event it was! The church was full of candlelight and people – not a seat to be had. We began in the traditional way with the solo rendition of the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City – the honour going to Elyse (UVI) followed by a candlelit procession through the church which set the scene for a memorable festive service.
It was a sea of Santas, reindeers, holly, snowflakes, tinsel and glitter on Tuesday at St Mary’s with everyone looking fabulously festive for Christmas Jumper Day, in aid of Save the Children. Such a jolly way to see in the last few days of term!
2023 has ended on a well-deserved high note for St Mary’s Swim Team, with many remarkable swimming achievements! There were a substantial number of wins at each of our recent events, showcasing the depth of talent within the Swim Team. Many pupils were exposed to their first experience of competitive swimming and took to it like proverbial 'ducks to water'!
This week, our LIV Choir and Junior Consort spread Chistmas cheer and joy as they sang to residents in local retirement homes. Dressed in their festive finery, the girls had the residents singing along to their festive favourite tunes!
Mona (UV) is the founder of Sweet Stitch Crochet, a not-for-profit crochet society with a passion for helping children in need by creating 'bonding blankets' for babies in intensive care units in hospitals.
‘Oh du fröhliche Weihnachtszeit’ – Germans are very big on the anticipation of Christmas and traditions in the run-up to the big day, include baking biscuits and decorating gingerbread houses.
'Refreshing’, ‘fascinating’, ‘impressive’ are just some of the fantastic words of feedback received from our professional judge, Beth Webb, on the entries to the 2023-24 Literalily Creative Writing Competition! In Chapel on Monday 11th December, we celebrated the superb quality of entries - and announced the winners! - of this year's competition.
Friday 8th December saw the Sixth Form Politics students gather for supper and festive fun. After playing a politics-themed game (guessing politicians from clue cards that they had each picked!) the students used their political knowledge to create Christmas decorations - with a twist!
The Governors are delighted to announce, after a very thorough recruitment process, the appointment of Mrs Anne Wakefield as the new Head of St Mary’s Calne and St Margaret’s Prep from September 2024, at the beginning of the next academic year.
On Monday 4th December, the Sixth Form Historians participated in an online webinar organised by the National Archives and presented by Jenny Draper. Famous Historian, Tracy Borman, talked students through her favourite original sources, as found in the National Archives.
Music enthusiasts of St Mary’s Calne gathered in the Chapel On Wednesday 6th December to attend an end of term piano celebration, featuring talented pianists taught by Ms Palfreyman, ranging from LIV to UVI.
This term saw the launch of the SMC English Ambassadors. Our aim is for representatives from across the school to meet monthly and discuss how to maximise the potential of readers, writers and speakers at St Mary’s Calne.
On Wednesday 6th December, the Sixth Form English Society gathered for our first meeting of the year, in which we all came dressed as our favourite female archetypes in literature.
We are pleased to announce that Madeleine (LVI) and Miya (UV) were awarded £50 vouchers for their winning entries to the Independent Schools Modern Languages Association Creative Writing competition. Their pieces demonstrated imagination, strong engagement with the target language culture, and a confident level of linguistic ability. Their work will be on display in the Plumer Wing!
On Friday 17th November, a beautiful bright and chilly day, we started the festive season in wonderful style with our hugely successful PGSM Christmas Fair.
A whole-school production, featuring girls from MIV all the way up to UVI, signed off the school's 150th Anniversary celebrations with the much-loved Rodgers & Hammerstein classic musical, The Sound of Music.
The transformation of Top Hall into an illuminated atelier fit for fashion week in Paris or Milan was just what we all needed at the end of a dark, damp and cold November. 'Fashion & Fizz', a fashion show in aid of the charity Loving Humanity had been the vision of Head Girl, Katya, and her Deputies, Poppy and Aurora, for some months and to watch the culmination of their plans and dedication over the past few months was a delight.
Congratulations to all our students who took part in this year's Bebras UK Computing Challenge. St Mary's pupils have again performed very well, with 22 pupils across the year groups gaining Gold Star ranking, representing the top 10% of students in the UK. This allows them to participate in the Oxford University Computational Challenge in mid-January.
We are extremely proud that St Mary's Calne has been ranked 2nd independent school in the South West for academic performance in The Sunday Times Schools’ Guide, Parent Power 2024.
On Friday 1st December, five members of Eco-Group visited Grist Environmental for a tour around the site. Grist Environmental is a leading waste management and recycling specialist in the South West, used by St Mary's Calne to collect most of the school's waste.
On Friday 24th November, the UVI Geographers attended the national Sixth Form Hazards Conference in Westminster, London. In a packed Emmanuel Centre, and led by experts in their field, the students learned about Tsunamigenic earthquakes, the Alpine-Himalayan collision zone, and compared the impacts of the Autumn 2023 Afghanistan and Nepalese earthquakes.
On Saturday 25th November, the first-ever 'Parents and Guardians Lacrosse Taster Session' took place at St Mary's. This was a fun and friendly opportunity for our superstar sideline supporters to enjoy a taste of lacrosse - learning a little more about the game, trying their hand at a range of lacrosse skills and experiencing what it's like on the field!
With much anticipation, the SMC Senior Teams travelled to face Radley Boys Lacrosse in our annual social fixture. Having looked into Radley's results in their recent games against Stowe and Downe House, our girls knew they would be in for a competitive game.
Congratulations to Teyla (LIV) and Jemima (MIV), both St Mary’s Music Scholars, on their prize-winning performances at the recent Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival and the Devizes Eisteddfod, respectively.
On Thursday 23rd November, a number of students took part in the Area Cross Country Championships held at Kingsbury Green Academy. The course was unexpectedly very dry after a long stint of bad weather, and it was also very flat, making it a lovely course to run in the beautiful autumn weather.
This week, Eugenie (LIV) competed on her pony, Ruby, in an NSEA Eventer's Challenge at Bicton Arena, run by Blundell's School. She did a fabulous clear round over a tough course in the 70cm class finishing 13th and she also jumped well in the 80cm class too.
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Beatrice Forshall, the author and illustrator of The Book of Vanishing Species to talk to us about endangered species and conservation of wildlife.
On Friday 17th November, the UVI EPQ students showcased their excellent range of projects to students, parents and staff. It was a wonderful celebration of the hard work, commitment and depth of academic study they had dedicated to developing their projects.
We had another wonderful evening at the Thomas Cubbitt on Thursday evening with 2018 Leavers. The CGA kindly sponsored a 5 year reunion and it was great that so many of the year group attended.
The Upper School Debate Club took part in the first round of the National English Speaking Union MACE competition with Emma L. (UV), Norah C. (LVI) and Bea T (LVI) representing St Mary’s against six other schools.
The final Regional Drinks Party in celebration of the school’s 150th Anniversary took place last night in the heart of Edinburgh. The festivities brought together a diverse group of alumnae, spanning across the decades, from the Class of 1959 to recent Leavers currently pursuing their degrees at Edinburgh University.
UV and A Level Drama pupils were treated to a powerful night of theatre this week when they enjoyed an impressive staging of Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at the Ustinov Studio, Bath Theatre Royal.
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming back Emily Sandbach (2019 Leaver) to speak to us about her amazing experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as her other charity work.
Last weekend saw a number of competitive fixtures against Godolphin School and Westonbirt School and the first outing for the Mixed Age Team (MAT) against Bath Lacrosse Club.
Anti-Bullying Week was marked by a series of engaging and educational activities designed to raise awareness and promote a positive, inclusive school culture. The week included Odd Socks Day, a poster competition, a chapel about the morality of bullying, and targeted lessons aimed at fostering understanding and empathy among students.
On Tuesday 14th November our UVI economists visited the Festival of Economics in Bristol and took advantage of a great series of lectures and discussion groups. Our day started with an in-depth interview with esteemed economist and author, Ha-Joon Chang, by Mehreen Khan (Economics Editor for The Times).
On Thursday evening, 2013 Leavers gathered at the Thomas Cubitt Pub in London for their 10 year reunion. Kindly sponsored by the CGA, Mrs Cari Depla and Mrs Caroline Wrench joined guests for drinks and canapes in the cosy and informal surroundings of this lovely venue.
On Sunday evening, the whole school participated in a poignant, candlelit Remembrance Service in Chapel. The service was put together by members of the UVI under the leadership of Izzy, in her role as Minister for Communities.
In an afternoon filled with enchanting melodies and eerie anecdotes, Miss Palfreyman (piano), Miss Wilby (flute), and Mrs Loveridge (violin) presented a recital on the theme of Musical Magic and Mystery.
On Friday 10th November, LIV-UV pupils studying French attended a play in the Delscey Burns Theatre, presented by the touring Onatti Theatre Company.
A few action-packed Friday afternoons in the pool before Half Term saw MIV master the art of self-survival skills in the water. They learnt so many new things which will hopefully help them cope calmly if they ever find themselves in stressful situations in the water.
This week, we welcomed Rob Bassett Cross, the founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence software provider Adarga, to speak to us about the topic of AI: A Challenge or the Future?
On Sunday 5th November, we were delighted to host the annual St Mary's Calne Horse Show at the West Wilts Equestrian Centre. The event had fantastic support, with 136 rounds jumped by students from over 25 schools, with all competing in the Eventers Challenge classes, ranging from 70cm to 1m.
On Wednesday 1st November, we hosted a special 150th Anniversary Reception at Gallery Different, London. The evening was for guests living in and around London and showcased Celebrate Connect - A Celebration of the Art of St Mary's Calne, an art exhibition specially created to mark 150th Anniversary of St Mary's.
We were delighted to host a week-long exhibition In London at Gallery Different in early November, as part of our 150th Anniversary celebrations and our ongoing commitment to showcase current pupils, alumnae and school community artists’ work to a wide audience.
It has been a busy but positive time for St Mary’s swimming, with a tremendous 'first' achieved when we finished in the Top 30 schools in the ESSA Relays and lots of swimming fun at recent galas.
It was lovely to welcome Notting Hill Prep to the first of our Prep School Art Workshops in London as part of ‘Celebrate Connect – A Celebration of Art at St Mary’s Calne’, our special 150th Anniversary art exhibition at Gallery Different, London.
In the rainy early hours of Thursday 12th October, 25 pupils from LV to UVI, along with Miss Malan, Mrs Firth and Mr Hilton, embarked on an incredible journey to experience the magnificent wildlife of Madagascar.
Half Term was a busy and successful time for the Equestrian Team with students competing at the National Schools Championships at Addington Equestrian and the Eventer Challenge at Rectory Park.
This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Charlotte Patrick, a former Calne girl (1988 Leaver), back to speak to us for a CGA Talk about Making Career Choices in Technology.
On Thursday 12th October, members of the UV, LVI and UVI, along with six members of staff, braved the elements to sleep outside to raise funds for Doorway Wiltshire, a Chippenham-based charity helping people who are homeless or moving on from homelessness.
During the Autumn Term Academic Enrichment Week, the UIV completed a three day tour of the First World War battlefields. Led by two expert guides, the students looked at the many different experiences of the people who were caught up in the first great industrial war of the 20th century.
Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 11th October, Governors, Alumnae, Parents, Supporters, pupils and staff gathered at the exquisite Salisbury Cathedral for a special Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving in honour of the 150th Anniversary of St Mary’s Calne.
It's been a busy couple of weeks for Charity at St Mary's, with a home clothes day and a Harvest Festival Collection to raise money and collect food to donate to the Calne Food Bank, followed by the launch of the Christmas Shoebox appeal in Chapel on Monday.
Over the weekend, four of our senior Lacrosse teams as well as three U15 teams and an U14 team went to Marlborough to compete in the Lacrosse County Tournament. We had the most number of teams competing and everyone had a great time with some very close matches.
Since the beginning of the Autumn Term, Acting Head, Mr Michael Smyth, has been meeting all of the new students over a series of suppers and afternoon teas to offer them a warm welcome to school life at St Mary's.
On Wednesday 4th October, GCSE Mandarin and Classical Civilization students went to the British Museum to visit the exhibitions exploring 'China's Hidden Century' and the Mycenae where they deepened their understanding of the historical importance of these cultures.
Another great couple of weeks for the Equestrian Girls, with Eugenie, Darcy, Martha and Elizabeth all competing in events.
On Saturday evening in Florence Dyas, excitement filled the air as the girls warmly welcomed their peers from Radley College for a memorable UVI social event.
On Tuesday 10th October, we celebrated World Mental Health Day. This was a lovely opportunity to stop and reflect on our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others within our smaller and wider communities. We focused specifically on positivity and how we can make a real difference to others by showing kindness.
Last Friday, the Moberly Company Supper took centre stage, and it was a night to remember with a captivating movie-themed extravaganza. The event involved brilliant creativity, camaraderie, and delicious treats!
On Saturday 30th September, three of the senior lacrosse teams travelled to St Swithun's for the South West Regional Tournament. We were so impressed with the team spirit shown throughout the day, especially during such an intense day of lacrosse competition.
On Wednesday 4th October, the U16A, U14A and U14B netball teams went to the North Wiltshire Area Netball Tournament at Sheldon and Hardenhuish Schools in Chippenham.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Rosie Wyles, a former Calne girl, back to speak to us about Greek Tragedy and Athenian Civic Identity and Society. We were also joined by members of the Calne community and some local schools.
This week, last year’s MIV celebrated their achievements in their ISEB projects. The ISEB is a pupil-led project in which students develop their independent learning skills over the course of the year.
A big congratulations to Elowen (UVI) on being cast in her first professional acting role with the Bristol Old Vic! Elowen successfully auditioned for the title role of The Roaring Girl, which follows the life of Mary Firth, also known as ‘Moll Cutpurse’ or ‘The Roaring Girl’, who is famously known as the 'notorious female leader of England's underworld'.
Tuesday 26th September was European Day of Languages, which we celebrated across the school starting with a Chapel by Mrs Moylan and culminating in a workshop where students designed their own Chinese Opera masks during Academic Enrichment Week.
The Southwest ESSA Relays qualifying round takes place every September at Millfield School. Once the results are consolidated from other competitions, the top 30 schools in the country are invited to compete in the final, which will be held in Birmingham's Sandwell Aquatic Centre, which was the venue for swimming at last year's Commonwealth Games.
At the end of the Summer Term, the Marlborough Literature festival ran their Love books Competition, which asked young people aged 13+ to write a creative review about their favourite book, poem or play, explaining what they love about it.
We are delighted to share our congratulations to Izzy (UVI) who has received an offer of a Choral Scholarship from University College at Oxford University, pending her application to read Law! This is an outstanding achievement and a real testament to Izzy’s talent and hard work.
On Thursday evening, we hosted a 150th Anniversary Regional Drinks Party in the beautiful surroundings of the Cherwell Boathouse in Oxford. Guests were invited to punt before enjoying drinks and canapés while overlooking beautiful Cherwell River.
There was much anticipation as everyone prepared themselves for one of the favourite events of the year - the Company Shout! - the finale to the Cecilia Jame Music Festival.
The Cecilia James Company Music Festival and Company Shout 2023 proved to be a splendid event again this year, with a day full of amazing music making. This year we welcomed Andrea Charles, from the Royal College of Music, as our adjudicator.
The annual Sixth Form Fair took place on Saturday 16th September, with UV parents joining their daughters to find out more about the Sixth Form experience and opportunities.
Another wonderful week for St Mary's equestrians. Firstly, our young riders have been enjoying their weekly riding lessons at Rein & Shine Equestrian Centre. The girls are making great progress and enjoying the challenge of riding different horses each week.
On Tuesday evening, we had Arctic Explorer, Alex Hibbert, join us for a Sixth Form Lecture full of inspirational tales of his accomplished adventures in the polar and cold regions.
The MFL Travel Photography Competition was launched in the Summer Term 2023. Pupils were invited to submit a photograph from recent travels and describe why the moment and place that they captured on film was significant to them.
On Monday 25th September, Stephenie (UV), Emma (UV), Millie (LVI), and myself, Norah (LVI), gathered in the Lumi Library for our first Writers' Guild meeting of the academic year.
This week, Acting Head, Mr Michael Smyth, hosted the first Head's Commendation Afternoon Tea of the year. The tea, held in the Head's Study, brings together students who have recently received Head's Recommendation to celebrate their achievements together while enjoying refreshments, freshly baked scones and delicious brownies.
Eleven of our UV Hispanists were invited to Sheldon School in Chippenham last Wednesday to meet with their Argentinian visitors from Northfield School in Buenos Aires.
'Sisters n Sport' is about empowering woman through sport. It gives school netball teams the opportunity to play schools they would never normally play, while giving girls more competition opportunities, a chance to make new friends, and create sporting memories with their teammates.
We felt very privileged to welcome four former Calne girls back last night to talk about their experiences of studying German after leaving St Mary's and sharing the lecture with other schools across Wiltshire and Oxford.
Last Thursday, our UV (Year 11) pupils had an opportunity to speak with eight guests from a variety of career sectors at a Careers Networking event. Our special guests enjoy careers in Finance, Law, Project Management & Business consultancy, Architecture, Nursing, Army Officer Recruitment, Animal Care and Charity Sector and Optometry.
On Monday 18th September we celebrated AppleFest, a traditional event where the youngest and eldest students work together to pick apples from the St Mary’s orchard. The fruit is pressed, pasturised and bottled locally, and turned into delicious apple juice that the PGSM will sell with the support of Mrs Hatlapa in the school shop.
On Thursday evening, Cate Bell (Chair of CFT, Governor, Parent and Alum) and her husband Ed kindly hosted one of our regional 150th Anniversary Drinks Party in their beautiful gardens in Hampshire.
Over four days in July, the Royal Academy of Music hosted the New Talent Festival 2023, which brings together young musicians from across the world to participate in one-to-one masterclasses, interactive workshops, concerts and competitions.
On Saturday afternoon, our LVI Art students embarked on an art trip to the picturesque village of Lacock, nestled in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside. Lacock, with its idyllic landscapes and charming architecture, provided the perfect backdrop for our budding artists.
Last weekend, a group of SMC girls headed to Rectory Farm, who were hosting two days of NSEA Showjumping.
Aurora and I had the pleasure of attending the Heads of Schools Conference, hosted by Wells Cathedral School. This was a very insightful and enjoyable day where we listened to talks on what it means to be a good leader, participated in team building and public speaking workshops as well as the opportunity to meet and talk to other Heads of schools.
The start of Autumn Term brings with it the annual Company Cross Country - the first Company competition of the year! Some would say the students had two days of perfect cross country weather – however, I’m not sure the girls appreciated the downfall of rain at the start of the day!
This week we are celebrating great news for four of our sporting stars - Eva-Rose, Eloise (both UVI), Libby and Freya (both LVI) - who have received special recognition in hockey and lacrosse.
On Tuesday in Chapel, this year's Literalily creative writing and art competition was launched! This competition is open to students in all year groups with categories in prose and poetry, as well as art.
Last weekend, three of our equestrians - Clemmie (UVI), Elizabeth (UVI) and Niamh (LV) - had a fantastic experience at the Cornbury International Horse Trials, while Florence (UV) competed at West Wilts Equestrian Centre in the BE100.
On Tuesday evening, Elan and Grace (2022 Leavers) returned to Calne to give a brilliant talk about their adventures in Kenya, which was made possible by the Calne Foundation Trust Enrichment Fund.
Huge congratulations to Lottie who the first student in this year’s UVI (Year 13) is to complete and send off her UCAS application!
What a way to start the year! On Sunday, there was much excitement as Calneval came to St Prisca's Field to celebrate the start of the new school year and the school's 150th anniverary, with the special treat of our very own fun fair!
On a very hot Saturday afternoon, our dynamic and energetic Alumnae Lacrosse Team took on the current U18A to compete for the newly created 'St Mary's Calne Lacrosse Cup'.

Swimming for Great Britain at the World Masters Swimming Championships in Japan over the summer, St Mary's Swimming Coach, Mrs Nikki Harris, was awarded with a Silver Medal in the 50m Freestyle and a Bronze Medal in the 100m Freestyle!
During the summer holidays, in the coastal town of Swanage in Dorset, Molly (LVI) entered her first open water swimming competition with great success!
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