Q: I would like my daughter to apply for St Mary's. How far in advance do we need to apply and what is the application process?

A: It is always best to apply at the start of the Autumn term or earlier, which is prior to the following January's entrance tests. Please note: The deadline for admissions to the Senior School is 30 November, for the following January's entrance exams.

The first stage in the admissions process is to fill in a registration form - these can be downloaded from the respective Admissions sections of the Junior and Senior School web sites. A registration fee of 75GBP is paid at this stage.

The second stage in the admissions process is to take entrance examinations - details of the entrance tests can be found on the Admissions pages of the Junior and Senior School sites. Please note that pupils entering the Pre-Prep (ages 4-7) have an interview with the Junior School Headmistress and do not take entrance tests.

If you are taking the entrance tests abroad, our Admissions department can arrange to email the entrance papers to an appropriate exam centre, who can invigilate the tests (for example: your school, your agent, a British Council office). This needs to be pre-arranged with the Admissions office.

For general information, please download the relevant prospectus (either Junior or Senior) from the site, or use our web site Request a Prospectus or Contact forms to order a prospectus pack in the post.

Please visit the Admissions section of the Junior School site (for pupils aged 4-11) or the Admissions section of the Senior School site (for pupils aged 11-18), for more information regarding the admissions process and the relevant registration forms. We warmly welcome you to visit and tour the School with your daughter and, if you wish, for your daughter to have a taster session or taster day at the school. Please contact the school to arrange this.

Q: I would like to apply to board at St Mary's. How do I go about it?

A: At St Mary's, full and weekly boarding is available for ages 13-18. Please note, you cannot apply to enter the school to join in Year 11 (ages 15-16) or in Upper Sixth (ages 17-18), as these are mid-way through two year public exam courses. Visit the Boarding which will give a flavour of life at St Mary's. You will find information on how to apply in the Admissions section of the web site.

Q: I've got lots of questions about when I start in the boarding house in September. Where can I find the essential information I need?

A: Visit the Boarding which will answer a number of your questions. You can download our latest 'boarding information' leaflet from this part of the web site too, which gives the answers to most of the commonly asked questions - all prospective pupils are posted a paper copy of this leaflet prior to commencing at the school in September. If you still cannot find the information you require, please contact the school - you can find contact information here.

Q: St Mary's is a Catholic school. Do I need to be Catholic to attend the school?

A: We welcome and appreciate students of every religious background, or none. Religious Education incorporates study of world religions.

Q: If my daughter attends St Mary's Junior School, does that automatically ensure her a place at the Senior School?

A: Pupils move from the Junior School into the Senior School at the end of Year 6 (age 11). Whilst entrance to the Senior School is not 'automatic', great care is taken to ensure that the curriculum and academic standards in the Junior School are in line with expectations at the Senior School. Year 6 pupils in the Junior School take the Senior School's entrance examination at the start of the Spring term in January, as close as possible to the date that external candidates sit the exam. If there are any academic issues, these are discussed with the parents by the Junior School Headmistress and form teacher, so that appropriate action can be taken. However, contact with parents throughout the school year is such that any issues will have been flagged up, prior to the pupil taking the entrance test.

If you have a specific question that has not been answered by the FAQs, please email the school, using the contact form on the web site.