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In Her Shoes: celebrating 120 years of educating girls

In Her Shoes: celebrating 120 years of educating girls

The 2018 St Mary's School Fun Run provided a perfect setting for the launch of In Her Shoes, an initiative to celebrate the 120th anniversary of our School and the achievements of Mary Ward, our foundress.

In Her Shoes symbolises the herculean 1500 mile walk from Flanders to Rome, taken by Mary Ward to present her vision for educating women to three different Popes. Students in Junior School and Senior School designed and custom-made two pairs of 'Mary Ward' shoes, that will accompany students as they travel around the world during our 120th anniversary year. As the shoes accumulate miles, we will reflect on the determination shown by Mary Ward, as she travelled across Europe on foot, to champion the role of women in the Catholic Church in the 17th Century.

The shoe are designed to highlight some of the core characteristics that underpin our school ethos, as a Mary Ward School. With values such as justice, hard work and support for others sitting at the heart of our ethos, St Mary's School Fun Run, which raises funds for local and international charities, provided the perfect launch for 'In Her Shoes'.

Our 'Mary Ward' shoes accompanied students and staff as they completed either the 5km or 1km Fun Run course, gathering the all-important first miles for In Her Shoes. We look forward to tracing the progress of this fun initiative over the coming year, as students embark on a host of exciting adventures across the UK and beyond. 

"St Mary's School, Cambridge offers a forward-looking education, grounded in timeless Christian values that are exemplified by the life of Mary Ward. As we celebrate our 120th year, the In Her Shoes initiative encourages our girls to reflect on the core values that shape every day life at St Mary's, as they undertake their own exciting journeys." Charlotte Avery, Headmistress

Get involved

If you are going on exciting trips and would like to take the shoes with you and take a photo, please do let us know so we can pass the shoes to you! To do so, please contact Emma Whittley.

To trace the 'In Her Shoes' journey, simply follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for regular updates.

More about our 120th anniversary