» St. Mary’s Hall Junior School
St Mary’s Hall co-educational Junior School goes from strength to strength
St Mary’s Hall is celebrating the success of its Junior School since opening the doors to Gloucester House, two years ago in January 2006. The new purpose-built, architecturally feted junior school building on Eastern Road, Brighton, houses both the co-educational Junior School and the Nursery.
In Spring 2007, Huw May took on the role of Junior Head, attracted by St Mary’s Hall’s belief that students should be nurtured to develop their growth. The environment at St Mary’s Hall can be described as a ‘greenhouse rather than a hot house’ and ensures that each child’s needs are recognised and fulfiled.
Since November 2007 the Junior School has offered co-education for boys and girls up to age 11. A carefully structured curriculum is developed so each child attains their personal best. A keen musician himself, Huw May encourages every student to learn a stringed instrument as part of the core curriculum, as well as receiving recorder and ocarina tuition.
Staff in the Junior School recognise that many parents are working parents and offer an extended day with pre-school care from 8am and after-school care until 6pm. Children staying on are able to take full advantage of the extra-curricular activities offered, which range from movement art to knitting club. Increasingly working parents are taking advantage of the boarding facilities available at the Junior School. Parents may choose for their child to attend as a day pupil, a weekly boarder, a full boarder or a flexi boarder. Increasingly, the flexi boarding option is being chosen to help support parents meet their own work commitments.
Gloucester House also houses the Nursery, where children from 3 years old are introduced to the school’s philosophy of ‘educating for confidence’. The youngsters gain self confidence through a combination of play, phonics based activities and early number work. They have regular singing lessons and can take part in the Junior School productions.
The nursery is open all year round (only closing for the Christmas break) from 8am to 6pm and nursery vouchers are accepted.
St Mary’s Hall can make an amazing difference to a child’s life, especially when it comes to sports, thanks to the facilities, such as the indoor heated swimming pool and the newly resurfaced tennis courts.
Clare Fowlie, a Junior School student, has been extremely successful in the pool. In November 2007, she scooped the gold medal at the Haslemere Open Meeting, winning the 50m freestyle in a personal best time of 33.19 seconds. Clare became the fastest 10-year-old in Sussex over this distance and is now ranked 16th in the UK for 50m freestyle. In January 2008 she has gone on to break her personal best times in 5 more events and has qualified to represent Sussex at county level.
St Mary’s Hall will be holding Open Days on Saturday 1 March 2008 and Wednesday 5 March 2008. Sue Meek, the head of the Senior Girls School and Huw May, the head of the Coeducational Junior School will be giving short presentations about the school and offering parents and prospective students a tour of the two schools.
For more information about attending the Open Days or to arrange an informal visit at
anytime please contact the Registrar on 01273 606061 or registrar@stmaryshall.co.uk.
Alternatively, visit www.stmaryshall.co.uk
St Mary’s Hall, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5JF.
