We are a group of parents guided by two governors and our role is to help raise funds for projects within the school community.

We have a continually evolving five-year Strategic Plan and annual Development Plan to ensure that we not only maintain the long-established traditions of success at St Mary’s but build on the unstinting efforts of our predecessors.

Renovated classroom in T Block

As a community, we have to face up to the reality that there is an additional price to be paid if we wish to secure the future of the Catholic secondary education for our young people which you have chosen by selecting St Mary’s School for your own children. As a Voluntary Aided School, St Mary’s usually has to raise at least 10% of the costs of most of our New Building Projects, and in some cases 100%. Therefore, in 1996 a charitable trust, “The Friends of St Mary’s”, was established.

The objective of the Trust is to advance the education of the pupils of St Mary’s Catholic School. To pursue this goal, funds are raised for these vital building projects and also to a lesser extent to pay for pupil activities that are essential but not allowable for state funding, such as the school chapel, retreats, and special sports, drama and musical events.

The renovation of the Victorian Block is a tremendous achievement for the school and restores much of the school's tradition in fully equipped classrooms.

The development of the School’s facilities and the resultant opportunities that we are able to offer to your children would have been impossible without the hard work and sacrifice of past generations of parents and pupils. The Governors have investigated ways in which funds for much-needed building works can be raised. We talked with schools that have been successful in funding similar projects and in all cases the vast majority of the funds came from parents. When the original appeal was launched here at St Mary’s, the response from our parents was exceptional. 

Because of the success of the annual appeals, the Governors have been able to negotiate with the Diocese of Westminster three separate interest-free loan facilities each of £150,000 to help fund our statutory contribution to successive phases of the building programme. Past and current parents have been most generous in their support to the Friends of St Mary’s Charitable Trust. We ask new parents to continue the good work of their predecessors by making regular contributions for each of their children in the school (up to a maximum of two per family). Your generosity will benefit your child and younger siblings too.  

To join the Friends of St Mary’s, please email info@stmarys.net to request an application form.

We are very grateful for the support from parents to the school, especially at this time.