St Catherine's, Bramley - Inside Intelligence - Autumn 2020

AUTUMN 2020

THINKING ABOUT ST CATHERINE’S? You’ve kindly considered St Catherine’s for your daughter and perhaps joined us at an Open Morning either in person or, more recently, virtually. We understand there is a lot to think about in finding the right school for your daughter, and we offer you Inside Intelligence, giving a quick window on school life at St Catherine’s.

We hope it provides a flavour of what your daughter might enjoy as a St Cat’s girl.

When we were selecting a senior school, we chose St Catherine’s not just for academic performance but for the ambience of the school, the breadth of non-academic activities and the visible happiness of the students. Parent

A SCHOOL WITH A VIBRANT COMMUNITY St Catherine’s opened its doors on 25th September 1885 to ‘11 Boarders and 6 Day scholars’. This year is the 135th anniversary of the school’s foundation ‘of a Middle Class School for Girls’, as the Historical Records book quaintly describes St Catherine’s.

The School has grown from these small beginnings to a Senior School of some 640 pupils with an enviable academic reputation, outstanding pastoral care and an enrichment programme of more than 100 clubs and activities. As a Top 5 girls’ boarding school, we attract pupils from around the world, currently from 18 countries, as well British weekly boarders. We are a truly international family with a global reach.

Our global ‘family’ celebrated Foundation Day, the School’s birthday, by joining the Great Cake Bake. Over 135 photos of celebratory cakes from across the world were received from alumnae and past staff, as well as from families in both the Prep and Senior Schools, enjoying tea and sharing the warmth of our community, despite being unable to come together to celebrate.

OPEN MORNINGS - SENIOR SCHOOL Thursday 19th November 2020 Wednesday 27th January 2021 Friday 12th March 2021 Tuesday 27th April 2021

11+ Entrance Examination Date Tuesday 5th January 2021 11+ Music Scholarship Auditions Saturday 9th January 2021

Whilst COVID-19 restrictions are in place, we are, unfortunately, unable to welcome you in person to our Open Mornings. Please go to https://www.stcatherines.info/ admissions for further information and to see our virtual tours and welcome from our Headmistresses. To book a place for any of the dates, please complete our online booking form or contact the Senior Registrar: Clare Woodgates 01483 899609 clare.woodgates@stcatherines.info

www.stcatherines.info

AUTUMN 2020

GCSE AND A LEVEL RESULTS Our students weathered the rollercoaster of public examination Centre Assessed Grades announcements over the summer with resilience. We were very proud of both GCSE and A Level outcomes. At GCSE, 91% of grades were at 9-7.

i/GCSE 9

9 to 8

9 to 7

9 to 6

9 to 5

9 to 4

40%

69%

91%

97%

99.5%

100%

As the universities have, sadly, curtailed face to face teaching and restricted contact and activities, seven students chose to accept deferred places and eight more are taking a gap year and will be supported by St Catherine’s in their applications to university next year. Our careers support is outstanding and help with internships, work experience and careers advice is always on hand. With talks from alumnae and parents, sector specific workshops and networking opportunities, our pupils are very well prepared for life beyond School.

At A Level, 75% of grades were at A-A*. With 28 subjects at A level, we design a bespoke timetable for every girl, to enable her to specialise in the subjects that inspire and interest her.

A Level A*

A*-A

A* - B

A*-C

A* - D

40%

69%

91%

97%

99.5%

Most girls have realised their hopes and aspirations reaching their first-choice universities https://www.stcatherines.info/ welcome/destination-of-leavers including five to Oxbridge and four to Medicine/Veterinary. Over 80% of our students have now started at Russell Group universities or Bath University, now established as a top 10 university. Others have chosen to study overseas, in Amsterdam and New York, or to follow vocational courses.

Russell Group Non Russell Group & Vocational

Overseas Oxbridge

STARTING SENIOR SCHOOL Changing schools is a time for fresh starts and new friendships, but we recognise it can seem both exciting and daunting at the same time. We give all the girls a helping hand to settle in: mixing classes with new girls and those from our own Prep School, providing a ‘shadow’ scheme with a girl in the year above, and helping every girl to ‘belong’ by assigning her to one of our six Houses. A ‘Fun Day’ at St Catherine’s when school kicks off helps bond the year group and form early friendships.

With Tutors keeping a watchful eye on the ‘newbies’, you can feel confident that your daughter will find her feet remarkably quickly.

The first day speech with all of U3 – a big call for them to be brave and make the most of all the opportunities available and to find themselves and excel. A big shout, but they heard, and the school and staff delivered. You can’t ask for more…

Parent of U6 2020 leaver www.stcatherines.info

AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME TO NURTURE AND DISCOVER INDIVIDUAL TALENT

A GLOBAL COMMUNITY - WHERE BOARDING IS THE DIFFERENCE

There is always a balance between work and play at St Catherine’s with plenty of opportunities in a school that’s always open to nurture talents and discover new ones.

The mix of day and boarding pupils at St Catherine’s enhances the girls’ experiences. The cultural melting pot that international boarders provide encourages our students, both day and boarding, to immerse themselves in global perspectives.

We offer more than 100+ clubs in ‘normal times’; there is always plenty to do! Music, Sport, Dance – we have our own Dance School - Drama, Art, Chess, and Debating may be expected, but we also offer sailing, indoor cricket, photography club, ceramics, print-making, badminton, gymnastics, board-games, technical theatre training and meditation, to name a few. We cannot wait to show you our multi-talented students!

After a pause for COVID, the building of our brand new Sixth Form boarding accommodation, The 6, is back in full swing, due to open in Spring 2021. Floor to ceiling windows in the 44 bedrooms create light, bright rooms. The spacious Common Room, with fully-fitted kitchen, will be the hub for all Sixth Form students – boarding and day – to relax in and will complement their study centre in The Speech Hall Library.

ST CATHERINE’S IS RANKED NO. 5 IN THE TOP INDEPENDENT SPORTS SCHOOLS TABLE

Sport is one of the bedrocks at St Cat’s and a much-loved dimension to school life. It teaches focus, teamwork and imbues confidence. It also fosters lasting friendships and creates memories that girls take onward throughout life. We encourage participation from the outset. 90% of 12-year olds represent St Catherine’s in a sport because we regularly field teams A-H.

Not to be outdone, two further Boarding Houses - Bronte, for U3 and L4 (Years 7 & 8) and Symes for girls in U4/Year 9 have also been refurbished. With colourful themed bedrooms in Bronte and a new light Common Room and bedrooms in Symes, our boarding accommodation is looking brighter than ever!

Our sportswomen strive for excellence across the range of sports we offer: in netball we fielded teams in all Surrey County Championship Finals and, in lacrosse, three St Catherine’s teams are National Champions. Coached and inspired by 14 specialist PE staff, our students work very hard to achieve outstanding results. Along the way, the girls learn to show dignity in heartbreaking losses and grace in winning. St Catherine’s believes in sport for life and many girls go on to represent their university and a few their country. We look forward to giving your daughter the same opportunities.

www.stcatherines.info

AUTUMN 2020

AN OUTSTANDING BOARDING PROGRAMME WITH SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

St Catherine’s weekend boarding programme is second to none.

Ideally situated to take advantage of our countryside location, yet accessible to London and the coast within an hour, we offer a stimulating variety of trips and activities. Visitors to London might tour Buckingham Palace, Madam Tussauds, the Imperial War Museum or Tate Modern, and visits to the coast may take girls to Brighton and its famous Pavilion or to Portsmouth to see the Mary Rose. Trips further afield are made to Oxford, Windsor Castle and even a Harry Potter Studio Tour. Closer to School are a plethora of National Trust properties, concerts, sculpture parks, and all that nearby Guildford has to offer: bowling, donutting, theatre, cinema, Escape Rooms and shopping! We mix this with activities at ‘home’, including kite-making, video making, self-defence classes, baking, cooking, crafts and all the sports on-site.

COVID has, inevitably, limited activities beyond School this term, but the girls have already enjoyed a country walk up nearby Chinthurst Hill, visible from school, and laser clay pigeon shooting. There’s plenty of green space and fresh air at St Catherine’s and there is always plenty to do with something for everyone.

They are … stretched in so many ways outside the educational curriculum and we believe that this is a major factor in the strong foundation the school gives every girl.

Parent

COVID -19 AND OUR RESPONSE St Catherine’s is taking every precaution to protect our day and boarding students from COVID 19, and has adopted the Boarding Schools Association (BSA) COVID Charter.

School years are grouped in ‘bubbles’ that mirror our Boarding Houses and are taught in separate, well-ventilated buildings across our campus. Visors are worn by teaching staff in lessons, and masks by all pupils. We run staggered lunchtimes, have adjusted the teaching of sport and have employed technology to allow girls to ‘gather’ by participating virtually in Assembly and Chapel.

No stone has been left unturned. Everything is in place to support our students in these challenging times, and House Mistresses and Tutors are keeping a close eye on girls’ wellbeing. Teachers are going above and beyond, and our ‘can-do’ approach and St Catherine’s spirit is much in evidence.

We are adopting a hybrid teaching approach, where necessary – girls in the room and girls at home, if they need to be – using Zoom. Specific seating plans are in place for lessons and registration to minimise contact. Specialist areas such as Art, DT, Drama, Music, Textiles, and Food and Nutrition are all sanitised between classes.

St Catherine’s School BRAMLEY www.stcatherines.info

St Catherine’s School Station Road, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0DF +(0) 1483 899609 admissions@stcatherines.info www.stcatherines.info