Stonyhurst St Mary's Hall Good Schools Guide Report 2019

Report 2019

Headmaster

Since 2014, Ian Murphy (Durham BA, PGCE), previously Head at All Hallows, Somerset. Charismatic and open; his vision of education is about formation: helping to ‘form’ young people to be their best selves and excel. This view and vocabulary are, in part, born of the spiritual values underpinning the school. Its motto, Quant Je Puis – roughly translated, strive to be the best you can – is the heartbeat of school daily life because unlike many a concocted mission statement, this is no hollow refrain: it rests upon an impressive 400 year heritage.

Innovative...

Yet heritage is only part of the story, as Ian Murphy is a force for energising change in the here and now. Viewing academic excellence as a ‘given’ for SMH, he has focused on reinvigorating the arts and sport. He has also been busy instigating enhancements to the fabric of the school, moving the music department from stuffy attics to a swanky ground floor wing with cutting edge technology. A tennis dome was also recently added (opened by Tim Henman). And an idyllic garden created for younger children to understand life cycles. Very Mr McGregor and utterly charming.

On top of this, he has revitalised the curriculum, integrating the Stonyhurst crown jewels (its jaw-dropping private collection of 70,000 artefacts, including the First Folio of Shakespeare) into lessons as teaching tools to nurture intellectual spark. Parents say he has brought great energy and has had a ‘massive impact’ academically.

Acutely aware the school needs to be tuned into the modern world, head’s innovatory zeal is a continuum; currently he is assessing the benefits of Saturday morning school. Innovation, he suggests, complements the school’s spiritual values and refers to the Jesuits centuries ago being pragmatically alert to the need to evolve.

The school’s literature reinforces its Jesuit heritage a fair bit, making it clear worship is part of the school’s make-up. So if you desire your child to have a Catholic upbringing this is marvellous, and those parents we spoke to certainly emphasised the immense personal importance of this to them. But what about other faiths?

The head is sensitised to Catholic schools sometimes struggling with their message in this area. So let’s be clear, this school is accessible to all, supportive of all and utterly inclusive. If you are not Catholic then, yes, accepting worship as part of pupil life and unfamiliar lingo – references to Our Lady, to saints – is part of the experience. But do not, whatever you do, let these get in the way of embracing this school’s wonderful ethos. The spiritual values the school holds are about forming wise, eloquent, generous young people. An uplifting aspiration which cuts across humanity, no matter which jack in a box of faith you spring from.

Inevitably, leading the school dominates term time (his wife also teaches there), but holidays are spent with their teenage children sharing their mutual love for sport and music. Personal reflection comes walking the dogs in the breathtaking Ribble Valley.

Entrance

Admission is via a meeting with the head and staff; pupils are invited for a day. Those transferring from another school provide school reports and reference. Students who speak little English are welcomed. Those entering in year 7 sit an 11+ exam.

Welcoming...

Exit

Progressive...

Virtually full cohort transfers to Stonyhurst for year 9. (A few overseas boarders return home.) There is an exam at the end of year 8 but this is not related to the right to transfer (just preparation for senior school).

Ian Murphy says it is not pressured, includes revision guidance; the results are important to the ‘hand over’ process.

Our View Although day pupils greatly dominate, this is a boarding school in outlook: most day pupils stay for prep until 7pm. All mix in 'playrooms' - year groups - though they are also members of 'Lines', which are akin to houses in that they encompass all age ranges and meet for sporting and special interest Interline competitions.

Ages 3-7 years attend Hodder House, a delightful building, packed with colour. The focus is on social development, literacy, numeracy, art, PE, swimming and French. There is outdoors teaching, exploring woodland and insects. Children have access to iPads. The whole school comes together for assemblies, easing the transition to the main building.

Within SMH, pupils’ academic progress is rigorously measured by assessments, diagnostic tools to ensure all are on track and to identify those excelling and those who need extra help. A detailed picture of each child is built up, including pastoral well-being. Parents spoke of the school working on little weaknesses with the children, who didn’t feel pressured, didn’t notice ‘tests’. Average class size is 15-18.

The national curriculum, enriched by the International Primary Curriculum, integrates cross-curricular themes, providing an opportunity to utilise the extraordinary Stonyhurst collection: studying the Tudors means touching Anne Boleyn’s prayer book or Thomas More’s hat. Wow. Evolution lessons, viewing dinosaur poo (oh yes). Artefacts enliven learning as pupils are asked what it tells them about the human story. And it’s not just the artefacts either; Lord of the Rings must have extra sparkle knowing Tolkien wrote in the guest rooms. Not to mention that Oliver Cromwell, the cheeky wee scamp, slept on a school table before the battle of Preston. The grounds are used for activities from fossil hunting to looking at natural landforms.

Every class has an interactive whiteboard. Older pupils have timetabled access to a well-equipped IT suite. Internet safety is impressed from the start; portable laptops are used across the school to help pupils develop discerning research skills.

Extraordinary...

Currently 20 per cent of pupils receive learning support. School develops individual plans, ranging from one-to-one to group interventions to in-class support. Staff receive specialist training in areas like dyslexia. One parent whose child had been in a ‘not very academic’ box at his previous school said he blossomed academically after transferring to SMH. Another slightly dyslexic pupil had benefited enormously from teachers picking up she needed a worksheet next to her, rather than looking at a whiteboard; she is now ‘flying academically’. High performers receive extension work.

Years 7 and 8, whilst still living and learning in SMH, are taught mainstream academic subjects by Stonyhurst teachers, some in college classrooms.

The director of music has expanded opportunities considerably: orchestras, choirs, big bands, the ukulele Odd Bod band. Some 75 per cent of pupils have music tuition and there are lots of concerts. While we visited, the Interline music competition had unleashed pupil enthusiasm to the tune of 270 auditions.

There is a cracking theatre and each year group performs a show: Grease, The Jungle Book, Bugsy Malone. Some older pupils prefer the technical side. Public speaking is encouraged; a Question Time style Brexit debate was one event (a trip to the Supreme Court in London the day before saw them meeting Dominic Grieve MP QC). Parents waxed lyrical about the confidence-imbuing aspects of all this. One talked about her previously shy daughter flourishing to become head girl.

The sports facilities are tremendous; tennis dome, huge sports hall, netball courts, athletics field, cricket pitch, rugby fields, use of Stonyhurst’s Astroturf pitch, heated pool and nine hole golf course. Other activities include fencing and horse riding. Parents enthused about increased sporting fixtures since Ian Murphy’s arrival; one parent was astonished that her previously unsporty daughter was keen to join a netball summer school.

Frequent educational trips but the annual trip to the Somme stands out. Each pupil is given a photo of a SMH pupil who died in the Somme and asked to research their life. Parents say they ‘adopt that person’ and are immensely moved on finding their grave. Visits from charities, like the Society for the Blind, also widens the perspective beyond me me me.

Some super clubs, like Big Thinkers (philosophy, neurology) and astronomy club. Parents said children were encouraged in whatever area they showed interest.

Head feels all pupils benefit from the familial pastoral set-up in place for boarders. While in their playroom, a pupil can wander over to a teacher and mention a worry. One teacher said informality in the dining room meant staff could pick up eating problems; it might seem relaxed but vigilance prevails. Weekly staff pastoral meetings mean any worries are logged and monitored. Each child’s pastoral log stays with them their entire time at SMH and Stonyhurst.

Mobile phones not allowed during the day. Boarders have phones for 45 minutes a night. Certain day pupils are permitted them to travel on school transport but they are signed in and out. Day pupils join boarders in mass each week in the theatre (the magnificent chapel can’t host the whole school).

Parents spoke of excellent communication. One parent of a boarder praised staff who nursed her son after he broke his hand in a sports match and her daughter when she hit puberty: 'This level of support for teenage girls is vital'. Parents said the tiniest query is sorted the same day.

This ancient school, is set in magnificent grounds amidst beautiful scenery. The vibe within the school is a little twotonal: corridors which have been Ian Murphy-ed are light, bright, covered in large photos of pupils in action which, he says, ‘tell the story of the school’. They do, and it feels uplifting. Other corridors, lined with traditional annual school photos, seem an echo of the past; as one parent politely put it, ‘shabby chic’.

The playrooms for each year group however – the social and pastoral planks of the school - are full of inspiring pictures, quotes, games tables. They are terrific and age-appropriate, each room having its own distinct identity.

Parents are a blend of entrepreneurs, professionals and old money. No competitive inquiries, ‘why isn’t Jimmy reading Tolstoy now he’s 8?’ but empathy with the school’s ethos and respect for its heritage. Certainly the parents we spoke to placed great emphasis on their children acquiring a broader view of the world, an awareness of the plight of others less fortunate. (Life beyond ‘selfies’.)

Boarders

Home from home...

The 45 boarders are there seven days per week, sleeping in galleries of up to six. The boys’ gallery seemed a little functional (though with breathtaking views of lush green hills), the girls’ cosier with cushions and photos. One parent wished for more storage space. Lovely gender-specific sitting rooms; a joint playroom and kitchen. Staffing levels are I:7. One of the houseparent couple, a former pupil, exudes enthusiasm and writes an effusive weekly newsletter (about pupils watching Man United play, a trip to Blackpool Tower, snooker games, watching a movie).

A final word

In one of the playrooms, there is a fabulous poster of St Ignatius saying: ‘Go forth and set the world on fire’. These children are being emboldened, their intellect and sensibilities refined, to do just that.

A springboard...

The Admissions Office, Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 9PU T: 01254 827073 E: smhadmissions@stonyhurst.ac.uk www.stonyhurst.ac.uk