WHAT? WHERE?

The Marist Ascot Red brick Victorian mansioon house with large lawn

The Marist is an all-through girls’ school for ages 2-18, with an impressive co-ed nursery. The prep and pre-prep pupils have the best both worlds – use of the senior school facilities as well as a modern purpose-built building. The school sits on a 55-acre leafy oasis in the village of Sunninghill with woodland and playing fields as far as the eye can see for the children to use for work, rest and play.

Originally founded by the Maristine Sisters in 1870 – a Catholic religious order established in France – the school moved to the Berkshire village of Sunninghill in 1947. Only a third of the 290 seniors, 175 juniors are now catholic, with all faiths welcome.

FACILITIES

THE MARIST SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE pupils in woodland

With an all-through school comes an abundance of top notch facilities rarely found in your average prep. The children have access to fully kitted out science labs, cool tech, all the sports facilities, 22m pool, 80-seater theatre, music recording studio, art studios, as well as the Forest School and outdoor learning set in the grounds.

The prep and pre-prep is a well thought out building boasting wide corridors and bright classrooms. The on-site nursery is at the rear with free flow into their own outdoor space. As you climb the year group ladder, geographically you move closer to the senior school with the Years 5 and 6 on the first floor with a birds eye view of their potential next step.

SPORT

THE MARIST SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE JUNIOR SWIMMERS

The quality of the sports offering is excellent. Sportswise, the huge multi-purpose sports hall is the star of the show with floodlit courts, astroturf pitch and an onsite 22-metre indoor swimming pool what happened to the other 3m?). All kids from Nursery to Sixth Form have swimming – and from Y3 they can join the after-school swimming club. This is a major boon for the school – how many of us struggle to get our kids in the pool every week?

THE MARIST SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE JUNIOR PE lesson

The PE curriculum is varied and delivered by specialist teachers, with a packed calendar of matches in cricket, football, netball and swimming, as well as national competitions. In recent years, the new Prep Phase football team took 1st and 2nd place medals in local tournaments and the U11 Netball Team were crowned Regional IAPS Champions. That said, there is as much emphasis on participation as performance and The Marist regularly field A-E teams. Aside from traditional sports, the extensive after school programme, also offers the opportunity to try athletics, fencing, judo, yoga and dance.

DRAMA, ART AND MUSIC

All children have dance and music lessons from the minute they arrive. There’s a dance studio in the Prep and Senior schools, dreamy art and ceramics studio with kiln and darkroom. The Music and Drama Centre is impressive, kitted out with a recording studio, rehearsal space, individual practice rooms, not forgetting the 80-seater theatre and outdoor amphitheatre.

Music is a big across the whole school, but singing and string instruments are particularly strong in the Prep. They are incredibly lucky to have music teacher Ron McAllister, who comes from a professional background having worked at the brilliant South Hill Park, just down the road in Bracknell. His creative brain and musical know-how is a superb resource for jazz handers and aspiring musicians to tap into. There are also numerous opportunities to play to an audience, join orchestras (loving the sound of the Ukulele Orchestra) and ensemble groups and pupils can sit LAMDA and ABRSM exams. For

Nursery and Prep have their own productions, Year 5 can join the chorus for the Whole School Production and in Year 6 pupils perform their very own end-of-year production (Wind In The Willows was a big hit this summer), complete with professional lighting, sound, and band! The girls have endless enthusiasm and confidence – what better place to use it.

OTHER FACILITIES

On the surface, The Marist appears quite traditional – it’s the boater hats and blazers – but there are sparks of forward thinking and innovation which is key to Principal Jo Smith’s vision for the school. From subject matter, activities and tech to new ways of learning and teaching, personal and academic growth comes from being curious and implementing change when it brings something new and worthwhile to the table. It creates a frisson of excitement and an energy that is infectious.

Prep girls have the best of both worlds, with excellent class teachers who are the touch points for academic and pastoral issues, as well as specialists for PE, science, music, French, ICT, Latin, Food Tech and Textiles.

Forest School and the outdoor learning is key to school life across all age groups, but is used a lot by the younger children who also get to enjoy the growing their own fruit and veg in the kitchen garden, there’s a sensory garden, and willow dome classroom, too.

NURSERY

The on-site nursery offers care for boys and girls from two to four years old, and it’s open 48 weeks of the year. Hallelujah! Places can be full- or part-time, and year-round or term-time only. Children coming into Bumblebees or Ladybirds (ages two to three and three to four respectively) aren’t formally assessed, but if they have previously attended nursery, a report and a copy of their learning journey are requested. The old paper Learning Journeys have been replaced with the digital ‘Evidence Me’ monitoring which is frequently shared with parents. The emphasis is on play but maths, literacy, outdoor learning as well as social and physical development underpin the activities. It’s gentle and fun, but the little ones are given enough rope to explore and build on their independence. Little helicoptering here.

ACADEMICS

THE MARIST SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE pupils at laptop

The Prep introduces the girls to a creative curriculum. Basically, you take a topic – a book perhaps – and apply aspects of it across as many subjects as possible, helping to develop critical thinking from a very young age, gluing together subjects and learning. Lessons are highly interactive and challenging, whilst developing real world skills like collaboration, and problem-solving. Brilliant. I also have to applaud the creativity of the staff. The library alone is like tip toeing into an enchanted garden.

The mission of the school is ‘Living life in all its fullness’. In essence, they want the girls to work hard, take risks, learn from failure, be kind, be resilient and the best version of themselves. You can’t argue with any of that. Outdoor Learning is fundamental in that mix, moving away from the traditional girls school clichés of buttoned up, mud-free perfection.

Reception and Year 3 are key points of entry, the latter requiring an assessment in English and maths. About 85% of girls move to the senior school from Year 6, but they still have to sit the same entrance test as external applicants – even if they’ve been pupils at The Marist throughout. That said, do not underestimate the power of being in prep first. The teachers know what is required to transition to the Senior school and will know your child’s strengths (and, ahem, weaknesses).

THE PRINCIPAL

Principal and pupils at THE MARIST SENIOR SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE

Jo Smith took over in September 2019 (just before the pandemic hit) and is the big boss. As as a mum of three girls, her perspective as a head and parent is a positive one for the school. She’s a quietly determined woman who is energised by innovation. Jo feels it’s her duty to empower young women to be fearless, smash the glass ceiling, and challenge themselves. Growth mindset and excellence ‘as a habit not an action’ and create the foundation for the pupils and staff to develop new ideas. She is proud of the The Marist’s achievements – leading the charge in Berkshire for value added, ranking higher than Eton College– and is now busy working through her wish list of developments including the new Sixth Form Centre.

It takes a village, and Jo has Vice Principal (Prep Phase) Jane Gow steering the ship in the nursery and prep. Jane has been at The Marist since 2017 (she was previously head at St Francis Roman Catholic Primary School in Ascot) and has been instrumental in the progress made in the Early Years and Prep Phase. Curiosity, creativity and confident communication of ideas and knowledge are mixed with kindness, collaboration, community and (*whisper it) having fun.

QUIRKS

The Marist School Sunninghill Ascot Berkshire staned glass from chapel of Mary and baby Jesus

I’m not sure Catholicism counts as a quirk exactly but as one of only a handful of Catholic day schools in Berkshire it’s certainly a USP. That said, its ethos is more about establishing strong family values than fire and brimstone. That said, uniform expectations are high.

ISI Report

A bang up to date inspection from December 2021, with a clean sweep of ‘excellent’ ratings. They heaped praise on the girls’ academic achievements, high quality communication skills and respect for one another. Read the report here.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Praise for the after school care and sheer volume and variety of co-curricular activities. The Marist aims to support their families as much as possible. Nursery runs 48 weeks of the year. Breakfast Club is open daily from 7.30am. When the bell rings at the end of the day, the children can stay and play until 3.45pm free of charge, with two Wrap Around Club sessions for the Nursery to Y2 starting at 3.45pm-4.45pm (£7) and 4.45pm-6pm (£8) including a light tea. Stay for one or both, it’s up to you.

THE MARIST SCHOOL ASCOT BERKSHIRE pupils and teacher

From Y3-6, lessons end at 4pm, two Homework Club sessions run from 4.15pm-6pm with a teacher on hand to talk things through if they get stuck. It’s not all work and no play, as there are plenty of after school fun, including mindfulness colouring, animé drawing, construction, climate, ice skating , golf… the list goes one. For stressed out parents juggling work/ life and school runs, there’s a safety net. Plus The Marist coaches can bus kids to and from Camberley, Maidenhead, Virginia Water, Taplow, Windsor and Wokingham areas. The routes are regularly reviewed to scoop up children who need a ride.

The Marist Junior School Ascot Berkshire

WORD ON THE GROUND

Excellent feedback from parents, who delight in their happy, grounded kids. The mix of small classes, innovation, academic excellence and a lack of social pressure hits the sweet spot. They love how calm the school is and the emphasis on family. Homework can be done at school, swimming lessons covered and the many events that bring everyone together from school productions and tournaments to Forest School for mother and toddler groups. The Marist’s emphasis on community, humility and gratitude are very welcome.

FEES

The Marist wants to be affordable to working parents, so the fees are lower than the Berkshire average. The 2022/23 fees: Full time nursery-reception is £3,700 per term. Years 1-2 £4,245 per term. Years 3-6 £4,745 per term – with lunch, ballet & swimming lessons all included. Music lessons and some co-curricular activities cost extra. The school also accept Childcare Vouchers, give discounts for paying lump sums in advance and you can also pay termly fees on a monthly basis.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Parents look for a brilliant all rounder school where the pastoral care is as important as the academic and sporting successes. The co-ed nursery is a logistical saviour for parents.

Not for: The school is underpinned by a strong Christian ethos which you’ll either buy into or not. It’s not co-ed beyond nursery, so boys will have to move on at the age of five, regardless of how much you love the school.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest! Check out their list of upcoming open days and events here.

The Marist School, Kings Road, Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PS. Tel: 01344 624291.

The Marist School (Nursery & Prep), Ascot

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