247 London Road, Copford, Colchester, Essex CO3 8LT
10 reasons to choose St Mary's School for Girls, Lower School
Top line
St Mary’s School for Girls, Lower School has a Schoolsmith Score® of 82. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Colchester and one of the 4 best primary schools for 3 miles.
School fundamentals
St Mary’s School for Girls, Lower School is an independent prep day school for girls between the ages of 3 and 11 years. It has a co-ed nursery. The school has a non-selective admissions policy. It is the junior division of St Mary’s School for Girls, an all-through school to age 16. St Mary’s School for Girls, Lower School fees range from £4,750 (Rec) to £5,900 per term (2025/26). Fees include VAT but exclude lunches.
Average class size
St Mary’s School for Girls, Lower School has one class per year and an average class size of 17 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
A four-year average for attainment in Year 6 SATS puts St Mary’s Lower School in the top 1.2% of all prep and primary schools in England. Results range from the top 0.4% in 2016 to the top 2.4% in 2018. At the end of Year 6 most Lower School pupils move up to St Mary’s School for Girls, 20%-30% with awards and scholarships. A small number leave for Colchester County High School for Girls.
The St Mary's School for Girls, Lower School curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum with some additions and variations. It also includes PSHCEE, reasoning, French, Spanish. The school offers each child a handful of extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers, Forest School for all year groups and residential trips from Year 5. School has Eco Schools Green Flag accreditation and Ambassador status.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, Forest School, music, computing, and languages throughout.
Sport at St Mary's School for Girls, Lower School
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Representative teams in major sports from Year 3.
The Arts at St Mary's School for Girls, Lower School
Art and music are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Drama is part of the English curriculum. All pupils learn an instrument in class and up to half take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. Choir, orchestra and one or two instrument ensembles. There are some extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.30am to 6.00pm.
Find another school near St Mary's School for Girls, Lower School
Holmwood House School (2.1 miles); Colchester Prep & High School, Prep (4 miles).
St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Colchester (2.1 miles); Home Farm Primary School (2.3 miles); Birch Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles).
St Mary’s School for Girls, Colchester (2.9 miles); Colchester Prep & High School, Senior (4 miles); Gosfield School (13.7 miles).
The Stanway School (1.5 miles); St Benedict’s Catholic College (3.3 miles); Colchester County High School for Girls (3.3 miles).