MOUNT ST MARY'S COLLEGE
“Classrooms are well resourced, and teachers use these resources effectively to stimulate pupils’ interest and to challenge their thinking.”
ISI October '23
Set in impressive grounds, The Mount is an idyllic place for children to grow into the fullness of our Jesuit vision, becoming good 'Men and Women for Others' from the moment they join us at Barlborough Hall School aged three through to the end of Sixth Form at the Mount at 18. Our two schools are a mere 10 minutes' drive apart on either side of the M1 motorway…not that you would notice from our blissfully rural locations. Students are welcome to join our Preparatory or Senior School at any point in their educational journey, much like our international students who board from the age of 11 upwards.
We have been a Catholic school for more than 175 years; rooted in our original Jesuit mission that began over 400 years ago in the Spinkhill area.
Academic
Life is busy, but balanced for our students. Whilst we offer many extra-curricular activities, academia has always been a key focus for the School. We offer a broad curriculum, with traditional subjects such as Latin and Ancient Civilisations marrying up with modern subjects, such as Business, and Sports Science. Our GCSE course options pave the way for our Higher Line education, and our results are 20% above the national average for these qualifications. Our A level curriculum is varied, and we offer additional qualifications such as the Extended Project Qualification.
Following our excellent curriculum programme, many of our sixth form students go on to study at top universities. Just this year, we have had a student gain a 100% scholarship to study at Cambridge.
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The subjects all pupils must study at GCSE are:
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English Language
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English Literature
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Mathematics
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Modern Foreign Language (one of French, Spanish or Latin, a second can be chosen)
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Religious Studies
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Science (two of Physics, Chemistry or Biology, a third can be chosen)
The optional subjects that can be chosen in addition are:
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Art and Design
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Biology
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Business Studies
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Chemistry
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Computer Science
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Design and Technology (Resistant Materials)
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Design and Technology (Textile Technology)
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Drama
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French
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Geography
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History
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Latin
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Music
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Physical Education
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Physics
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Spanish
Music
Music is an integral part of life at Mount St Mary’s College. If Sport embodies much of the Mount Spirit, then Music truly is the heart and soul of our school.
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The music department is widely recognised as offering an outstanding programme of tuition and events, and has a superb reputation for the quality of its concert schedule which offers numerous opportunities for musicians of all abilities.
Many of our students take individual instrumental or singing lessons, with the majority of these choosing to take advantage of solo and ensemble performance opportunities both in school and externally at local and national festivals.
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The College hosts regular practical performing and theory examinations (ABRSM, LCM and RockSchool), and offers A level and GCSE music. Results are consistently impressive, with a number of pupils choosing to study music at high profile conservatoires and universities.
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Each year we offer a small number of Music and Choral scholarships to exceptional candidates.
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Talk to us about Music and Choral Scholarships.
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Sport
We believe that sport is an excellent way of encouraging camaraderie and growing confidence. Mount Spirit is never more evident than when any of our teams take to the field.
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On campus we have an Olympic-standard athletics track, numerous rugby pitches, an all-weather astro-turf, a fencing salle, cricket wickets, as well as netball courts and hockey astro.
We also have a fully-equipped health and fitness centre, including a heated indoor swimming pool.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in sport and we encourage pupils to push their performance and compete in cross-school fixtures.
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We strive for excellence and many of our players enjoy county and even national success in their chosen sports. Our first XV Rugby team took home the U18 Rugby Vase from Twickenham in 2022.
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Rugby, Hockey, Athletics, Cricket, Swimming and Netball are just some of the sports played competitively and we are also one of the few independent schools to have offer football in its sports programme. We cover many more sports in our P.E. sessions, such as Tennis, Basketball, Badminton and Fencing.
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PSG
Paris Saint-Germain Academy England's aim is to develop players of all abilities and bring the methodology of the Parisian club to Mount St Marys College – the hub for the region!
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The PDP programme is open to all abilities from beginner to elite levels and is available for all students.
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Our trained Paris Saint-Germain Academy UK coaches will ensure that each player receives individual mentoring so they are able to progress and master their techniques and at the end of the season they will receive a full report from the Head Coach. This will enable each player to further progress from recommendations made by the coach.
During the sessions the players will work in small groups, being closely monitored by the coaches running drills and learning about the game.
As well as learning the techniques and philosophy of the Parisian club the players will also discuss the importance of nutrition, fitness and conditioning to emphasise the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle on and off the training ground.
The programme is designed, costed and quality assured by PSG Football Academy UK.
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Drama
Drama is thriving at Mount St Mary’s College and all pupils are given the chance to learn about Performing Arts.
It is taught on the timetable in Year 7 (Upper Elements), Year 8 (Figures) and Year 9 (Rudiments) once a week. It is offered at both GCSE and A level and has become increasingly popular over the past five years.
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In exam classes, students explore both practical and theory elements of Drama, producing their own devised performances in various practitioner styles, as well as producing scripted performances exploring numerous genres. They study a number of set texts such as Antigone (Sophocles) and DNA (Dennis Kelly) in depth, and develop a strong understanding of all elements of theatre craft.
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We also run the Arts Award at all levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) as an extra-curricular activity and have a 100 per cent pass rate.
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We run additional LAMDA sessions for students alongside our drama curriculum. This year, every single student across both Acting and Public Speaking disciplines gained a Distinction in their exams.
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Every year, our Drama department puts on a large-scale show, with a musical every other year. This has traditionally been performed at the Montgomery Theatre, however in February 2023, our school theatre has undergone huge investment and renovation. Making it a fully-equipped, professional standard performance venue.
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Beyond the Classroom
We consistently surpass the national average in GCSE examinations, and we take immense pride in this. It is however, just one part of what we do at the Mount. In fact we believe that such high levels of attainment are as a result of developing the whole person.
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Academic studies are but one part of College life. We are a school renowned for sporting prowess, outstanding performing arts and a commitment to social justice that extends far beyond cursory fundraising.
We don’t pay lip services to these pursuits – they are at the heart of what we do at Mount St Mary’s College.
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Facilities on site are exceptional. From an Olympic-standard athletics track to numerous rugby pitches, an all-weather Astro-turf, a fencing sale, cricket wicket, netball and hockey courts. Our health and fitness centre is fully equipped, including a heated indoor swimming pool on the campus.
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A huge number of pupils play a musical instrument, regularly perform in concerts and play for one or more sports teams. Importantly, music and sport are not mutually exclusive here. Pupils are involved in both; benefitting from different types of expression and camaraderie.
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Outside of music and sport we have our Combined Cadet Force which is more than 100 years old. With an Army and an RAF section, cadets learn to handle weapons responsibly before putting what they have learnt into practice in our two rifle ranges.
Learning Support
Our SEND programme is designed to help and support any child with learning impairments.
We believe that Learning Support is not a 'one size fits all' system, and we are available for any pupil that walks through our doors.
This can be anything from additional help help with Homework, to bespoke lessons in our Learning Support Classrooms. We work with every child so they have all the tools they need to reach their full potential.
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"Children are not just data statistics - we do more at the Mount."
Some families who come to us may already be aware of SEND, or know their child needs that little bit of additional support outside the classroom. We will work with your child to find the right level of assistance needed for them. We may sometimes recommend some level of Learning Support for a student, and we will contact you about the opportunities available.
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The Learning Support Programme at the Mount has a range of options for students should they need it. We have a dedicated programme of study for students who benefit from a more one to one approach.
We have an excellent team of fully qualified teachers all working within the SEND Programme, and they are always on hand for advice, or just to say hello!
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We also run Enrichment and Homework Support Sessions after school.
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Please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss any Learning Support questions you may have.
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