St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls

St Mary's DSG was founded by Bishop Bousfield in 1879 for his six daughters, and named St Ethelreda's. This obscure saint, the daughter of the King of East Anglia, may have been honoured because of the connection of the Bishop with Ely Cathedral which was founded by St Ethelreda.

The Christian ethics espoused by the Bishop and Sisters from the outset have been handed down over the years and remain at the heart of our teaching philosophy, with daily acts of worship and chapel services co-ordinated by our resident Chaplain.

As an Anglican school, St Mary's aims to deepen an awareness of the love of God and to encourage spiritual growth. While girls of other denominations and faiths are welcome at St Mary's, all pupils are required to attend Divinity classes, daily acts of worship and certain other compulsory chapel services.

Voluntary services, including Mass, are celebrated regularly; these provide ample opportunity for girls to further their worship. The Sunday services are compulsory for boarders, but daygirls and parents are always welcome to attend. The Chaplain prepares girls for confirmation. Girls are encouraged to participate actively in worship. Many serve in other ways as sacristans, servers or choir members.

The co-curricular programme is sponsored by the Parents’ Association. The Co-Curricular programme is an essential part of how St Mary’s DSG prepares our young ladies for their futures. Every Wednesday morning students are learning from real-world experiences, formal talks and grade workshops to prepare themselves for the pressures of the greater world outside of school. The unique objective for each grade level moves students through a gradual progression of learning about their identity, community, leadership, and purpose.

The education in which St Mary’s DSG believes is faith centred, holistic, relevant and rigorous. The academic curriculum forms only a part of the total curriculum, albeit the critical part. Preparing young ladies for the IEB Senior Certificate in Grade 12 is the first goal, and our matric results year after year speak to the quality of teaching, the engagement with the IEB on many levels, and the tradition of hard work amongst our students.

In tertiary institutions our “Old Girls” stand out in their preparedness for academic life. We are extremely proud of our academic traditions but more proud of the difference our “Daughters of the King” make in the lives of those around them as a result of their preparation for life. – The Revd Canon AW Paterson.

Your first day of Senior School starts with an assembly where you are astonished at the pride, discipline and number of awards. Last year’s Grade 12s are also present to be congratulated on another fine year. You think forward five years to when you also will wear the refined matric uniform, perhaps with a few of the braids and badges you can see on others.

You look forward to your classes later in the day when you will be in the new custom built Physical Science classrooms, and a bit later when you will meet the Chaplain – how you enjoyed the introductory service and the incredible choir. You are already looking forward to next term when your computer will become part of your daily classroom experience.

Today you must choose your sports. You joined the swimming team on the pre-school camp, and it is so good to know other girls and to feel part of another family, but when swimming is done you think you will play Basketball, or perhaps hockey. It is hard to make a choice. But for now, it's swimming.

You are going to have to be organized this year. The school calendar is so full, and while you must do as much as you can, you must not do too much. Do some music, orchestra or choir, play some sport, work hard, have fun. That sounds about right.  Perhaps also some Drama, Eco club or Art? The Head Girl describes St Mary’s DSG as the school which never sleeps. You can see why.