St Mary's High School & - Cheshunt

Alex K.

My daughter is moving into year 8 and has had the best year 7 experience. The teaching staff are extremely helpful and encouraging and are very supportive. My daughter had a couple of health issues and the school couldn’t do enough to help ensure she was supported and could get around the school easily. She really enjoys her lessons and seems to have really excelled since leaving primary school. The school does have strict policies for uniform and behaviour, which we really like as it’s setting the standard for the future, when they go to work etc. The school offers lots of extra curricular activities and organise some great days out and experiences for the students. One thing our daughter loves is the food! 😂 with a good selection on offer. Overall we are extremely impressed with St Mary’s and would highly recommend it.

Anastasia

i haven't been to this school personally but ive heard that this school has a bad reputation for bullying. i didn't even bother going to the open day in year 6 because i knew that it was a bad school. im not sure if its even accessible anyways. if you have SEND and want to go to this school make sure to check if they have the right provisions before going there.

Teddy B. R.

If I were able to provide a formal rating for this school, it would be 0 stars. To begin with, my daughter consistently receives detention without valid justification, solely for tardiness caused by the school's proximity to a major thoroughfare, the M25. Despite not being tardy every day, she has accumulated numerous detentions, prompting me to purchase coach access for her. Additionally, the school imposes exorbitant fees for various amenities, such as a £200 fee for bus transportation and an additional £200 for the way back. Moreover, the funds allocated through ParentPay quickly deplete, as £15 only sustains my daughter for four days, necessitating constant requests for additional funds. It is imperative that the school reconsider its pricing structure for school lunches.

Donna H.

My daughter has recently started at St Mary's High School and I have to say the transition from Primary into Year 7 has been seamless. The transition team have been fantastic, lots of communication and reassurance. She has settled in extremely well and I think the Summer Camp week during the Summer holidays has really helped. The activities were engaging, teachers were friendly and my daughter made lots of new friends. My daughter was very excited to start her secondary school journey and I couldn't be happier.

Adey

My son is in Year 8 and I can't fault the school. He's happy, he tells me his lessons are engaging, he's made some great friends and I've been impressed with all the teachers I've come across, including the Headteacher and the rest of the senior leaders. If a school ever tells you there's no bullying, fights, etc in their establishment, they're not telling you the truth - these things happen in every school, it's how the school handles them that's important, and from what I hear, St Mary's nips these issues in the bud. I've also read reviews about it being too strict - there are rules in place and consequences if those rules are broken. That is how we bring up our children and aligns with our values, so I see that as a positive. Come and see the school for yourself, ask all your questions of concern - we did this, and chose this school because we believed our son would be happy here. So far so good, and I know if anything changes, we'll be able to talk to the school to swiftly resolve it.

A D.

My son started St Mary’s High School when he transitioned from Primary School to Secondary School and is currently a Year 12 student studying in the St Mary’s High School Sixth form.

My son, and my family feel that my son has been academically and emotionally well supported during his time at St Mary’s High School by the members of staff, especially by his Form tutor, Year lead and Student manager.

St Mary’s High School provides some amazing opportunities and facilities for the students to develop their knowledge, skills and pursue their interests, and the staff are approachable and friendly and always willing to assist students and their families.

Cleo P.

I highly recommend St.Marys both as a secondary school and a sixth form. 1 has graduated from 6th form and has a fantastic place at University.
The other is currently on his GCSE journey and excelling.
I personally cannot find fault with with the staff or the level of education that is taught. It is of a high standard. The children are judged on their individual merit and their abilities, league tables( though they matter ) take 2nd place to each individuals aspirations. My children of completely different characters and academic strengths had 2 very different experiences. The younger of the 2 was subjected to bullying by his peers, within 24 of bringing it to the schools and year leads attention, it was swiftly nipped in the bud and stopped. He has not been bullied since ( that was 3 years ago )
My eldest (a true academic and model student) on not meeting his grades for A level due to outside factors was met at school on results day with the team on hand to assist in clearing. Within 2 hrs he was on his chosen course at a renowned and respected University. It would not have been possible without the help of the staff.
During Covid, the children's teachers not only made sure they kept up with their academic work, they made regular phone calls to check in on their mental health and welfare. They didn't just churn out school work and leave them to it. They were on hand to answer any and all questions.
Should you ever need to contact a teacher or a year head, a simple email will always get a swift response and issues are usually resolved quickly.
All schools have their ups and downs, the good and the bad. In my personal opinion this school has helped my 2 boys grow into confident, polite men I am fiercely proud of.

Janet L.

My son just started year 7 and he is loving going to St Mary's it is a really well organised well run school. Transition days made him feel at ease, parents info evenings and tours fab:)The summer camp super they learnt how to make fires, what is safe to eat in countryside wrote poems did sports, learnt geography lots of things:)My son sd all teachers fun at the camp. Older children friendly to younger ones:)Teachers are caring, pastoral care is amazing they have high standards in everything, are competitive. How a school should be:)Thank you to all the staff who make St Mary's such a beautiful place with their enthusiasm and dedication.I am sure their academic success will continue:)I have peace of mind that my son is happy at school:)Plus they have a therapy dog who visits the school too, 👏 🐕🙂