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| St. Mary's College, Crosby | |
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"Fidem vita fateri" - Show your faith by the way you live
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| Location | |
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| St. Mary's College Everest Road Crosby Liverpool L23 5TW  United Kingdom |
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| Information | |
| Affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Type | Independent |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Athletics | Basketball, Athletics, Hockey, Cricket, Cross-Country, Netball, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis, Football |
| Established | 1919 |
| Information | 0151 924 3926 |
| Chairman Of The Governors | Mr. Henry B. Hitchen, F.C. A. |
| Chairman of Parents Association | Mr. Steve Leonard |
| Head Boy & Girl | Benjamin Trill, Michelle McDougal |
| Homepage | http://www.stmarys.ac/ |
St Mary's College is an independent Roman Catholic day school for boys and girls aged 11-18. It is one of three Irish Christian Brothers schools in Merseyside all of which are now administered by laypersons (St. Mary's; St. Edward's College, Liverpool; and St. Anselm's College, Birkenhead).
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Location and buildings
The College is based on Everest Road in Crosby, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, near Liverpool. A preparatory school, The Mount, is located a short distance away in Blundellsands. The school was originally single-sex, taking boys only, but it began to take girls into its sixth form in 1983 and became fully co-educational in 1991. The School originally comprised a mansion, Claremont House, on Liverpool Road, Crosby and the neighbouring property, Everest House, until the purpose-built school was built on Everest Road in 1930. Science blocks were added over the years, and an assembly hall in 1978. St Mary's College has its own 20 year old multigym (introduced by former Head of PE, Tony Askew) and sports hall, formerly the Mecca Bingo Hall on Liverpool Road, which is open for public use as well as to the students. There are seven laboratories, two workshops and a library. In 2005 a new Sixth Form Centre was built, consisting of a new common room (including a tuck shop and vending machines) and two computer rooms. The college has its playing fields (20 acres) within easy walking distance on Little Crosby Road.
Founding and Affiliation
The school was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1919. Schools such as St. Mary's were founded to ensure that Catholics in England did not lose the beliefs and morals with which they were raised, in an overwhelmingly Protestant country. Relatively few Christian Brothers remain in the United Kingdom. St. Mary's College was one of twelve Brothers' Schools in England until it became an Independent Charity, St. Mary's College Crosby Trust Limited in January 2006. However, the college is still very committed to the Edmund Rice Charism. The college is also a member of the Headmaster's Conference (HMC), having been a Direct - Grammar School until 1976 and fully independent since. The Mount is the prep department for St Mary's, run for many years by Brother Tom Kelly.
Charity Work
St Mary's is a supporter of the Christian Brother's overseas missions, the Good Shepherd and CAFOD. The college has an active parents association which raises money for the school. Its major fundraiser each year is the autumn fair. The College and the Mount encourage pupils to provide prizes for a bottle tombola at the college's annual Autumn Fair. To add incentive, a night off homework is sometimes offered to classes who provide such prizes.
Exam Results
Whilst St Mary's exam results are often lower than those of other local public schools, the results attained nonetheless tend to exceed national averages. [1]
Headteacher
The current headmistress is Jean Marsh, formerly of Stockport Grammar School.
Notable Former Teachers
Miss Brown last seen on Challenge Anneka. Stefan "Pixie" Picewicz, games teacher for 31 years, recently convicted in the Magistrates Court of harassment of his former colleagues. Picewicz had resigned amid allegations of manhandling pupils, and a severe personality clash with current Headmistress Jean Marsh.[2]
Famous alumni
- Sir John Birt, erstwhile Director General of the BBC and advisor to the Blair administration
- Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC
- Roger McGough, poet, playwright, broadcaster and children's author
- Professor David Crystal OBE, broadcaster and professor of linguistics
- Laurie Taylor, broadcaster and sociologist, thought to be the model for Howard Kirk in Malcolm Bradbury's novel The History Man
- Sir Ivor Roberts KCMG, former HM Ambassador to Ireland and Italy; current President of Trinity College, Oxford
- Kevin McNamara, veteran Labour MP
- Rt Rev Vincent Nichols, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham
- Rt Rev John Rawsthorne, Roman Catholic Bishop of Hallam
- Mike Carr, Labour MP for Bootle, May-July 1990
- Chris Curtis, drummer with 1960s pop group The Searchers
- John Coyne - first Green Councillor on Liverpool City Council
- John O'Sullivan CBE, Conservative columnist, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher
- Will Hanrahan, BBC TV reporter
- John McDermott, QC, Barrister
The college had an alumni association, St. Mary's Old Boys' Club, until 1999, when links were severed due to a scandal and resulting court case, Stringer v. Usher, Smith, Flanagan and Fleming. In 2007 the school, formed a new alumni association, the successfulness of which remains to be seen.
The School Song
The former School Song, composed in the 1920s by music master Frederick R. Boraston (1878-1954), is fondly remembered by former pupils who sang it, most notably at the annual Speech Day held in Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall. In the 1980s the song was replaced with a completely new song, with words more in tune with the School's co-educational, lay-teacher status. The words of the former school song are as follows : <poem> When our boyhood days are over, and the broad highway of Life lies before us still untrodden, still unknown, When our hearts are high exulting in a future that is veiled, when we reap a golden harvest not yet sown, We shall sometimes pause a moment just to think of yesterday, and our dear old Alma Mater left behind. And each old association, every Brother, Master, Boy, in our hearts will find a place most wondrous kind. Thoughts will arise, of games we've played, of songs we've sung. Thoughts will arise, of friends we made when hearts were young. Thoughts of that place, which to its constant praise, Fashions both thought and deed in Wisdom's ways. Come Past! Come Present! Hearts and Voices raised! Cheers for Saint Mary's! Vivat! Vivat! Vi-vat! </poem>
References
External links
- St. Mary's College - Crosby - St. Mary's College official page; updated regularly
- No Brother to me - former pupil Steve Boulton's recollections of physical and sexual abuse
- Liverpool helped me to succeed - John Birt's school memories, good and bad
- [3] - "Is Corporal Punishment The Answer?" - Provides dates of abolition of corporal punishment in UK schools.
