Profiles of Old Marians

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

The best and worst performing Derbyshire secondary schools in 2025 – according to Progress 8 scores

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

Madrid Day 4: Today we had a day trip to Toledo the ancient capital of Spain. We met our guides Sara and Diego and went on an amazing tour round the edge of the city. Sara and Diego were full of fascinating stories and facts about the city. We saw many amazing examples of the integration of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, which has been a feature of Toledo’s long history. The students were amazed by the beautiful views and the historic buildings. Dinner was tapas at a very swanky restaurant! Final preparations for our journey home tomorrow!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

Berlin 2025 final update: We are pleased to say we are finally on the bus to Chesterfield. Our ETA is 8:30pm but your child will message you 30 minutes before. Please ensure you are on time for collection.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

This week's newsletter has been emailed to parents/carers. A copy can be found on our school website. https://www.st-maryshigh.derbyshire.sch.uk/information-for-parents-and-carers/letters-home/parent-newsletter

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

Berlin 2025 update: we are now boarding and expecting to arrive at Stansted at approximately 3pm. Pupils will be in touch when we land.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

Berlin 2025 update: unfortunately our return flight to Stansted has been delayed by at least 3 hours. We are currently waiting for more information, due at 12:45. With the knock-on effect of Friday afternoon traffic, this will mean a late arrival at St. Mary’s this evening. Our students are being wonderfully patient. We will update you when we have further informations.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 14 Feb

Nice trip day 4: We travelled to Antibes this morning as the sun came out to welcome us. We boarded an early morning train and walked to the Picasso Museum. We were very lucky to have a guided tour of the fabulous art works with an expert. The students listened intently and learnt a lot. Following this, we took a short stroll to the nearby beach to eat our packed lunches and enjoy a football game. We practised ordering an ice cream in French in the town centre before heading back to Nice for some retail therapy. The day ended with an awards ceremony at the hostel and a final walk along the moonlit promenade. It has been a real privilege to witness the students' enthusiasm and engagement on the trip.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 13 Feb

Berlin 2025: Our final, very snowy day involved a trip to the DDR museum, where our students found out about East German daily life. After some more language practice in Alexandraplatz, we finished the day with a visit to the Reichstag, Germany's parliament. Once again our pupils have demonstrated exemplary conduct; we have been blown away by their bravery and willingness to try their German with members of the public. We are back in the hotel this evening for a celebration and awards ceremony before packing to be ready for our return journey tomorrow.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 13 Feb

Madrid day 3. This morning we managed to get 48 of us through the metro to the amazing Bernabeu stadium. After an impressive tour we headed to the Museo Reina Sofia for some modern art appreciation. A sunny walk through the beautiful streets of Madrid took us to the Flamenco workshop. Students had a flamenco lesson and we tried a few supposedly simple steps. After dinner some of us went out for some night time shopping on Gran Via. Looking forward to visiting Toledo tomorrow!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 12 Feb

Berlin 2025: Day three took us to the Berlin Wall memorial, where students explored a preserved section of the wall that separated the city for 30 years while learning the stories of individuals who risked their life by attempting to cross it. We then visited the Stasi prison, where we were privileged to be given a tour by a former inmate. Our students were truly inspired by his story of aiming high and never identifying as a victim, no matter what happens to you. After some more language practice in Alexanderplatz and back in the hotel, we are going to have a relaxing evening with a few games of bowling.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 12 Feb

Nice trip day 3: Today we travelled to Monaco where we were in awe of the rich metropolis. Students visited a calming Japanese garden, saw the famous casino and literally walked in the footsteps of footballers. We then admired the expensive yachts in the bay and walked some of the F1 route, followed by a visit to the wonderful aquarium and royal palace on top of the hill. We returned with sore feet to the station for our train home before completing our language work back at the hostel. We are looking forward to our trip to Antibes tomorrow. As ever, the students have really impressed us with both their enthusiasm for the French language and for their impeccable conduct and behaviour on what has been a very active day. We are very proud of them.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 11 Feb

Berlin 2025: Day two involved exploring Berlin's darker past with a visit to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Once again our students demonstrated exemplary and respectful behaviour at this thought provoking memorial while Mr Thomson gave them the historical context. After an opportunity to practice our language skills in a shopping mall, we took a tour of the East Side Gallery. Meanwhile, our 6th Form visited a local school and participated in two English lessons and really got to know their German peers. They certainly earned their Pretzels!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 11 Feb

Madrid day 2! Today we have walked around 25000 steps. In the morning we visited the Parque del Retiro and learned a lot about Spanish history and culture. We then walked across Madrid and visited el Palacio Real de Madrid where we were impressed with the beautiful decor. Fortunately we only saw a small few of the 3000 rooms. Then we had a much needed break at the Chocolateria San Gines. The photo says it all. Back to the hostel for some language work and finally a visit to the smartest cinema in town! Hopefully everyone will sleep well!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 11 Feb

Nice trip day 2: We started our day browsing the stalls at the local market and then explored the old town, where we tried some socca (a local speciality). Later, we had our open top bus tour of Nice, then travelled further to Villefranche, where we had our picnic lunch at the beach. Back in Nice, we did some school work whilst eating pancakes at a cafe and then went to find a memorial by the Hotel Excelsior, which played a key role during the occupation of France. We were lucky to have our resident historian Mr Peach with us to explain the background of the Second World War. We are finishing the day with a cinema trip to watch Paddington in French. We are very proud of our students' excellent conduct, attitude and enthusiasm.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 10 Feb

Nice trip: After an early start, the pupils have really impressed us with their resilience and enthusiasm. We found the sunshine and had lunch on the beach after having practised ordering in French in a local bakery. We then hiked up castle hill for some stunning views over the bay and city before heading back to the hostel for some language work and an evening meal. Everyone will definitely sleep well tonight!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 10 Feb

Berlin 2025. After a very early departure, Day one involved a walking tour around some of the city's key landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie. Pupils learnt about Berlin's tumultuous history thats legacy can still be seen all over the city today.

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 10 Feb

Madrid Trip 2025 Day 1 After a very early start we finally boarded the plane at 8.30 and we were on our way! We arrived at the hostel and almost immediately set out on our walking tour. We saw loads of great sights and our guides Emma and Yolanda gave us fascinating details about everything. We settled into our rooms, had a great dinner, did some language work and then finally the pupils were allowed to fall into bed!

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 7 Feb

This week's newsletter has been emailed to parents/carers. A copy can be found on our school website. https://www.st-maryshigh.derbyshire.sch.uk/information-for-parents-and-carers/letters-home/parent-newsletter

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 7 Feb

*** Vacancy Alert - Cleaner***

St Mary’s Catholic High School / 5 Feb

***Vacancy Alert - Head of Religious Studies***

Rob Boardman

Patrick Gannon

Claire Thompson

Gemma Willis

John Medvenics

Isabelle Rodgers

Zoey Spendlove

Faye Thorley

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