St Mary's School, Wantage

St Mary's School was an Anglican private girls' school located in Wantage, Oxfordshire between 1873 and 2007, when it merged with Heathfield School to become Heathfield St Mary's. The school was popular with the British Aristocracy.

History

The school was founded at the intiative of the Reverend W J Butler, Vicar of Wantage, in 1873. The school was run by the sisters of the Community of St Mary the Virgin.

St Mary's was initially to be re-sited just outside of the town of Wantage. The buildings were purchased for around £15m by the property developer Anton Bilton and his company, Raven Mount, in 2005. The move was said to be necessary to increase the size of the school and modernise facilities. However, in 2006 it was announced that the school would be merging with the Heathfield School in Ascot, to form a new school, Heathfield St Mary's. The Wantage site was closed at the end of the summer term 2007.

Old girls of St Mary's Wantage are known as 'SMOGs'.

Notable Alumnae

* Harriet Bridgeman, Viscountess Bridgeman, founder of Bridgeman Art Library
* Susannah Constantine, fashion advisor and author
* Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun
* Hon. Victoria Glendinning, novelist and broadcaster
* Lucinda Green, three day eventer
* Candida Lycett-Green, writer
* Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
* Hon. Daphne Guinness
* Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
* Phyllis Hartnoll, poet
* Kara-Louise Horne, "Big Brother" 8 contestant
* Davina Ingrams, 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth
* Serena Armstrong-Jones, Viscountess Linley
* Judith Keppel, first million pound winner of Who wants to be a millionaire?
* Tessa Montgomery, Viscountess Montgomery of Alamein
* Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, politician
* Marina Ogilvy, daughter of Princess Alexandra
* Hon. Elizabeth Wynne Smith ("nee" Fremantle), wife of Iain Duncan Smith
* Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, interior designer
* Lady Helen Taylor
* Susan Travers
* Dame Jane Whiteley
* Judith Wilcox, Baroness Wilcox

External links

* [http://www.stmarys.oxon.sch.uk School website.]
* [http://www.emmanicholson.org.uk/about_emma.html Emma Nicholson]
* [http://www.heathfieldstmarys.net The merged school site]
* [http://www.tatler.co.uk/Schools/2006/Details.aspx?Type=Public&Area=&ID=387&List= Tatler Schools Guide]
* [http://forum.cotswoldwireless.co.uk/ The Merge Forum]