Meeting the Wants of the Age:
The Mayfield Development Programme
At Mayfield we believe that every child has unique potential. We place equal value on educating her mind, body, heart and soul. At the heart of this educational ethos lie our Catholic faith and the principles of Mother Cornelia Connelly, who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) and a number of schools, including both Mayfield and St Leonards. For over 150 years, the spiritual and educational framework she provided has been combined with expert teachers, a broad curriculum, extra-curricular opportunities, good facilities and a beautiful location to provide girls with an excellent education.
Cornelia’s view, that girls should be educated to ‘meet the wants of the age’, was revolutionary for the Victorian age into which she was born and it has remained a core value of the school ever since. As such the school has evolved over the course of its 130 year history in order to best meet those changing needs, whilst remaining firmly rooted in the Holy Child tradition. For more on the school’s values, click here.
The wants of this age require young women to have the confidence and ability to be the best they can be academically, physically, emotionally and spiritually, to challenge and question in a constructive manner that which they learn, and to become resourceful, compassionate and active members of the local and global communities of which they are a part.
We have a responsibility to support pupils and staff alike to live by and celebrate the school’s long-held educational and religious convictions, whilst at the same time ensuring that in every way the school and its staff meet the needs of girls who are growing up in the 21st century. Cornelia was born in 1809 and in this, the 200th anniversary of her birth, we are launching a development programme which will help us to meet this responsibility. Our aim is to ensure that for many years to come the school excels at helping girls to realise their academic potential; educates mind, body, heart and soul with equal rigour and enthusiasm; creates a sense of caring which permeates every aspect of school life; and provides a supportive community in which girls can grow in faith.
St Leonards-Mayfield School is a registered charity, no. 1047503.