St Mary’s embarks on ambitious redevelopment of its Senior School

St Mary’s School in Cambridge is set to extend its Senior School on Bateman Street with an ambitious redevelopment project that will start this summer. Adding state-of-the-art classrooms, a new larger dining space and an improved frontage, the building work will transform the school’s learning environment for future generations and help deliver enriched facilities for current students at the school.

St Mary’s has a long history in Bateman Street, which has been home to its Senior School for 118 years. The current site has not undergone any major building work or renovation since the 1970s. However, with planning permission approved, St Mary’s is now moving forwards with its redevelopment plans for the site. Initial building works will commence from July 2022 and work on the first phase of the project is scheduled for completion by Summer 2023.

In the first phase of renovations, the Senior School’s dining hall will undergo a complete refurbishment. The dining hall will be ready to welcome students from September 2022. Four new state-of-the-art learning spaces will then be created, plus a new outdoor classroom and a LAMDA Speech and Drama teaching space. Additionally, there will be significant enhancements to the frontage of the building that overlooks Bateman Street. Pushing the entrance to the building back, and creating a larger new lobby, will improve accessibility for parents and students at busy pick-up times and will create more public space, which the school will support with enhanced landscaping.

Charlotte Avery, Headmistress at St Mary’s said:

“The investments we are making today will ensure that both our current and future cohort of students will continue to access the very best education. So much has happened in the last two years, but together – throughout the pandemic – we have managed to achieve an extraordinary amount. At the most difficult of times, we didn’t stand still, and we don’t intend to do so now. We are excited about the redevelopment of the Senior School and look forward to creating a truly inspiring environment that will support our girls as they aim high, and improve the visual appeal of one of our main buildings on Bateman Street.”

Further renovation work – which has also received planning permission and is scheduled to take place from Summer 2023– will see St Mary’s extend and refurbish the school’s kitchen; install a lift; and create new breakout teaching and learning spaces.

For further information about the plans for the Senior School redevelopment, please visit: www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk/seniorschooldev