St Leonards-Mayfield School
Encyclopedia
St Leonards-Mayfield School is an independent Roman Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. It is situated in the village of Mayfield
in East Sussex. The current headmistress is Miss Antonia Beary. The school was founded by Mother Cornelia Connelly
in 1872, with the oldest buildings dating from the 14th century.
, who had founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
in 1846, escorted a small group of girls from the Holy Child school at St Leonards-on-Sea
to the ruins of the Old Palace of Mayfield
, where they would enjoy a picnic. The peace of the countryside and the elegance of the ruins must have left their mark on Cornelia, for within a matter of weeks the estate had been purchased by the Duchess of Leeds and presented to the religious order. On the morning of 18 November 1863 Mass was celebrated at Mayfield for the first time since the mid 16th century.
Restoration of the Old Palace began in 1864 and the ruins of the 14th-century hall had been transformed into a church within 14 months. Although the nuns educated a small number of orphans on site almost immediately, it was not until 1872 that young girls from St Leonards were brought over to be the first pupils at the school. The Old Palace was also the order’s Novitiate
, that part of the convent devoted to the novice
s.
Development of the school continued in order to meet the needs of the growing number of pupils at Mayfield: the Victorian red-brick school building had been added by 1897, the concert hall by 1930, and a suite of other facilities were constructed throughout the second half of the 20th century and beyond.
In 1953 the schools at St Leonards-on-Sea and Mayfield merged to form St Leonards-Mayfield School. Pupils remained at St Leonards up to the age of 13 and then transferred to Mayfield to continue their education to 18. In 1975 the junior school at St Leonards closed and Mayfield became the school it is today, educating girls from 11 to 18.
The headmistress of St Leonards-Mayfield School was drawn from the Society of the Holy Child Jesus until the end of the 20th century, at which point the school appointed its first lay headmistress. The links with Holy Child, however, remain strong: three members of the governing body are nuns and three nuns live in the school grounds, supporting the pastoral work of the chaplaincy and boarding houses.
, the Old Palace was handed over to Henry VIII and a new phase in its history began. It was gifted to various leading noblemen, one of the most famous of whom was Sir Thomas Gresham, an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. In 1573 Sir Thomas entertained Queen Elizabeth within its walls. In 1617 the estate came into the hands of the Baker family, owners of several iron foundries
in the county. As the iron industry declined in the 18th century, so too did the fortunes of the Bakers. The Old Palace was abandoned in 1740 and thereafter fell into ruins.
(SHCJ) was founded over 160 years ago by Mother Cornelia Connelly
, whose life, spirituality and vision still inspires the education offered by her schools. SHCJ continues to play an active and vital role in the life of the school: there are four Holy Child nuns on the Board of Governors; and three nuns live on the school site and play important pastoral roles in both the chaplaincy and the boarding houses.
. At the heart of the school are the 14th century chapel built for the Archbishops of Canterbury and a concert hall designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
. The sports facilities include a new all-weather pitch, eight new all-weather tennis and netball courts, an indoor swimming pool and one of the largest outdoor riding arenas in the South East of England. The creative and performing arts are served by a music school, ceramics and arts studios and a dance hall. There is also a purpose built science block.
There are three boarding houses at the school: Leeds House (named after the Duchess of Leeds who donated the Old Palace to the SHCJ), Connelly House (formerly known as St Gabriels) and St Dunstans House providing boarding accommodation in individual rooms for the Sixth Form.
still runs a network of schools across its three provinces: Europe, Africa and America.
Mayfield actively maintains and strengthens links with other Holy Child Schools. In 2010 children from the Cornelia Connelly School in Anaheim, California
visited Mayfield and the headmistress visited Holy Child College in Ikoyi
, Nigeria.
Notable Old Cornelians:
Mayfield
-Places:Australia* Mayfield, New South Wales* Mayfield, TasmaniaCanada* Mayfield, Edmonton, a neighborhood in Alberta* Mayfield No. 406, Saskatchewan, a rural municipality of SaskatchewanIreland'* Mayfield, Cork, IrelandNew Zealand...
in East Sussex. The current headmistress is Miss Antonia Beary. The school was founded by Mother Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly , born Cornelia Peacock, was the born founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order...
in 1872, with the oldest buildings dating from the 14th century.
History
On 26 May 1863 Mother Cornelia ConnellyCornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly , born Cornelia Peacock, was the born founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order...
, who had founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Society of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were...
in 1846, escorted a small group of girls from the Holy Child school at St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
to the ruins of the Old Palace of Mayfield
Mayfield
-Places:Australia* Mayfield, New South Wales* Mayfield, TasmaniaCanada* Mayfield, Edmonton, a neighborhood in Alberta* Mayfield No. 406, Saskatchewan, a rural municipality of SaskatchewanIreland'* Mayfield, Cork, IrelandNew Zealand...
, where they would enjoy a picnic. The peace of the countryside and the elegance of the ruins must have left their mark on Cornelia, for within a matter of weeks the estate had been purchased by the Duchess of Leeds and presented to the religious order. On the morning of 18 November 1863 Mass was celebrated at Mayfield for the first time since the mid 16th century.
Restoration of the Old Palace began in 1864 and the ruins of the 14th-century hall had been transformed into a church within 14 months. Although the nuns educated a small number of orphans on site almost immediately, it was not until 1872 that young girls from St Leonards were brought over to be the first pupils at the school. The Old Palace was also the order’s Novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
, that part of the convent devoted to the novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
s.
Development of the school continued in order to meet the needs of the growing number of pupils at Mayfield: the Victorian red-brick school building had been added by 1897, the concert hall by 1930, and a suite of other facilities were constructed throughout the second half of the 20th century and beyond.
In 1953 the schools at St Leonards-on-Sea and Mayfield merged to form St Leonards-Mayfield School. Pupils remained at St Leonards up to the age of 13 and then transferred to Mayfield to continue their education to 18. In 1975 the junior school at St Leonards closed and Mayfield became the school it is today, educating girls from 11 to 18.
The headmistress of St Leonards-Mayfield School was drawn from the Society of the Holy Child Jesus until the end of the 20th century, at which point the school appointed its first lay headmistress. The links with Holy Child, however, remain strong: three members of the governing body are nuns and three nuns live in the school grounds, supporting the pastoral work of the chaplaincy and boarding houses.
History of the Old Palace
The Old Palace of Mayfield served throughout the 14th- and 15th-centuries as a residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury. The great hall was built by Archbishop Reynolds c. 1325, although Archbishop Islip (1356–1366) enlarged it and built the greater part of the Palace. Seventeen Archbishops are known to have visited the Palace from 1274-1530. At the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, the Old Palace was handed over to Henry VIII and a new phase in its history began. It was gifted to various leading noblemen, one of the most famous of whom was Sir Thomas Gresham, an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. In 1573 Sir Thomas entertained Queen Elizabeth within its walls. In 1617 the estate came into the hands of the Baker family, owners of several iron foundries
Wealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...
in the county. As the iron industry declined in the 18th century, so too did the fortunes of the Bakers. The Old Palace was abandoned in 1740 and thereafter fell into ruins.
SHCJ
The Society of the Holy Child JesusSociety of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were...
(SHCJ) was founded over 160 years ago by Mother Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly , born Cornelia Peacock, was the born founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order...
, whose life, spirituality and vision still inspires the education offered by her schools. SHCJ continues to play an active and vital role in the life of the school: there are four Holy Child nuns on the Board of Governors; and three nuns live on the school site and play important pastoral roles in both the chaplaincy and the boarding houses.
Public examination results
Pupils at Mayfield achieve some of the best in the United Kingdom and each year take up university places at a wide range of leading institutions.Location and facilities
The school is located within the village of Mayfield, less than 40 miles from the centre of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. At the heart of the school are the 14th century chapel built for the Archbishops of Canterbury and a concert hall designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station and designing the iconic red telephone box....
. The sports facilities include a new all-weather pitch, eight new all-weather tennis and netball courts, an indoor swimming pool and one of the largest outdoor riding arenas in the South East of England. The creative and performing arts are served by a music school, ceramics and arts studios and a dance hall. There is also a purpose built science block.
There are three boarding houses at the school: Leeds House (named after the Duchess of Leeds who donated the Old Palace to the SHCJ), Connelly House (formerly known as St Gabriels) and St Dunstans House providing boarding accommodation in individual rooms for the Sixth Form.
Links with other Holy Child schools
The Society of the Holy Child JesusSociety of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were...
still runs a network of schools across its three provinces: Europe, Africa and America.
Mayfield actively maintains and strengthens links with other Holy Child Schools. In 2010 children from the Cornelia Connelly School in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
visited Mayfield and the headmistress visited Holy Child College in Ikoyi
Ikoyi
Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood of Lagos, Nigeria, located on Lagos Island. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and encompasses the eastern half of Lagos Island and lies at the edge of the Lagos Lagoon...
, Nigeria.
Former pupils
Former pupils of Mayfield and her sister Holy Child Schools which are now closed are known as Old Cornelians, named after Mother Cornelia Connelly who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.Notable Old Cornelians:
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- Clare McLaren-ThrockmortonClare McLaren-ThrockmortonClare McLaren-Throckmorton , known professionally as Clare Tritton, QC, is a British barrister and descendant of the Throckmorton Baronets. She is the current tenant of the Throckmorton family's main residence, Coughton Court near Alcester in Warwickshire, England, now owned by the National Trust...
- Anouk AimeeAnouk AiméeAnouk Aimée is a French film actress. Aimée has appeared in 70 films since 1947. She began her film career in 1947 at age 14. In 1958 she portrayed the tragic artist Jeanne Hébuterne in the film Les Amants de Montparnasse...
- Ira von FürstenbergIra von FürstenbergPrincess Virginia of Fürstenberg is a European socialite, actress, jewelry designer, and a former public relations manager for the fashion designer Valentino Garavani.-Background:...
- Maeve GilmoreMaeve GilmoreMaeve Patricia Mary Theresa Gilmore, known professionally as Maeve Gilmore was a British painter, sculptor, and writer.- Personal background :...