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What's it Really Like?

Our Form I / Year 7 girls have answered some of the most asked questions so you can see what its really like to be at Heathfield St Mary’s.

What's it like being away from home?

“I love it! You’re around your friends the whole time!”
“It’s ok – I did get homesick at first but you soon get over it.”
“I love being at school, and I like how we can still see our parents a lot.”
“At first it’s a bit scary but it would be wherever you go to school and here they’re really nice about feeling homesick.” 
“Being away from home is strange at first, but as the term goes on and you become closer to your year it becomes a lot easier.”

Who do I talk to if I have a problem?

“First my friends, then Colleyn (our Housemistress), and then probably one of my favourite teachers.”
“I talk to my sister, but you can also talk to Colleyn or your shadow.”
“I talk to my friends or Colleyn or my Head of House”
“Whenever I had a problem I found it easy to talk to my housemistress, my tutor and my friends. Prefects are also very good to talk to, as they know what it is like to come away for the first time and they helped a lot.”

Who does my washing?

“We send our clothes down the chute and the Laundry ladies wash them for us.”
“You can collect your clean clothes after breakfast.”
“Nice ladies do our washing – you throw it down a hole and it comes back through a hole!”
“We have a nice lady who washes our clothes and about two days later you go and collect it from her.”

What’s it like at the weekend?

“We have prep on Saturday morning but then we have free time and go out for trips - we love going to Thorpe Park!”
“I am in the lacrosse team and we play matches against other schools at the weekend.”
“It’s really nice to spend time with your friends – we have our own common room with a TV and video so we can watch films at the weekend.”

Where do we eat?

“We have all our meals in the dining hall. There is lots of choice and you can always find something you like.”
“There’s a tuck shop that’s sells all sorts of sweets and snacks – and you can bring a tuck box.”

What do you wear after school?

“Mainly jeans or trackies or something really comfortable.”
“If there’s a concert and we’re in it then we have to wear uniform, but normally we just wear jeans, trackies and a t-shirt.”
“After a long day a school it is nice to wear something you are comfy and that you feel happy in, in the winter months jeans, tracky bums and jumpers and in the summer months skirts and trousers and T-shirts. That’s what I normally wear!”

Do you have midnight feasts?

“Very rarely because we have tuck shop after school and we eat most of it then.”
“Sometimes, more at the end of term.”
“Only on special occasions.”
“Of course we do! What would boarding be without a good old midnight feast?”

How will I know where to go and what to do?

“All new girls have a shadow who shows them round school and answers all the questions they have about school.”
“If you are worried or don’t know where to go, you can always go and find your shadow.”
“Shadows take new girls down to breakfast at the beginning of term and make sure they don’t feel home sick.”
"It’s a shadow’s duty to make sure that you are ok and you know what you are doing. We are here for any questions you may have and if you just want a chat!”

How often can we go home?

“There are exeat weekends every few weeks when we all go home and we can also go out for lunch for at the weekend.”

What’s the best thing about being at Heathfield St Mary’s?

“The girls are really nice.”
“Having nice friends.”
“There are some great facilities and there are going to be more.”
“You make loads and loads of new friends.”
“One of my favourite things is how kind everyone is to you and how small the community is, so you know nearly every one and most people know you.”