Malvern St James Girls’ School

MSJ is a leading independent boarding and day school for girls aged 4-18. Our values today reflect those of our founding schools, set up in the nineteenth century by pioneering proponents of women’s education. In this inspirational setting, MSJ continues a fine heritage of academic rigour, outstanding enrichment and leadership opportunities, and preparing girls for rewarding careers and lives beyond school.

MSJ is an exceptional place for learning and living. Every girl matters to us, and our size (at around 450 pupils) means that we can offer an individually tailored education. Our focus is on inspiring teaching to deliver excellent academic results; and equally on encouraging intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, considered risk-taking and collaboration that universities and employers will value. Our enrichment programme is as long as it is broad, and has something to fire the imagination of every individual: clubs for budding engineers and scientists, extra-curricular languages, drama, music, Leiths, journalism, photography, sport of every kind, Young Enterprise, Debating and Model United Nations … to name but a few.

Life at MSJ is underpinned by first class pastoral support which makes us a happy and friendly community, relaxed yet purposeful, with a real sense of family. When girls reach the end of their time here, they are thoroughly prepared to embrace life’s challenges. The diverse list of graduate courses at the most prestigious institutions and the competitive career paths that girls go on to is testament to MSJ’s culture of ambition and achievement. Our alumnae network helps our community to forge valuable links for life.

As a school we have a roughly equal number of day girls and boarders, allowing us to offer the best of both worlds and a very flexible boarding programme. We have full, weekly and flexi boarding options, designed to meet the needs of modern family lives. Our position in the town of Great Malvern, situated in the heart of England, means we benefit from excellent transport links and cultural opportunities all around the UK, including a direct train service from London.

Our girls work hard but have fun on the way, making lifelong friends and memories. Do come and see for yourselves what makes MSJ tick and meet our happy, poised and confident girls and young women, who are free to be themselves and find the things which will instigate a life-long passion for learning.

Curriculum

Education is tailored to each individual’s strengths. High quality teaching and an exceptional choice of subjects actively stretches girls on every level. Our stimulating environment fuels intellectual curiosity and independent thinking and girls achieve impressive academic results.

The curriculum also supports pupils who need special provision including very able pupils, and those for whom English is an additional language. Those who have specific areas of expertise have adapted timetables to allow them to focus on their specialism, given time to practise and train, with personalised coaching and mentoring sessions.

Scholarships

Academic, Drama, Music, Art, Riding and Sport Scholarships are available. A Scholarship is worth up to a maximum of 20% of annual fees and an Exhibition is worth up to a maximum of 10% of fees.

Entrance examinations

• Preparatory Department: informal assessment.
  • Senior School: cognitive ability tests (CAT 4) and an English comprehension examination or the Common Entrance examination.
• Sixth Form: two subject entrance papers and general essay.

Location

Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at the foot of the majestic Malvern Hills, the School benefits from being positioned in a small but culturally lively town (ranked in The Times’ Top 100 Best Places to Live), on a direct rail route from London Paddington. The M5 and M50 are nearby and London, Birmingham and Manchester airports are within easy reach.