Schools and Catholic Education

A private Convent school for girls opened in 1873 at Anlaby Road. At the turn of the century Bishop Lacy requested a Pupil Teacher's Centre and Catholic Secondary School. There had been pupil teachers in the private school and there were extensions to the Anlaby road school which had just been completed when further expansion was needed for the secondary school. St Mary's Secondary School was opened in September 1905 the first recognised Secondary School in the City, the Private school forming the Junior department. The school continued to expand and extend until 1941, when both school and convent was destroyed. After ten days the pupils and teachers assembled in some of the Endsleigh College premises (which opened in 1905) to continue School, until prefabricated buildings, called 'the Blocks', were built. There, St Mary's had its home until 1960 when the buildings in Inglemire Lane were ready. The next phase was to move from Grammar School to Comprehensive education in 1969, the expansion of the sixth Form and finally the raising of the school leaving age. In 1984 a lay Head took over from sisters, Elaine Sexton and four years later the final change, St Mary's School joined with the Marist College in 1988 to become St Mary's College which exist still.