Minster School and St Mary’s Prep merge

— Updated with further statements*

Lincoln Minster School and St Mary’s Preparatory School in Lincoln announced that they will be merging from September.

Lincoln Minster teaches 600 children aged 11 through to 18, while St Mary’s teaches 247 primary school children.

St Mary’s will be known as St Mary’s Preparatory School, the Preparatory School of Lincoln Minster School under the United Church Schools Trust (UCST).

The merged prep school looks to offer a bigger curriculum, more extra-curricular activities and better facilities.

Following the merger announcement, originally decided on February 28, St Mary’s will also be looking for a new head teacher.

Lincoln Minster’s principal Clive Rickart said: “We share with each other a desire and determination to ensure that we continue to provide the very best standards for our pupils and to keep pace with the demands of the global environment.

“In combining the resources of our two schools, we will be equipped to build on and enhance the best of each of them.

“Our objective is to become a leading preparatory school with a national reputation while also keeping stable the cost of education for parents.

“We feel sure that parents will take an interest in the merger and will have detailed questions they want to ask.

“This is a very exciting development for the future of independent education in Lincoln and we look forward to sharing our plans with you over the coming weeks and months.”

The school will produce regular newsletters between now and September to keep parents up-to-date with the plans as they are taken forward.

For parents with children attending the schools wanting to discuss the merge with the principal, he will be taking appointments from March 1, no booking required.

*Hazel Belcher is the Chair of Governors at St Mary’s Preparatory School:

“Both preparatory schools have excellent reputations and track records, and by becoming one we will be able to build upon the best of both, offering a broad curriculum, more extra-curricular activities and better facilities.”

Charlotte Rendle Short, who is the Deputy Chief Executive of the United Church Schools Trust, has high hopes for the merger:

“In merging with each other, our objective is for the new St Mary’s to become a leading preparatory school with a national reputation while also keeping stable the cost of education for parents.”

Andrew Salmond Smith announced last term that he will be leaving Lincoln in September after five years as Headmaster of St Marys Preparatory School for the Headship of St George’s School, Windsor.

Lincoln Minster Preparatory School also lost its Head, Karen Maltby, tragically to an illness last term. The process for recruiting a new Head will begin immediately.

For more details on the merger, read the schools’ information booklet [PDF].