A Short History

The establishment of a boarding and day school in the Berkshire village of Sunninghill by the Marist Sisters was a direct result of the German air offensive against London in the early 1940s. This is the story behind the school as it is today.

On the night of the 21 September 1940 a German canister-bomb was dropped in Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey where the Marist Sisters' Convent and School had been established in 1870. It caused irreparable damage to the buildings but there were no casualties as the Sisters and students sheltered in the basement.

Consequently, the Sisters rented a house at 6 Fife Road, East Sheen, to accommodate the senior school, while the least damaged area of the Queen's Road building was repaired and used for the juniors. Barnes County Council, considered the existence of a school in a residential area to be in contravention of the Town Planning Scheme and withdrew permission for use of the site as a school.

After much searching however, the Sisters found the Frognal Estate in Sunninghill, which was up for sale in 1947 and duly purchased the property.

Frognal House, a redbrick mansion situated in 55 acres of beautifully landscaped woodland was built in 1876, and had been owned by Sir Walter Palmer, the biscuit maker. Immediately prior to the Marist Sisters acquiring the property, Frognal was rented by the American High Command and was a base for General Eisenhower and his War Council.

In the summer of 1947 the Sisters moved from Richmond and Sheen and prepared the house for a Community of 12 and a group of boarders.

The move to Frognal was completed on 28 July 1947 and the name changed to ‘The Rosary’. The school opened in October with 48 weekly boarders and 8 day students who made the journey daily from Richmond. Local students enrolled, the number of boarders increased, and as the school continued to grow, plans were made in1956 to extend the building.

The new extension was opened on the 7 July 1962, by which date the number on the student roll was 242 senior and 176 junior students.

In 1969, work commenced on a new building for the Preparatory School and on 14 April 1970 the official opening took place. In the 1970s further classrooms were added, a Cecilia wing comprising 2 staff rooms, an exam centre, PE rooms and a new swimming pool.

In 1991 some of the original 1947 temporary buildings, were demolished and replaced by an extensive block comprising science and art rooms. A new music suite was added to the Preparatory School in 2005. Colin Building was built providing new drama facilities for the Senior School, with studio seating added in 2008. With girls excelling at creative arts alongside their academic studies, this provision has enabled the music and drama departments to spread their wings and for performers to flourish in their new found space.

Since1947, 196 Marist Sisters have given dedicated service in various roles at the Marist, Sunninghill and to them and to the many conscientious teachers who have worked here over the years, the Marist owes its distinctive position and reputation as one of the country's leading education establishments for girls.