Royal Visitor Opens St Mary's High School

The celebration involved the whole school and people from the community, diocese and county, including the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt revd Dr Alan Smith, and the Bishop of Bedford, the rt Revd Richard Inwood, civic leaders, school governors and Head Teachers from neighbouring primary and secondary schools.

The Duke toured the school with the Vice-Lord Lieutenant, Richard Beazley; Bishop Alan; Stephanie Benbow, (Head Teacher pictured); Maureen Bruce, (Chair of Governors); Adrian Warne, (Project Director Lyster Grillet and Harding, architects of the school); Maria Nicolaou (yr 13 student) and Ciara Fleming (yr 9 Student).

The Duke and his party saw students at work in lessons and during student activities. Maria said while waiting for the Duke’s arrival that she was looking forward to helping the Duke get to know her school and to see it at its best.

The Duke, himself an architect, addressed the whole school and declared it formally open, saying to the gathered pupils, staff and guests that as much as the new building was the school’s future, they were the country’s. Bishop Alan responded warmly and blessed the school, staff and pupils.

The royal tour was followed by a Community Service celebrating the formal opening during which there was a showcase of student talent in front of the pupils and guests involving singing, poetry and nursery rhymes from the adjoining children’s centre.The behaviour of the pupils was impeccable throughout the occasion.

St Mary’s was founded in 1958 as a Church of England school, occupying a different site. It grew over the years, adding several buildings in the process. About nine years ago, Hertfordshire County Council and the Diocese of St Albans decided that a new and larger building was needed. The brick and glass on a new site has been 18 months in construction.