Girls school's 135th birthday celebrations

In 1873, the vicar of a market town was so appalled at the lack of decent education for girls he decided to establish an all-girls school.

In an era when education for boys was considered most important, Canon John Duncan, the vicar of Calne in Wiltshire, was determined that girls could have a good education too.

A public appeal was launched to raise funds for the school and St Mary's was opened on The Green in 1873 with six day girls and three boarders.

On Friday, 135 years after the school opened, teachers and students at the leading independent girls school will be celebrating the landmark birthday.

The Marchioness of Lansdowne from Bowood House will officially open St Mary's new £4.5 million state-of-the-art sixth form centre, which marks the highlight of the school's 135th birthday year and 100 years to the day since St Mary's School moved to its present site in Calne.

St Mary's has experienced a successful 135 years with thousands of girls going on to become leaders in their field. Famous old girls include the novelist Eva Rice, head of the Charity Commission Dame Suzie Leather and fashion designer Jade Jagger.

It is hoped that St Mary's oldest old girl, 101-year-old Gladys Beale, will attend the celebrations on Friday. She is related to Dorothea Beale, one of the pioneers of women's education in the UK.

St Mary's faced financial difficulties in the early years when, in 1902, a grant under the new Education Act was refused, as it was seen as a church school.

A successful appeal was launched to save the school, and Canon Duncan arranged the transfer of the school to its present site – then called Lansdowne Villa – in Curzon Street before his death in 1907.

By 1915, renowned headmistress Marcia Matthews started a 30-year tenure at St Mary's, heralding in a new age of expansion and success.

Early achievements included recognition by the Board of Education in 1920, the first girls succeeding in the Cambridge Higher Examination and the first St Mary's girl gained entry to Oxford University in 1921.

In 1985, Delscey Burns took over as head, and today, the school's celebrated theatre is named in her honour. Current head Dr Helen Wright joined the school in 2003, and has overseen the continued development of the school.

Dr Wright said: "We have much to celebrate at St Mary's School this year – not least the opening of our fabulous new Sixth Form Centre – which will provide a unique pre-university experience for our girls – and an outstanding set of examination results.

"We are delighted that many of our old girls and supporters are able to join the whole school community on Friday to see how we are evolving into the 21st century and take a fond look back to our foundation in 1873 and the day we moved to this site on October 24, 1908."