School Information
A warm welcome to our wonderful school
Founded in 1933 and set amidst the green residential environment of
Letchworth Garden City, the world’s first garden city, St. Francis’ College
stands tall in this enviable location. Letchworth is conveniently located half
way on the main train line connecting London and Cambridge. Your journey
by direct train from London Kings Cross station will take just 35 minutes
while Heathrow airport is 50 minutes away by car.
Run by an educational charity, St. Francis’ College has been providing a
first-class education for girls for decades. Now a day and boarding school for
girls aged 3-18, welcoming girls of all faiths and none, we blend traditional
values and a modern vision.
Support and Encouragement
Our academic achievements are outstanding and we have a solid tradition
of academic rigor. However, we believe that academic success should be
balanced with personal success in everything the girls do. Our girls learn
to set their own aspirational targets and we encourage them to nurture
self-belief.
This means that good results happen naturally. And it is this philosophy
and approach that has become an essential part of the St. Francis’ Way.
At St. Francis’ we believe that given the right stimulus, the right
environment, the right focus and support, and with effort and commitment,
your daughter can be anything she wants to be. As one of the top all-girls’
independent schools in the country, St. Francis’ prides itself on building
intellectually creative minds.
We have strong traditions in art, dance, drama and music. The recycled
fashion Show is a popular annual event, and the girls are adept at
developing their own photographs in the dark room. Annual dance and
drama productions from Kindergarten to Year 13 are held in our 330-seat
professional Theatre and our serene Chapel hosts regular music concerts.
You can board at St. Francis’ from Year 6, and there is the option of
weekly or flexi boarding, although the majority board full-time.
The boarding house has a lovely family atmosphere supported by
experienced boarding staff and academic tutors. Boarding comes with a
built-in social life, which means that the girls will be living with their friends
– a recipe for fun!
Our school has everything you would expect and more: there’s a 330-
seat purpose-built theatre, a 20-metre indoor heated swimming pool,
gymnasium, dance studio, hockey pitches and five courts for both netball
and tennis.
Scholarships and Bursaries
- A number of Academic Scholarships are awarded to the best candidates on the basis of performance in the College’s Entrance Examination. The value of scholarship award is either 10% or 20%.
- There are two Sports Scholarship awards to the value of 10%.
- One additional award: The St Francis de Sales Award – is offered to the daughter or granddaughter of an Old Girl of the College.
- There are four Performing Arts Scholarships (Art, Dance, Drama, Music) to the value of 10% each plus tuition in one or two disciplines taken in College.
Year 9 (Entrance at 13+)
- A number of Academic Scholarships are awarded to the best candidates on the basis of performance in the College’s Entrance Examination with a value of either 10% or 20%.
- Two Sports Scholarships are available to candidates, value 10% each.
- Two Performing Arts Scholarships (Art, Dance, Drama, Music) are available at 10% each plus tuition in one or two disciplines taken in College.
Year 12 – Sixth Form (Entrance at 16+)
- A number of awards are available to candidates. These are awarded as a result of an examination and interview held in November each year. Students are asked to demonstrate an ability to contribute significantly to a specific area of school life, e.g. School Council, music, drama, community, sport as well as academic promise.
- There is one Sports Scholarship awarded, value 10%. There are two Performing Arts Scholarships (Art, Dance, Drama, Music) available at 10% each plus tuition in one or two disciplines taken in College.
- Headmistress` Special Award is a discretionary Scholarship (not always awarded) for a girl who displays outstanding promise or contribution to College life.
Bursaries Bursaries are available for entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+. These are awarded on the basis of financial need. Additional bursaries are also available for current students at a critical point in their education should financial need dictate. All bursaries are reviewed annually.
Address
Open on Google Maps- Address The Broadway
- Borough Letchworth
- Zip/Postal Code SG6 3PJ
- Phone: +44 (0)1462 670511
- Fax: +44 (0)1462 682361
- Email: admissions@st-francis.herts.sch.uk
- Website: www.st-francis.herts.sch.uk
News
A-level success for St. Francis’ College
St. Francis’ College has triumphed once again with another impressive set of ever improving A-level results. This year the pass rate was 100% A*-E grades, wiith 41% of the grades A /A* 69% A*-B grades . The School is proud of all the Year 13 cohort. but especially all the A*/A achievers: Wenjun who is
St. Francis’ College celebrates 85th Anniversary
In 1933 a group of Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary from Ghent came to Letchworth Garden City to open St. Francis’ College. They would be delighted to know that the College continues to thrive and celebrated its 85th Anniversary in 2018. The College opened its doors in September 1933. The kindergarten and preparatory
Antibiotics Unearthed – Students searching for new antibiotics
In 2016, St. Francis’ College was selected as one of only six schools in the country to take part in an initiative to help discover new antibiotics. The “Small World Initiative” (now called “Antibiotics Unearthed” in the UK), formulated at Yale University in 2012 is designed to give students the opportunity to be part of
Oliver at St. Francis’ College
St. Francis’ College staged the famous musical ‘Oliver’ by Lionel Bart, on 25th and 26th November in the College Theatre. It was a fabulous show with well-known toe-tapping numbers, such as, ‘Pick a Pocket or two’ and ‘I’d do Anything.’ The audience of parents and friends of the school were certainly “begging for more” by
A Level Celebrations at St. Francis’ College
St. Francis’ College has yet again received a set of outstanding A Level results with 84% of grades being A* – B, with 47% of these being A/A*. These results are testimony to the hard work and dedication of staff and students which breeds excellence here at St. Francis’. It is known that girls excel
St. Francis’ College Play is a Roaring Success
The pupils at St. Francis’ College, Letchworth gave an outstanding performance of the famous novel by C S Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ last weekend. The cast of 50 girls, aged between 11 and 18 years old, gave four performances, two for family and guests, and two for the local community. On
St Francis’ College Girls Get Top Grades
St Francis’ College is, once again, pleased to announce that our girls have excelled in their A level results. We are especially pleased to see a sharp increase in A/A* grades this year bucking the national trend. Over 25% of our girls have achieved straight A/A* grades, including one student who has a clean sweep
St. Francis` College’s GCSE Results
Again St. Francis` College has more top grades St. Francis` College`s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty commented “This year schools have been told to expect big variations in their GCSE results, thanks to the largest set of changes to exams for many years. Against this background I am thrilled to congratulate our girls and staff on
St. Francis` College A Level Results
Once again St. Francis` College bucks the national trend in Science Once again the A level results are outstanding with exams passed at A* grade having increased by nearly a quarter over last year to reach three times this year`s national average. The areas of the sciences and mathematics are not traditionally favoured by girls
