Educating World-wide
for More Than 400 Years
Rich Heritage, Modern Outlook
The Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady was founded in Bordeaux in 1607 to educate girls of all faiths, and is the first female Apostolic Religious Order recognised by the Church for the education of girls. Today, there are more than 300 CoMOL schools, educational foundations and projects across 26 countries.
Notre Dame School in Cobham is the only one in the UK.
Traditional thinking, fresh approach
Our Foundress was Saint Jeanne de Lestonnnac, a mother of five children and a progressive and dedicated educator. She grew up in an intellectual and cultured family and was exposed to many different religious and philosophical perspectives. Her own educational approach – which still looks fresh and modern more than 400 years later – was greatly influenced by her uncle, Michel de Montaigne, a renowned humanist philosopher; his belief was that all children deserved to understand the world through experience and learning, in order to develop lives of integrity and purpose.
Accompanying young people in their efforts to build their lives for today and tomorrow
At Notre Dame we continue to strive to live up to St Jeanne’s indomitable spirit and drive, and we remain committed to our mission statement of ‘Accompanying young people in their efforts to build their lives for today and tomorrow’. This mission, along with St Jeanne’s principles of compassion, tolerance and integrity, still provide a highly relevant educational framework that we share with our sister schools all over the world, in many different environments. Our deeply embedded ethos encourages our children to aspire to be the best they can be in all their endeavours, so that they can live full, authentic lives and make a positive difference in the world.
85 Years and counting in Burwood house
The Company of Mary Our Lady came to Cobham in 1937, and Notre Dame School has been here ever since. Here’s a pictorial look back over the last 85 years…
Take a look at the document we produced to celebrate 80 years in Burwood House, back in 2017.
