St Mary's University, Twickenham

St Mary’s University, Twickenham, was founded in 1850 to train Catholic schoolmasters and initially operated from Hammersmith. It admitted lay students from 1854 and moved to its current Strawberry Hill site in 1925. The university was affiliated with the University of London Institute of Education from 1949 until 1979, after which its degrees were validated by the University of Surrey. In 2006, St Mary’s gained University College status with the power to award its own degrees, and in 2014 it was granted full university status.

The university has maintained international partnerships with institutions such as the University of San Francisco and the University of Notre Dame Australia. It played a significant role in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, hosting training camps and producing several medal-winning athletes. In 2019, St Mary’s incorporated the ecclesiastical Faculties of Philosophy and Theology from the closed Heythrop College.

St Mary’s is located on historic grounds previously part of Strawberry Hill House, an 18th-century neo-Gothic building restored in the early 21st century. The university’s development reflects its longstanding commitment to education, sports, and faith-based studies.

St Mary’s University, Twickenham, was originally founded in 1850 as a college for training Catholic schoolmasters. It began when the Catholic Poor School Committee acquired a former girls’ school at Brook Green House, Hammersmith, to provide primary education to poor Catholic children throughout the United Kingdom. The college opened with accommodation for 40 adult male students and a legal trust for this purpose was established in July 1851. Initially, the college operated under the guidance of the Brothers of Christian Instruction from Brittany, France, with a French brother in charge until an English principal was appointed in 1851.

The college initially admitted students who were expected to join the teaching religious order. However, by 1854, due to a shortage of qualified candidates, lay students were admitted. Accommodation for lay students was expanded in 1855, and by 1860 only lay students attended. During the late 19th century, the college was associated with the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) from 1899, which led to organisational changes, staff and student increases, and an extension of premises funded by the Catholic Education Council.

In 1922, negotiations led to the sale of the Hammersmith site and the purchase of the Walpole-Waldegrave property at Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. The college moved to Strawberry Hill in 1925, with new buildings designed by S. Pugin-Powell officially opened in 1927. The site provided accommodation for 150 students, with approximately 190 students in total. Students mainly came from England and Wales, with some private students from Northern Ireland, Malta, and other locations.

By 1928, the college was part of a group of London teacher training colleges under the supervision of University College London (UCL), which oversaw course syllabuses and examinations for the Certificate of Education. In 1930, degree courses leading to University of London degrees were introduced alongside the Certificate of Education course. A colonial course to train priests and brothers for overseas missions was also established, transferred to the Jesuits in 1935.

After World War II, in 1949, St Mary’s became a constituent college of the University of London Institute of Education. Expansion occurred in response to demand for teachers, with places increasing to 500 by 1959 and to 1,000 by 1966, the same year that women were admitted full-time. Degree courses for Bachelor of Education and other University of London degrees were introduced in the late 1960s and 1970s.

St Mary’s association with the University of London ended in 1979, and its degree courses were validated by the University of Surrey. The first Surrey-validated degrees were awarded in 1986. The educational links with the Vincentians ended in 1992 with the retirement of the principal, although Vincentians continued in chaplaincy and teaching roles for some years. Arthur Naylor became the first lay principal in 1992.

In 2006, St Mary’s became a University College with the authority to award its own degrees, granted by the Privy Council. The university has maintained partnerships with various universities internationally, including the University of San Francisco, University of St Thomas (Houston), St Mary’s University Halifax, Australian Catholic University, and the Catholic University of America. In 2020, it entered a partnership with the University of Notre Dame Australia.

On 17 September 2010, Pope Benedict XVI visited St Mary’s during his state visit to the UK, the first papal visit since 1982. Later that year, Philip Esler became the second lay principal. Between 2010 and 2011, sports facilities were refurbished and expanded, resulting in an £8.5 million sports centre opened by Lord Sebastian Coe, with notable alumni inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame for Sports.

The university played a significant role in the 2012 Summer Olympics, with 18 athletes associated with St Mary’s competing in athletics, rowing, and hockey. David Weir won four gold medals at the Paralympics. St Mary’s was a pre-Games training camp for several national teams including South Africa, Ireland, China, and Japan. In 2014, St Mary’s University College was granted full university status by the Privy Council.

In July 2019, the ecclesiastical Faculties of Philosophy and Theology, previously part of Heythrop College, University of London, were transferred to St Mary’s and renamed Mater Ecclesiae College.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio, 22 athletes from St Mary’s competed, surpassing previous records. The athletes won six medals for Team GB, including gold medals by Mo Farah and rower Moe Sbihi. Boxer Joshua Buatsi won bronze, and Simon Amor coached the men’s Rugby 7s team to a silver medal.

St Mary’s University provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in education, including Primary and Secondary Teacher Training with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It offers degrees in Sports Science, Coaching, and Performance, focusing on athlete development and sports management. The university also delivers programmes in Humanities, such as Philosophy and Theology, through its Mater Ecclesiae College, which specialises in ecclesiastical studies. Many courses combine theoretical learning with practical placements, preparing students for careers in teaching, sports coaching, healthcare, and religious vocations.

St Mary’s University (SMU), established in 1850 and granted full degree-awarding powers in 2014, is ranked the fourth best Modern University. It ranks highly for teaching quality and student experience, placing second in London for both categories. SMU has made significant investments to improve student experience, reflected in notable rises in major league tables since 2021: 41 places in the Good University Guide, 25 in the Complete University Guide, and 30 in the Guardian University Guide.

Vice-Chancellor Anthony McClaran highlights the university’s rise to 45th place in a respected league table as a result of its strategic vision and commitment to excellence, preparing students for successful careers and societal impact. Provost Prof Symeon Dagkas praises the collaborative efforts behind these achievements.

Student satisfaction remains strong, with SMU ranked in the top five in London and top 20 nationally across six key themes in the 2023 National Student Survey. It is rated top in London for Academic Support and second for Teaching on my Course, exceeding sector averages.

The university also made substantial progress in research, rising 32 places in the Times Higher Education Research Excellence Rankings. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, most of SMU’s research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent, more than doubling its top-rated research compared to 2014.

St Mary's University in Twickenham has a high job integration rate, with over 95% of graduates going on to work or further study within six months of graduating. A more recent HESA data point indicates that 96% of graduates are in employment, vocation, or further study within 15 months of graduation. 

• https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/ | st mary's university twickenham official website
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_University,_Twickenham | Wikipedia
• https://www.ucas.com/explore/unis/1264b52a/st-mary-s-university-twickenham?studyYear=2025 | UCAS
• https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/uk/universities/st-mary-s-university-college-twickenham | Shiksha
• https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05977277 | United Kingdom Government