The seed from which Great Maplestead School grew dates back to 1836, the vision of a lady named Mrs Mary Gee (described as“a lady of large figure and of a bountiful heart”).

She started a charity school, at which time there was already a Dame School, a Straw Plaiting School and a Church/Sunday School in the village.

It wasn’t until 1863, when a Mr G R Hanbury presented a piece of land to Mrs Gee that the present school was built, entirely at her own expense. Mrs Gee’s dream became reality. The school was presented to the parish and the Vicar and the churchwardens became trustees; this is why the school adopted the name of the church, and became known as St Giles’ Church of England School.

We hope Mrs Gee would be proud to see her school today, a school within the community that has a dedicated staff team still building on the foundations she laid.