- About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024, placed seventh nationally and third in the Southeast. - Admissions
Approximately 1 in 10 pupils receive a bursary or scholarship. We are committed to ensuring an MCS education is open to the brightest pupils, no matter their personal circumstances.
- Junior School
“The Junior School is a very busy and happy school and here, a smile goes a long way.”
- Senior School
28 of our pupils achieved 10 or more 8 or 9 grades in 2024. - Sixth Form
Over 25% of our Sixth Form pupils take up places at Oxford and Cambridge every year.
- Supporting MCS
Your donations contribute over £150,000 a year to bursaries as well as building an endowment to fund bursaries for the future.
- About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024, placed seventh nationally and third in the Southeast.
- Admissions
Approximately 1 in 10 pupils receive a bursary or scholarship. We are committed to ensuring an MCS education is open to the brightest pupils, no matter their personal circumstances.
- Junior School
“The Junior School is a very busy and happy school and here, a smile goes a long way.”
- Senior School
28 of our pupils achieved 10 or more 8 or 9 grades in 2024.
- Sixth Form
Over 25% of our Sixth Form pupils take up places at Oxford and Cambridge every year.
- Supporting MCS
Your donations contribute over £150,000 a year to bursaries as well as building an endowment to fund bursaries for the future.
OW Sam Mendes’s (1983) year has gotten off to a monumental start after being awarded a knighthood and with his epic war film 1917 enjoying phenomenal success.
Sir Sam was recognised by the Queen in 2020’s New Year Honours for services to drama, having previously become a CBE in 2000 after much accomplishment across both the theatrical and film industries.
His career began as Artistic Director of the Minerva Theatre in Chichester aged 24. By 27, he had founded the Donmar Warehouse and was directing RSC productions alongside to critical acclaim. In 1998 he moved onto directing films starting with American Beauty, and went on to direct many others which also garnered further Academy Award success. As noted by the BBC, Sir Sam recognised the contributions that colleagues and collaborators made toward his achievements, saying “I would not be receiving this honour without them,” and that he was “amazed, delighted and extremely proud” to receive it.
He directed, co-wrote and produced 1917, which is in part based on an account told to him in childhood by his paternal grandfather Alfred Mendes, himself a World War I veteran and author (more about the story behind the movie in this Smithsonian Magazine piece). The film was widely released in January 2020.
Sir Sam spoke of the pressure yet exhilaration that surrounded the filming of 1917, due to the manner in which it was filmed: to give the effect of the feature-length movie being shot in one continuous take. CNN explains more about the complex technique, which also leveraged the expertise of renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins CBE.
His efforts were rewarded with three Golden Globe nominations and two gongs: one for Best Motion Picture – Drama and one for Best Director. Additionally, 1917 has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
