The school was located on the site of a former a country house called Bitterne Grove, built c1790 by Richard Leversuch.

In 1910 it was bought by the French order of the Brothers of Christian Instruction and renamed as St Mary's House.

In 1922 it became the first Secondary School for Catholic boys in Southampton, under the name of St Mary's College, and opened with five Brothers and 30 pupils.

He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm and two stars, as well as the Médaille Militaire and, for his bravery on the battlefield of Verdun in 1916, the Legion of Honour Military Medal.

[6] In 2020 the school went into administration following financial difficulties which had been "significantly impacted" due to the coronavirus pandemic.