Program

• International Baccalaureate Diploma

  The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) is designed as an academically challenging and balanced programme of education that prepares students for success at university and life beyond. The programme is taught over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities with St Margaret’s graduates attending Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, Monash and Sydney amongst others.

• Junior School

  In the St Margaret’s College Junior School (Years 1 to 6), we believe the key to successful learning in the Junior School is through providing opportunities where the girls feel confident in themselves as learners. They need to feel secure to take risks, develop resilience and collaborate with others all in an environment that gives a sense of community and belonging. Our vision as a Junior School is to Live, Learn and Lead which builds on the whole school vision Live and Lead. We know that learning is the foundation of all other achievements and is at the core of our programmes. Our values of “REDS” enable girls to Live, Learn and Lead. These are woven through all aspects in our day. The Junior School provides girls with a balanced programme that embraces all areas of the curriculum. We include a range of programmes that include Education Outside the Classroom, Sports and Performing Arts, Languages, Computational Thinking, opportunities to learn Speech and Drama and musical instruments through itinerant teachers.

• Leck Centre for Learning Enhancement

  The Leck Centre for Learning Enhancement offers a supportive learning environment for students who are identified as learning differently. These differences can range from gifted and talented to English language learners, to students with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, or a combination of these. Each girl is identified on entry to assess where their strengths or difficulties may lie.

• Middle School

  St Margaret’s College Middle School is an exciting place that caters for students as they go through a time of immense change. We provide a challenging yet supportive environment that is second to none. We focus on developing effective learning strategies to equip the girls for a life of learning. Students are encouraged to be active managers, regulators and directors of their own learning. The girls enjoy access to all the facilities St Margaret’s College has on offer including a world-class library and e-learning centre. As we are a 1:1 laptop school our focus is now on combining the learning using face to face and online learning activities. 

• NCEA

  NCEA is the New Zealand qualification framework for students in Years 12 and 13, and follows the SMC Senior School Foundation Diploma, undertaken in Year 11. Assessment for the qualification is both internal with inter-school moderation and by public examination for each subject. A Curriculum Handbook, published annually, gives up-to-date details of the courses, entry requirements and assessment procedures. In Year 12 students choose between NCEA Level 2, leading onto Level 3 and Scholarship in Year 13, or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Every effort is made to provide combinations of subjects to meet individual needs.

• Senior School

  St Margaret’s College Senior School offers a wide range of exciting learning experiences for our senior students providing a sound foundation for success in NCEA or International Baccalaureate and most importantly, for their life beyond secondary education. We value holistic education blended with strong learning and academic focus. Our exceptional academic record provides outstanding opportunities for St Margaret’s girls in their future. St Margaret’s College is the only girls’ school in the South Island to offer a dual academic pathway in the Senior School, incorporating both NCEA and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB). In offering IB we give our students the opportunity to follow a philosophy of education and an internationally-recognised qualification which reflects exactly what St Margaret’s is all about. Our Year 11 students study our Senior School Foundation Diploma, then in Year 12 students are in the enviable position to choose whether they continue with their NCEA programme or move to IB. This choice enables our students to follow the learning and assessment pathway that best suits their individual needs.

• Senior School Foundation Diploma

  From 2022, our Year 11 students will follow a contemporary curriculum, the SMC Foundation Diploma, designed to maintain the strong pathway for achieving their full potential in Years 12 and 13 and beyond. The SMC Foundation Diploma has been created in response to government changes to National Certificate for Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1, the qualification typically offered to Year 11 students. These changes include positioning NCEA Level 1 partly as an exit qualification for those entering the workforce after Year 11, and with this, the loss of specialist subjects in science and humanities. As an independent school, St Margaret’s College has the flexibility to choose our own curriculum to best meet the needs of our girls, all of whom continue their studies into Year 12. The SMC Foundation Diploma provides for increased teaching and learning time, a wide range of specialist subject options, and a tailored and rigorous assessment model incorporating a variety of modes of assessment, laying the groundwork for success in NCEA Levels 2 and 3, and the International Baccalaureate. It is based on St Margaret’s College’s commitment to provide opportunities for holistic growth and wellbeing, with modules designed to strengthen character, service and leadership skills.  Students will be required to study three compulsory subjects: English, mathematics, and one specialist science subject. They will also select three optional subjects, from a wide range of specialist subjects across science, humanities and arts.

• St Margaret’s Pre-School

  Our curriculum is based on the vision of Te Wh?riki: that children grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society. We support and extend children’s learning by providing opportunities through an inquiry-based curriculum, enriched by specialist classes, facilities and teachers.