st margaret's school - prep prospectus
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Preparatory School
Educating girls from 4 to 11 years
WelcomeStarting school is a big event in a
girl’s life and these early years can
have a huge impact on her future
attitude to learning and approach
to life. At St Margaret’s we place as
much emphasis on pastoral care as
we do on academic excellence. As a
consequence, our school is a happy,
friendly and vibrant place filled with the
cheerful chatter of lively minds and the
hum of purposeful activity.
Our exceptional team is committed
to bringing out the best in every girl,
focusing on each as an individual.
Through a challenging and exciting
curriculum, we aim to inspire success
and develop each girl’s particular
talents and curiosity, extending her
horizons and expectations. Equipped
with this happy and secure introduction
to school life, the girls confidently
move on from the Preparatory to the
Senior School with independent and
inquiring minds, a positive attitude
to learning and an appetite for new
experiences and challenges.
I hope this booklet will convey a sense
of the energy of our school community,
but the best way to discover the
true dynamic of St Margaret’s is to
experience it for yourself.
To arrange a visit, please contact us,
we will be delighted to show you our
school in action.
Claire AisthorpeHead of Preparatory School
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A happy communityThe Preparatory School consists of
the Lower Prep (Reception, Years 1
and 2) and the Upper Prep (Years
3-6). Girls can enter the Lower Prep
at rising 4 and, from the moment
they join us, become part of a happy
secure community where every pupil
is valued as an individual and integrity
and respect are fostered in all areas of
school life.
At St Margaret’s we are committed
to providing the highest standards of
education and believe that a girl will
only reach her full potential if she is
happy and confident in school. There
is a healthy balance between work
and play and every pupil is supported
by a team of dedicated and talented
teachers, with great emphasis placed
on close liaison between staff and
parents. In this supportive and
nurturing environment, emerging
skills can be fostered.
Challenge and surprise
The endeavour to be the best you
can be underpins a St Margaret’s
education and at all levels of ability.
Each girl is encouraged to venture
beyond her comfort zone and meet
new challenges, to exceed her own
expectations and surprise herself.
Carefully guided through their early
school years, the girls thrive as they
gain independence, establish lasting
friendships and acquire an appetite for
knowledge and new experiences that
will not only prepare them for the next
stage of their educational adventure,
but will sustain them for life.
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Developing the whole personAt St Margaret’s we take an holistic
approach to education and strive to
maximise the potential and well-being
of each child both in and beyond the
classroom. Great emphasis is placed
on pastoral care, we know every girl as
an individual and work hard to ensure
that she feels valued and secure.
The best opportunity
Enjoyment is paramount to learning
and in an environment where the
school day is a fun adventure, girls at
St Margaret’s become absorbed in the
diverse activities on offer, delight in
discovery and eagerly look forward to
each new experience. With attentive
and caring support our dedicated staff
are able to identify strengths and areas
for development at an early age and
structure individual learning so that
each child has the best opportunity to
achieve her full potential.
Inspiring confidence
A wide range of extra-curricular
activities not only supports academic
learning but also develops personal
strengths. At all levels of ability girls
can enjoy drama, music and sport,
visibly growing in confidence as they
forge close and varied friendships and
discover unsuspected talents. As they
move up through the school, girls are
also encouraged to take up leadership
roles, maybe as a buddy or prefect or
through the School Council.
Supported by this framework of care
and the traditional values of courtesy,
consideration and kindness,
St Margaret’s girls thrive and emerge
as articulate, thoughtful, responsible
and motivated young people exuding
a love of life and learning.
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The Lower Prep YearsReception, Years 1 and 2
The Lower Prep area is bright, busy
and alive with the buzz of young
people with a purpose. Our buddy
system ensures that new children are
befriended and feel welcomed and
supported from the very start.
Classes are small and supervision is
close and in this secure and caring
environment the young girls settle
quickly and happily.
Individual learning
Learning is fun at St Margaret’s and
with a curriculum carefully planned
to meet the needs of their age group
and wonderful grounds and facilities,
the children eagerly set out on their
new adventure, exploring everything
that is available to them. Children in
Reception all have individual learning
journals which detail progress and the
broad range of knowledge and skills
they have acquired in the specific
areas of mathematics and literacy and
the prime areas of learning (personal;
social and emotional development;
physical development; and
communication and language).
Knowledge and adventure
Whilst the emphasis in the early years
is on literacy and numeracy, there
are many opportunities to develop
physical skills through PE, swimming
and dance and to expand creativity in
music, art and drama. Communication
skills are vital and the development
of vocabulary and social skills is
encouraged across the curriculum and
during social activities. With so much
going on, the children look forward to
coming to school every day as, from
their earliest years, they acquire an
appetite for knowledge and adventure.
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The atmosphere in the Upper Prep
is lively and purposeful and there is a
palpable sense of determination to do
well, whether it is in the classroom, on
the sports field or the concert platform.
Exciting, varied and accessible
At St Margaret’s we work hard to offer
breadth of opportunity and to ensure
that the delivery of our curriculum
is exciting, varied and accessible.
Specialist teachers from the Senior
School take lessons in French, Music
and PE. Maths is set in Year 6 and our
team of Teaching Assistants work with
individuals or small groups to enhance
or support learning. Most classes
take place in the Prep School and as
they get older the girls have access to
the Senior School’s superb facilities in
computing, food & nutrition,
textiles, sport and drama.
Open communication
As the girls move through the
school, their world opens up as new
areas of study and specialisation are
gradually introduced. In small classes
close attention is paid to each child’s
academic and personal progress
as greater emphasis is placed on
independent learning.
Homework becomes important at this
stage and our excellent relationship
and open communication with parents
ensures a smooth introduction to
this new discipline. By the end of
Year 6 the girls are well prepared and
eager to move seamlessly into the
Senior School.
The Upper Prep YearsYears 3, 4, 5 and 6
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Creativity and imaginationThe creative and performing arts
form part of the fabric of the school
and from their earliest years the
girls are encouraged to extend their
imagination and explore new avenues
of creative expression.
Making music
Children love making music and we
give them every opportunity to do so.
In addition to optional individual
tuition in the usual orchestral
instruments, all girls learn to play the
violin in Years 1 and 2 and they join the
Prep School Choir in Year 3. Regular
concerts throughout the year provide
a chance to display their new skills and
are eagerly anticipated.
Drama, dance and art
Drama is fun on and off stage at
all levels of ability and every girl is
involved in productions, big and small.
From Year 1 to Year 2 there are weekly
Speech and Drama lessons and role
play is incorporated into classroom
learning. Little girls are always
dancing and ballet is taught as
an extra-curricular activity from
Year 1 by specialist teachers in our
exceptional dance studio.
The visual arts provide the opportunity
to discover and explore a variety
of media and the adventurous and
colourful results can be seen displayed
in and around the school.
Sport and activity
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We are lucky to have wonderful
facilities including a modern Sports
Centre which houses a large sports
hall, swimming pool, dance studio
and workout gym, as well as superb
grounds.
Wealth of opportunity
Healthy activity is a vital ingredient
to learning and we offer a wealth of
sporting opportunities.
From Reception upwards specialist
teachers work with the girls in a mixture
of individual and team sports including
netball, football, rounders, athletics,
tennis, gymnastics and swimming.
Collective pride
We enjoy competition and strive for
sporting excellence, developing each
girl’s potential to the full.
Apart from obvious benefits to health,
team sports also generate a spirit of
teamwork, good communication,
leadership and mutual support.
There are many opportunities to
pursue sport beyond the curriculum
and competition at school, district
and county level generates a palpable
sense of camaraderie and collective
pride that adds yet a further dimension
to the close St Margaret’s community.
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St Margaret’s Preparatory SchoolMerry Hill Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire WD23 1DT
Telephone: 020 8416 4400 Fax: 020 8416 4401 Email:[email protected]