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:schooloffice@stmargarets.herts.sch.uk