International PROSPECTUS · or for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Our international student graduates leave school with qualifications to gain entrance to the best

International PROSPECTUS

Come with us on a journey in educating your daughter to live and lead in a global society. We will work in partnership with you to make it a challenging, nurturing, enriching and empowering experience.

Your daughter will leave us with the professional, personal and interpersonal skills to equip her for a successful life beyond our gates, wherever in the world that may be.

Ours is a learning environment unique to New Zealand’s South Island where girls are educated in a caring family environment underpinned by Christian values and where they are expected to participate in a wide range of cultural, sporting, service, spiritual and academic pursuits.

We set the academic bar high and the girls achieve at a consistently high level, from the Junior School (Years 1-6), through the Middle School (Years 7-10) to the Senior School (Years 11-13). Senior schooling offers a unique dual pathway to tertiary education, either through the NCEA or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Throughout your daughter’s education, we keep a vital balance by emphasising the importance of maintaining positive human relationships in this age of increasing materialism and technology.

It would be a privilege to share this journey with you and your daughter during this important time in her life.

Diana Patchett St Margaret’s College, Executive Principal Christchurch, New Zealand

Welcome to St Margaret’s College

St Margaret’s College is a school community that is founded on Anglican Christian values. We are dedicated to excellence in all that we do. We believe that education must be holistic; that it embraces the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of our girls, as well as their academic growth and their development in sport and in the arts.

Within the people of this community are the values of honesty, integrity, loyalty, caring and compassion. These qualities are expressed, role modelled and learnt in the relationships evident amongst members of the community.

There is an enthusiasm and passion demonstrated by the staff for working with young people. There is also, in every member of the community, a passion for life long learning and a desire to take every opportunity for personal and professional growth. All are encouraged to seize the opportunities offered by new

Our Values

knowledge and technologies to secure a sustainable social, cultural, economic and environmental future for ourselves, New Zealand and the global community. Both students and staff are supported to reach their full potential, to develop new skills, to show adaptability and enterprise in the face of change, to set goals and to demonstrate the resilience to learn from mistakes.

At St Margaret’s we strive for healthy life styles and have a strong sense of personal and collective security. There is time for work and play, for prayer and reflection, for celebrating individuality, rewarding initiative and valuing the social and ethnic differences that enrich the community. Tradition and stability provide the foundation which nurtures innovation.

Alongside a St Margaret’s College education, Christchurch offers an exceptional quality of life with an abundance of parks and recreational activities from surfing on our shores to skiing on top of our mountains unveiling some of the most stunning scenery in New Zealand. We embrace and value the diversity that international students bring to our city.

Following the 2010-2011 earthquakes, Christchurch has re-emerged as a vibrant, ever-changing city. Lonely Planet listed it as one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2013 and on The New York Times' 52 Places to Go in 2014, Christchurch ranked second. Christchurch is the gateway to New Zealand's South Island. You can ski, bungy jump, hike, mountain bike, raft, surf, swim, golf, see whales, dolphins and seals, shop, be entertained and awed, and so much more, all within two hours of Christchurch.

Christchurch

Learning & Living in Christchurch, New Zealand

At St Margaret’s College we believe that education must be holistic and that it embraces the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of our students, as well as their academic growth and their development in sport and the arts. Positive relationships are powerful in our learning community and the sense of ‘family’ is fostered from Years 1 to 13.

All students have a key adult who has the overview of their wellbeing, academic progress and extracurricular involvement and who is the contact person for parents to communicate with. This is the basis for our House Tutor System.

At St Margaret’s the House Tutor System provides the cornerstone for the pastoral care of our students. Our House system is made up of six houses and the friendly rivalry between them in sporting and cultural competitions is a colourful and vibrant part of life at St Margaret’s College.

Pastoral Care at St Margaret’s College

Each Tutor Group belongs to a House and Middle School and Senior School Tutor Groups are paired to ensure a seamless transition in their pastoral care as girls progress through school, and a strong link between all age groups. There are approximately 15 students in each Tutor Group.

When a new girl joins St Margaret’s College, she is allocated a ”buddy” to help her to settle, especially during the first weeks of the year. The boarding community also have a programme designed to support a new boarder in those first weeks and months of the year, helping our international students become fully immersed in every day St Margaret’s life. These relationships throughout both day and boarding schools foster the family feel within our community and allow connectedness to thrive.

The boarding community is at the heart of St Margaret’s College and is a warm, caring home away from home. The three boarding houses are arranged in year groups and structured to the specific needs of each developmental stage, building strong relationships and driven, self-managed young women.

St Margaret’s College values the cultural and global dimension that students from around the world bring to the college. Our international students are integrated into all school classes, and where appropriate, receive additional support in specific areas of the curriculum. Girls come to our school from many different countries. They are actively encouraged to experience and participate in the rich sporting cultural and social life of the school and the city.

At St Margaret’s your daughter can choose to study for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) or for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Our international student graduates leave school with qualifications to gain entrance to the best universities in New Zealand and around the world.

The IB programme is well established at St Margaret’s. It is a two year course that espouses the best aspects of international education. It is acknowledged by universities worldwide as an excellent pre-university qualification and gives graduates an in-depth understanding of the importance of the international nature of knowledge in both the humanities and the sciences.

The IB is taught in more than 130 countries and has earned a fine reputation around the world. St Margaret’s is the only school in Christchurch to offer the IB Diploma.

The NCEA is the New Zealand qualification framework for students in the Senior School. Assessment for the qualification is both internal with interschool moderation and by public examination for each subject.

Learning at St Margaret’s College as an International Student

St Margaret’s College consistently performs in the top 3% of all New Zealand girls’ schools and in the top 5% of IB schools globally:

2017 Academic Results Excellence Endorsement NCEA Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 St Margaret’s College 49.0% 52.5% 32.6% All girls’ schools (decile 8-10) 40.8% 33.4% 28.6%

All Results Summary NCEA Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 St Margaret’s College 100% 100% 99% All girls’ schools (decile 8-10) 95% 96.8% 94%

International Baccalaureate Diploma 100% pass rate with three students achieving the distinction of 40 marks or higher and one achieving the maximum possible mark of 45.

The world average for the IB Diploma is 29.21 Points. St Margaret’s College average is 35.0 points.

Over 40 tertiary scholarships awarded to universities in New Zealand, Australia and USA.

St Margaret’s College Academic Results

International Baccalaureate Diploma Subjects Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 • English SL • Chinese SL & ab initio • Geography SL/HL • English HL • French SL & ab initio • Economics SL/HL • Japanese SL & ab initio • History SL/HL • Spanish SL & ab initio • Environmental Systems SL

Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 • Biology SL/HL • Mathematics HL • Music SL/HL • Chemistry SL/HL • Mathematics SL • Theatre Studies SL/HL • Design Technology SL/HL • Mathematical Studies SL • Art SL/HL • Environmental Systems SL • Physics SL/HL • Sports, Exercise and Health Science SL

The St Margaret’s College Curriculum

NCEA Subjects Sciences Mathematics Health and Physical Education • Physics • Mathematics • Physical Education • Biology • Calculus • Health Studies • Science • Statistics and Modelling • Home Economics – Food & Nutrition • Chemistry • Accounting

Social Science The Arts English • Geography • Art • English Literacy • Economics • Photography • English • History • Painting • English Scholarship • Business Introduction • Design • History of Art • Printmaking Creative Technologies • Classical Studies • Dance • Digital Technology • Performance Drama • Materials Technology Languages • Music • Design and Visual Communication • French (Graphics) • Chinese • Japanese • Spanish

All staff, both teaching and non-teaching, make a positive contribution to, and are valued within, our community. Respect for one another is promoted. Staff are encouraged to embrace new ideas, be creative, develop new skills and be flexible in the face of change. Collective values and empathy ensure the care and support of each other.

Collegiality in the staff room is evident and we strive to ensure this is a welcoming, open place where staff can relax and enjoy the company

Our Staff

of each other. The sharing of best practice underpins our professional and collegial interchanges. We are a strong learning community and professional development is supported and encouraged throughout all levels of the school.

We believe that education must be holistic; that it embraces the spiritual and emotional well being of our girls as well as their academic growth and their development in sport and in the arts.

Centre for Innovation A space to think, tinker and create. A place to develop creativity, collaborative problem solving and risk-taking skills in robotics, coding, 3D printing and more.

Sport St Margaret’s College has a proud tradition of sporting successes and values the girls’ involvement in sport. The efforts of a knowledgeable and supporting team ensures ongoing inter-school competition, internal events, personal fitness programmes, leadership opportunities, education and programmes that develop students.

The Arts The arts programmes at St Margaret’s are rich with passion and enthusiasm. Dance, drama, music, visual arts, debating, speech and drama – an arts education at St Margaret’s will engage, excite and enrich.

Library and e-Learning Centre This modern learning environment is the hub of learning in our school community.

Theatre Dance Academy A purpose-built dance and drama centre where students experience a range of genres, either as part of the curriculum or each day after school as part of the specialist Academy.

Leck Centre for Learning Enhancement St Margaret’s values girls who think differently and provides a supportive learning environment at the Leck Centre for Learning Enhancement. We believe that no one system ticks all of the boxes and the differences range from those who are gifted and talented, English language learners or students with dyslexia or other learning difficulties.

Our Facilities

Hello my name is Minji Kim from South Korea. I’m 16 and a boarder. The first interesting thing about boarding is the events. We have lots, for example Boarder’s Weekend, or Christmas Dinner. The second thing is I can make lots of friends from all over the world like China, Japan, Singapore and Germany! Lastly, boarding improves our independence. While I’m in the boarding house I need to plan and decide everything. This year I made lots of Kiwi friends by doing International Baccalaureate. So I think IB is so important for me not just for my university but my friends too.

Students’ Stories

My name is Katharina Tiedtke, but everybody calls me Tinka. I’m 15 years old and I’m from Germany. I’m a boarder and really enjoy it. The good thing about boarding is quickly making friends from lots of different cultures such as Korea and China. I also really like that I am more independent and can make my own decisions. Because of the earthquakes, it’s important to know I feel very safe. The school is a new build and, together with the boarding house, is designed to withstand anything. In Germany we have 13 subjects and in Year 12 at SMC we only have six. I really like it because it’s more intensive and you learn more.

My name is Nicolette Oosterhuis. I’m 17 years old and I came to St Margaret’s from Tanzania. I decided to go to St Margaret’s because of the International Baccalaureate programme, In Tanzania this was the curriculum that I was in and for my last two years I wanted to finish it. Also my mother is from Dunedin, I wanted to be on the same island as some of my family. I find it interesting how at school there are many groups but in the boarding house everyone gets along and we are all one community. Also I have become more organised and developed self-management skills. And yes, St Margaret’s has definitely prepared me for next year!

For all international enquiries, please contact: Chris Chambers

Email: [email protected]

St Margaret’s College 12 Winchester Street

Christchurch, New Zealand, 8014

Tel: +64 3 379 2000 www.stmargarets.school.nz

Contact Us

stmargarets.school.nz