The syllabus is just the starting point at St Margaret’s.

Our dynamic and engaging teaching allows pupils to explore beyond the given syllabus, developing a deep-rooted love of learning, for life. For example, Year 7 pupils don’t just learn about Shakespeare: they visit Shakespeare’s Globe, work with actors on stage and experience a text coming to life as the writer intended! Year 7 Historians don’t sit around filling in worksheets: they go down to the South Coast and find out about the Battle of Hastings for themselves!

At St Margaret’s we have a child-centred approach to education, allowing every pupil to flourish no matter what their starting point. We may teach traditional subjects, such as Latin, but the classroom experience will be fresh and lively for all pupils: our classics department recently recreated the eruption of Mount Vesuvius through some imaginative eyewitness accounts. Small class sizes mean that no pupil is missed- our average class size is around 15 students - and that students receive the support to ensure that they excel to the best of their abilities.

At St Margaret’s we offer a broad and balanced curriculum combined with ample teacher contact time to allow every pupil to achieve their full potential in each academic discipline, with a high contact time model for GCSE and A-level.

Academic Enrichment

We pride ourselves on offering a rich programme of academic extension outside the classroom, including the arts, music and drama. Students look forward to the annual school production, but also take part in ‘coffee shop’ drama workshops, regular short concerts and the Art Department’s celebrated annual exhibition showcasing student artwork. Myth-o-logues, a one act run through of Greek’s mythology’s greatest characters is currently at audition phase.

Public Examination Years

A broad range of academic subjects are on offer at A-Level and GCSE, providing the opportunity to choose from a wide range of careers. We may excel in science and technology - many students move on to careers in computing, engineering and medicine - but languages and the humanities are just as popular at St Margaret's.

We were delighted with the outcomes that were achieved by our pupils recently, which were a testament to their hard work and teachers’ efforts. In 2023, 54% of St Margaret’s pupils achieved grades 9-7 at GCSE and 70% achieved A*-B at A-Level.

Supporting SEND

All pupils are screened for learning needs on entry to the school.  Any child starting at the School with a learning difficulty or special need will be asked to provide any relevant reports to our SENCO.  Any child identified with additional needs will be supported by the learning support department.  Here they will gain ongoing practical, emotional and academic support which makes a real difference to their academic journey and success. 

Crucially the SENCO will share relevant reports, teaching strategies and updates with teaching staff.  This will ensure that lessons are appropriately differentiated.  A continuous cycle of monitoring and feedback makes these strategies effective.

Pupils with a range of learning needs are fully supported in their learning, both through small group workshops and individual tuition - pupils with a range of educational needs make excellent academic progress at St Margaret's.