St Margaret’s 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 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.
It is fully accepted that learning is not confined to the classroom and a wide variety of learning experiences may take place outside the classroom and in the community beyond the school. Learning acknowledges our heritage as New Zealanders who recognise Maori and Pakeha as full Treaty of Waitangi partners and who value and respect all cultures.
We value the excellence of our teaching, our solid academic background and our desire for continuous improvement. Students leave our school with a rich repertoire of thinking skills which they know how to apply both academically and in a wide variety of situations. They have a strong work ethic, a desire to learn and self-confidence. Interpersonal skills are developed which enable all members of the community to relate with ease to those of different cultural and social backgrounds as well as different age groups in a variety of settings.
Facilities and the physical environment are continually reviewed for development and improvement to ensure that learning can be supported by the best facilities, resources and environment. Staff are given time within their responsibilities for reflection and renewal. Balance underpins this community. We seek a sense of total wellbeing, a balance of physical, spiritual, social/family, mental and emotional needs. There is a balance amongst the opportunities available to the students in the school’s academic, sporting and cultural life and balance between what we would like to achieve and what is realistic. 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.
