Our Junior School curriculum is based on the belief that the key to successful learning is instilling confidence in our students as learners. Our primary school trained teaching staff help our girls to take risks, develop resilience and collaborate with others, all in small, single-cell classrooms that provide a strong sense of community and belonging.
We provide a holistic learning environment where every girl knows their value. The teacher-student relationship is central to our success – within the classroom, through pastoral care, and through a wide range of co-curricular activities.
Being part of the larger St Margaret’s College community has many benefits for our Junior School girls, including access to specialist teachers and facilities. The forming of partnerships with our older girls allow our students to learn, respect and look up to their “big sisters”, giving them direction, aspirations and inspiration both in class and in pursuit of their co-curricular interests.
Our programme
We offer a balanced education that embraces all areas of the New Zealand primary school curriculum. All students benefit from Structured Literacy, an approach based on scientific research that enables girls to confidently ‘crack the code’ of reading. Similarly, mathematics is taught explicitly through our Maths No Problem programme, designed to develop deep number sense and strong conceptual understanding. Both Structured Literacy and Maths No Problem are delivered based on scientific insights into how the brain learns best.
Two learning support teachers, one focused on Years 1–3 and the other on Years 4–6, provide specialist teaching for girls identified as learning differently.
Our programmes extend beyond the classroom and include Education Outside the Classroom in and around Christchurch, sports, performing arts, kapa haka, languages, computational thinking, and opportunities to learn speech and drama as well as musical instruments.
Strong pastoral care is provided by the girls’ homeroom teacher, supported by the Head of Junior School. Friendology, a programme focused on building healthy friendships, is embedded throughout the Junior School, and we were the first school in New Zealand to offer this award-winning wellbeing initiative. Weekly sessions with our Chaplain allow girls to explore spirituality, complementing their attendance at Chapel each week.
Learning is the foundation of all other achievements and lies at the heart of our Junior School programmes. Our “REDS” values (representing Responsible Citizens, Effective Communicators, Dynamic Thinkers, and Self-Managers) are woven through every aspect of our students’ day.
The Leck Centre for Learning Enhancement offers a supportive learning environment for students who are identified as learning differently. Our students benefit from two learning support teachers solely focused on the New Zealand primary curriculum.
