Introduction

Welcome from the Headmistress Peterborough College and St Margaret’s School each began as separate entities over a hundred years ago and amalgamated in 1941. Since 1991 Peterborough & St Margaret’s School has been situated in Stanmore within easy access of Harrow and Watford. The school is a member of the Independent Schools Association and is consistently ranked one of the best schools of its type in the country. It caters for boys and girls in its nursery from the age of 3 and for girls in the Infant, Junior and Senior Departments. Unlike many independent schools, the girls do not have to pass an entrance examination to be admitted into the Senior Department once they attend the school.

Small class sizes, capped at approximately 20 girls per class, and a ‘family’ environment enable the children to develop and flourish more successfully than they might otherwise in a larger school. Here, no child gets lost in the crowd; each is an individual, and academic and creative talents are promoted both within the classroom and through extra-curricular activities. The Year 10 and 11 girls are treated as ‘sixth formers’, with all the related positions of responsibility and privileges. They rapidly grow into their roles, becoming more responsible and mature than girls of the same age who will have to wait several years for such opportunities. They are then ready to ‘spread their wings’, using the Sixth Form experience elsewhere as a transition to university.

Typically the girls progress to North London Collegiate School, Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, Royal Masonic School, Aldenham School, Henrietta Barnett School, Watford Girls’ School and St Helen’s School, as well as a number of Sixth Form Colleges. It is not unusual for girls to be awarded scholarships for sixth form entry.

Academic and Music Scholarships are available for entry to PSM Senior Department. Means-tested bursaries are available throughout the school.

Education is for life and choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make on his or her behalf. Learning should be enjoyable and here at Peterborough & St Margaret’s we aim to make it so, whether they are spending their first day in the Nursery or studying for their GCSE examinations.

We have always had the reputation of being a friendly, happy and caring community which values the talents and contributions of each individual. I hope you will make an appointment to come and see our school at work.

Mrs Susan Watts