Queen Margaret College, Wellington

Queen Margaret College

The Queen Margaret College Tower Building
Address
53 Hobson Street
Thorndon
Wellington
New Zealand
Information
Funding type Private
Ministry of Education Institution no. 278
Principal Ms Carol Craymer
Years offered Pre-School – Year 13
Gender Girls
School roll 666 [1]
Socio-economic decile 10
Website www.qmc.school.nz

Queen Margaret College is Wellington’s leading independent girls’ school, providing education for students from Year 1 to 13 with a co-educational Pre-School. Established in 1919 as an inner-city, Presbyterian girls’ college, the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School is known for its outstanding academic results and offering students a variety of sporting, cultural and leadership opportunities.

Curriculum

This International Baccalaureate (IB) World School delivers the curriculum continuum of the three IB Programmes: the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The curriculum fits closely with the holistic philosophy and international vision of the College. The school is the largest, independent girls’ school in Wellington and the only girls’ school in the lower North Island offering a dual qualification pathway of either the internationally recognised IB Diploma or New Zealand’s credential, The National Certificate of Education (NCEA).

The College has a reputation for academic excellence as reflected in its 2015 Dual Qualification Pathway results: 100% IB Diploma Pass rate 100% NCEA Level 3 Pass rate 100% NCEA Level 2 Pass rate 99% NCEA Level 1 Pass rate

Extra-curricular

The students have numerous opportunities for involvement, high-level performance and leadership through sporting and cultural activities and extensive exchange programmes with sister schools. The College has over 100 sports teams participating in a wide range of sports to suit every student. There are options for social and competitive levels. Students can join a number of musical groups and participate in the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, debating, theatre-sports and the annual joint musical production with Scots College. Queen Margaret College also has an extensive exchange programme with sister schools from Chile, Tahiti, France, Australia, China, Europe, USA and Japan encouraging language development and global citizenship.

Facilities

Queen Margaret College is located in a Category 2 historical building constructed in 1876. The Tower Block is the heart of the school and symbolises the College’s strength and resilience. Over the past 96 years the College has cared for and restored this building, while expanding school facilities to provide our students with the highest quality learning environment. The Hobson Complex was opened in 2013 which includes a purpose built gym and fitness room. The school also has an auditorium for music and performances. A new purpose-built co-educational Pre-School was opened in 2015.

History

Queen Margaret College

Queen Margaret College was founded on its present site in Hobson Street, Thorndon in 1919 as an independent girls' school by the Hon John Aitken and The Very Rev. Dr. James Gibb. Its general aim as stated in the first prospectus was 'to provide for girls a sound intellectual and moral education, and to build up strong Christian character on board religious basis, and thus to develop the bets type of girlhood and womanhood'. The buldings had been used by Scots College from 1916 to 1918,

The School's namesake is Queen Margaret, who was married to King Malcolm. He features in Macbeth, being one of Duncan's sons, who flees after his father was murdered.

Students are organised into five houses - Berwick (blue & silver), Braemar (blue & yellow), Glamis (red & blue), Lochleven (red, green and black), and Stirling (black & yellow). They are named after castles in Scotland, a nod towards the Scottish heritage upon which the school was built.

Queen Margaret College is the sister school of Scots College and the colleges have remained close and annually celebrate Founders Day together and present a joint production each year among other things. The College also has links with the international body of Margaret Schools and Independent Schools of New Zealand.

The Queen Margaret College Tower Building is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II structure, with registration number 1419.[2] The Queen Margaret College building was originally designed and erected for T.C. Williams and his wife Anne Beetham as their family homestead in Hobson St., Thorndon, New Zealand. T.C. Williams was the son of Henry Williams (missionary) who translated the Treaty of Waitangi into Māori.

Notable old girls

References

A History of Queen Margaret College by M. D. (Mollie) Gambrill (1969; Wright & Carman, Queen Margaret College)

  1. ↑ "Directory of Schools - as at 2 August 2017". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Queen Margaret College Tower Building". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 12 April 2014.

Coordinates: 41°16′20″S 174°46′48″E / 41.2723°S 174.7800°E / -41.2723; 174.7800

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