Admissions Coordinator Candidate Information Pack
Welcome from the Head
St Margaret’s is a school with a rich history. It has a tradition for offering an education that transforms lives. We are recognised for the individual progress made by our pupils. This is best shown in the growth in personal confidence, success in public examinations and by the high level of pupils reaching their university and career of choice. We are committed to supporting children from infancy through the School and seeing them be ready for their futures. Last year our pupils went onto a tremendous range of courses including architecture, medicine and aeronautical engineering. Our small class sizes, passionate teachers and excellent facilities encourage pupils to make leaps in their progress. There is a luxury of provision in pastoral care, pupils are well supported so that they can identify what makes them happy and they can continue to prioritise it long after they have left the School. We take great pride in supporting the whole family; parents often comment on our excellent communication and engagement. Through our range of boarding options, extensive bus routes and flexible after school provision we aim to support busy, working parents. Our co-curricular provision offers something for everyone. Whether a child wishes to fuel their academic interests, take part in competitive sport or undertake one of the many activities in the expressive arts, they will have the opportunity to discover and develop their passions here. Trips and excursions, along with the ever-popular Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, are enjoyed by our pupils and also encourage personal development. St Margaret’s pupils refer to its family-like quality. The community spirit and warmth in relationships have always underpinned the education here and it really does set our School apart. Lara Péchard Head
Our History
The history of St Margaret’s is as charming as its idyllic setting. A School steeped in rich history, it has adapted to the changing world. It has survived two world wars and is testament to its resilient staff and pupils, past and present. St Margaret’s was established in 1749 as a charitable foundation to help orphans, specifically the children of deceased clergymen of the Church of England. This was the beginning of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, and of the two schools: for girls, St Margaret’s, Bushey and for boys, St Edmund’s Canterbury. The site of the first girls’ school was in Southwark, the first of the five locations of the School before its arrival at Bushey in 1897. One of the locations was St John’s Wood and by 1812 there were 130 children, the majority of which were boys. By 1850, the boys had moved to Canterbury due to space constraints. The girls’ school remained at St John’s Wood until 1895. In 1886, Miss Emily Baylee was appointed as Headmistress of the Clergy Orphan School for Girls and in many respects, with her appointment St Margaret’s modern history began. Miss Baylee moved with the school to its temporary accommodation at Windsor and was the first Headmistress at the new school in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Miss Baylee chose to name the Clergy Orphan School for Girls after St Margaret’s, who for her, epitomised the very essence of womanhood. By the end of 1893 the appointment of an architect for the new girls’ school was being considered, and Mr Alfred Waterhouse was invited to take up the task of designing the new school. Building began in 1895 and was completed in 1897. In 1925, Little St Margaret’s was built to provide accommodation for boarders, but has since evolved into the Junior School. The first ‘day’ girls were admitted in 1940 during the outbreak of the Second World War and the School remained open as a refuge for a few children and their parents during the summer holidays. After the end of the war, education at St Margaret’s widened and members of the Sixth Form went on several trips to attend courses in Politics, Economics and History at Ashridge. There was always a strong sense of serving the local community.
St Margaret’s in the 1950s was a very stable community and the School was self-sufficient. The school day was long, with lessons not finishing until 7pm or later. Many societies flourished highlighting the wide range of interests encouraged by the then Headmistress, Miss Birney and her staff. There were Art, Music, Literary and Debating societies which met regularly; outings to exhibitions, concerts, lectures, local firms, cinemas and art galleries were frequently arranged to enrich the educational experience. In 1960, judo was introduced at the request of some parents. It was encouraged as a means of self-defence and taken up enthusiastically. A Jazz Club was also inaugurated which was enjoyed immensely by all. During that year, the newly furbished outdoor swimming pool was opened by the Hon. Mrs Evelyn Emmet MP at Prize-giving. A new school hall was built in 1963 in memory of former Headmistress Miss Julian Boys and was inaugurated by HRH Princess Margaret. In 1966, under Miss Barbara Scatchard’s leadership, the sanatorium was turned into a very modern and well-equipped science block. This was a great time of academic success for the School as it flourished whilst offering educational outings abroad, language courses and musical opportunities. Art had always been one of the strengths at St Margaret’s and in 1987, The Casson Art Centre was opened by Sir Hugh Casson. In 1988 the Home Economics and Textiles building was opened followed by the opening of a drama studio in 1993.
The School continued to excel during 1988 when the new GCSE examinations were brought in nationally with a pass rate of 86%; Oxford and Cambridge places were being won most years in a variety of subjects, from Medicine to Law, from English to Engineering. In the 1990s the new Headmistress, Miss Marlene de Villiers encouraged the girls to widen their horizons and to take-up opportunities offered for visiting and studying overseas. This connected to the School’s offering of Modern Foreign Languages, which included: French, German, Spanish, Chinese (for Chinese speakers), and briefly, Italian. Fundraising for charity was increasingly becoming an integral and important part of school life as large fashion shows for charity took centrestage. In 1994 pupils raised funds for Christian Aid, Bosnian Refugees, a school for the blind in Malaysia, Moorfield Eye Hospital and the RSPCA. In 1996, the School architect, John Biswell, transformed old classrooms and common rooms in the main building into a new Library and Resource Centre using design features favoured by Alfred Waterhouse back in 1895. Also in 1996, St Margaret’s became completely independent from the Clergy Orphan Corporation. In 1999 the School marked its 250th anniversary with a grand Service of Thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral in the presence of HRH Princess Alexandra. As the School moved into the 21st century, it was graced with the presence of more royalty as HRH Princess Alexandra paid St Margaret’s a private visit in February 2000 and the John Owen Sports Centre was opened in 2005 by HRH Princess Anne. Today St Margaret’s is a modern co-educational all-through school. Its history has left an indelible mark on its character and ethos. Here you will find a happy school that places emphasis on being kind and encouraging a sense of service, whilst offering a broad and transformative education
Our Campus St Margaret’s may be one of the oldest girls’schools in England, but in the 21st century our buildings and facilities are a blend of both modern and traditional. Our grounds are green and generous in space. Our Junior School has its own campus within the School grounds. The facilities are modern and very well resourced, with a science lab, library, food technology room and several large spaces. There is also The Nursery which has specialist play and learning equipment for the very youngest. Outside there are various playground areas which are well used by our children. In the Senior School each academic department has its own area. Our Art department is a light and airy building which houses Art, Photography, Ceramics as well as textiles. There is a Science building with several labs which are well equipped. We have a separate Maths, Humanities, Languages and English areas as well as several computer suites. There are several large performance spaces including a drama studio. The Sixth Form Centre is home to several workspaces, common rooms and UCAS library. Our main school library is large and offers flexible space that is often used for teaching as well as independent study. We are in the process of building a new Music and performance space which will be ready for the new year. The Chapel at St Margaret’s is an important space for reflection and music. It is used for assemblies as well as religious services such as communion for those that wish to take part.
Waterhouse The Waterhouse is Grade II listed and stands tall on Merry Hill. The Waterhouse building is named after its architect, Sir Alfred Waterhouse. The National History Museum is one of his other noteworthy buildings. Alfred Waterhouse was the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1888-1891 and one of the best architects of his time. Waterhouse favoured the Victorian Gothic revival style with towers, dramatic skylines and elaborately decorated exteriors. Some of his buildings were the most brightly coloured in Victorian London, and his design for St Margaret’s School was no exception. In 1894 the original blueprints were drawn up by Waterhouse and building began in 1895 and was completed in 1897. The building was designed on the lines of an English country house with an imposing staircase leading to galleries, all emphasising the connection to the interior. Waterhouse personally designed the terracotta shapes and relief patterns of flowers which can be seen all around the building. Waterhouse was inspired by his visits to Italy and based the entrance design on an Italian villa he had seen on his travels. He liked the way light poured in and he incorporated this concept by using lightly tinted high windows in the main entrance. Exquisite workmanship is shown in the layers of wrought iron to allow light to flood into the first-floor corridor. The building’s innovative design means that the decorative towers and chimneys also provide flues for the modern-day central heating system. Today the Waterhouse building is used for classrooms, the boarding house, the dining facilities, library, drama studio, various offices and main reception.
Music Centre
Sports Facilities
We are proud of our exceptional facilities and are very excited about the prospect of the new music and performance space that is currently under construction. Our hope is that the building will be ready for lessons, ensembles and performances early in 2022. The new building is set to be light, airy and bright whilst providing up-to-date facilities for the Music Department giving pupils the opportunity to study music in different forms. It will also provide another performance space for music, as well as drama. The amphitheatre tucked in between the new building and the historic chapel is set to be well used by all pupils. The Mac suite will also provide the technology for academic music and composition work. There are some important annual concerts that we are looking forward to hosting again such as the Gala Concert and Christmas carols and concert. We are looking forward to offering opportunities for outreach with local music groups including the Bushey Symphony Orchestra and collaboration with other schools as well as finally starting our community choir with parents and teachers. For our music scholars in particular there will be lots of opportunities to perform, to undertake masterclasses and to practice. This building will benefit the whole school. As well as lessons, choirs and orchestras our numerous peripatetic music lessons and LAMDA lessons will also take place here. It won’t be long before we hope to invite you in to enjoy the vibrant and talented musical life of the school. Until the building is ready and open, we will continue to use other areas including outside spaces and virtual
St Margaret’s is blessed with an abundance of sporting facilities. Our sports centre is home to our 25-metre swimming pool which is well used through our PE lessons and hosts our very popular swim school for the youngest children. It is also where our competitive swimmers train and compete. We also have a full-sized sports centre which is multipurpose, a gym and a dance studio. Across the site we have several floodlit all-weather pitches that are used throughout the year for several sports including football, tennis and netball. These courts are particularly popular with our boarders who regularly enjoy a half-court game of basketball between study and supper. Our grounds staff take great pride in the upkeep of our grass pitches, you will see football pitches, cricket greens and athletics track all marked out and being well used. Other schools enjoy coming to play their away fixtures here as the pitches and courts are well set and the fixture tea is always welcoming. Out of term time our sporting facilities are used by the holiday camps that are open for children in years 1-8. There is an emphasis on activity and creativity and making full use of our outdoor space. St Margaret’s families enjoy membership to our sports centre and use the facilities outside of the school day and term.
Our Grounds
One of the most popular outside spaces for our Senior School pupils is the orchard which sits opposite the Waterhouse building. Here nature thrives, it is a space where children like to seal friendships, eat their lunch or catch up with a teacher. It is a space that we use for receptions as audiences spill out of the events in the Grant Hall or Chapel. This year our Art exhibition will take place here accompanied by afternoon tea. Many of our parent-teacher catch-ups and staff gatherings take place in the orchard as it is much loved and central to our School.
Our outdoor education curriculum starts with the youngest pupils whether using the mud kitchens, the pirate ship, fairy gardens or walking the trails to spot a squirrel, woodpecker or paraquet; there is plenty of wildlife here which gives this well positioned school, just 20 minutes by train to London and inside the M25 a sense of being truly in the country. Our senior pupils use our site for bushcraft practice, Duke of Edinburgh Award preparation and induction campouts. Our boarders will have a game of 3 on 3 basketball between study and dinner. You have to see how our pupils use our site to really understand life here.
St Margaret’s School is set in the beautiful serenity of over 60 acres of woodland. Our grounds provide a picturesque home for our community. Our grounds are maintained throughout the year by our highly skilled groundsmen who ensure that the area is safe and in pristine condition. There is plenty of space for our grass and all- weather pitches. We have a variety of playing spaces for our youngest children, our woodland trail and several ponds. Pupils enjoy walks around the grounds as well as sporting activities throughout the week.
JOB DESCRIPTION
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
Desirable
The Role: The Admissions Coordinator will be a key role within the Admissions Team and will support the recruitment of students to St Margaret’s School. Specific Responsibilities: 1. To ensure that a positive impression of the School is promoted at all times, delivering an efficient, professional and warm admissions service to parents, pupils, feeder schools and the wider public, and to provide a smooth and successful admissions process. 2. Regular communication with prospective parents, both verbal and written, ensuring that all experience a friendly, responsive and informed introduction to the School and admissions journey through to becoming a current student. 3. Preparing offer letters to parents informing them of the results of all entrance examinations and scholarship assessments. 4. Establish and maintain efficient and effective working relationships with the wider community of the School’s residential, teaching and support staff communities. 5. Database Management - enter and regularly update data accurately and within appropriate time scales into the pupil database system from initial enquiry onwards. 6. Assisting with the provision of the joining instructions pack for new pupils. 7. Support the Head of Admissions with much of the Department’s day–to-day management and administration – processing registration forms, co-ordinating visits and meeting and touring families when necessary. 8. Produce mailings for all key admissions events, processing all admissions communications. 9. Assisting with all event planning and hosting of open events, offer holder days,assessments days, scholarship days and taster events. 10. Co-ordinate the preparation of packs for future school fairs and open events. 11. To support the Department with the visa sponsorship process and record keeping ensuring compliance. 12. Any other tasks as requested by Head of Admissions or Director of Marketing &Admissions.
Operational Excellence • Fluent and accurate written and spoken English. • Confident telephone manner. • Excellent computer skills using MS Office with at least an intermediate level in Word and Excel. • Excellent communications skills, courteous, polite and helpful and have an understanding of customer care expectations for a demanding market. • Highly organised with good time management skills. • Be able to deal with numerous tasks at once and manage priorities. Personal Behaviours • Ability to work independently, problem solve and use initiative. • Work collaboratively as part of a team and maintain good working relationships with work colleagues. • A positive ‘can do’ approach with a willingness to adapt. • Strong attention to detail. • Demonstrate discretion and confidentiality. • Flexible work hours when required e.g. represent the school at exhibitions after 5pm and Open Days on a Saturday. Ethos and Whole School Values • Committed to operating as part of the School’s community. Safeguarding and Pastoral • Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
• Knowledge of iSAMS. • Experience of working in an admissions role within the independent education sector. • Prior experience of working within a customer facing role.
Application Process To arrange a confidential conversation, please contact our retained advisor Melanie Pye at the Management Recruitment Group Melanie Pye melanie.pye@mrgpeople.co.uk 07530 734 568 Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV. Closing date: Sunday 25th September 2022 The Management Recruitment Group has been retained, as our exclusive advisor for this appointment and any third party or direct applications will be forwarded to them. St Margaret’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. St Margaret’s School is an equal opportunities employer.
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