Academic Overview

Equipping Girls for Success in Their Personal Lives and Professional Ambitions for Over a Century
Saint Margaret's prides itself on providing a well-rounded curriculum that engages students in opportunities to excel in academics, arts, athletics and leadership. Our longstanding tradition of academic excellence is demonstrated in the fact our Junior School was ranked #1 in the province, and our Senior School was ranked #1 on Vancouver Island. Our Senior Students consistently achieve provincial exam scores that far exceed those of students in other independent and public schools.

Fine Arts courses provide our girls with opportunities to develop skills in all facets of the Arts, from Dance, Drama and Band, to Stagecraft, Production Management and Play Direction. At every level, our Athletics programme offers all students opportunities to learn teambuilding skills, compete locally and provincially and gain a lifelong appreciation for active living.

Why an All-Girl Education is the Best Choice for Your Daughter
Across all grade levels girls are often heard saying that they love their school because they can just be themselves. They also love that here at Saint Margaret's, it's cool to be smart. Our school embodies a culture of achievement where female role models abound and women in leadership roles are the norm in every facet of school life, from athletics to Student Council. Time in the classroom is spent exploring, analyzing and learning without the distractions that constantly compromise the success of girls and young-women in co-ed environments. Every girl is given opportunities to express herself freely and excel in new facets of school life that she may otherwise not have considered.

Our Girls Have a Statistically Significant Advantage
Girls' school graduates are more likely to...

Report high levels of self-confidence.

Consider college a stepping stone to graduate school.

Rate their public speaking and writing abilities as high.

Consider pursuing careers in Engineering.

Be politically engaged.

(UCLA, 2009)

Visit our All-Girls Advantage page to learn more about single gender education.

Character Development
Saint Margaret's knows that there is more to education than academics. At every stage of a girls education at Saint Margaret's, she is guided and nurtured by dedicated teachers, mentors and student leaders who are all firmly committed to helping every student develop into a strong and confident young woman. It is our goal that each student graduates aware of her value, responsible for her actions, independent in her thinking, confident in herself and in her ability to thrive in the face of adversity. It is also our mission that Saint Margaret's students develop a love of learning, living and sharing for the betterment of themselves and others. We believe these are admirable goals and are delighted to see our students achieve them.

English as a Second Language
The ESL Programme at Saint Margaret's has gained an outstanding international reputation. Some students attend our ESL Programme for one year in order to improve their level of English language proficiency and experience immersion in Canadian culture. The majority of students in our ESL Programme do so to prepare for entrance into our regular academic programme and graduate from our school before entering into university or college. Although high school graduation is delayed at least a year while enrolled in the ESL Programme at Saint Margaret's, students gain the necessary English skills to excel in English-speaking universities and colleges in Canada, the U.S. and abroad.