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School profile Verified 18 August 2026

Hertfordshire Private schools

St Margaret's School

Merry Hill Road, Bushey, WD23 1DT

St Margaret's School is a private secondary-stage school in Bushey, Hertfordshire, with a published age range of 2-18.

Private school Co-ed Ages 2-18 Sixth form Boarding school
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
2-18
ISI ?
Standards met
Boarding ?
Boarding school
Compare Official website Map

On this page

At a glance

Key facts

Sector
Private school
Gender
Mixed
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
2-18
Boarding ?
Boarding school
Route check
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
ISI ?
Standards met

Overview

St Margaret's School grew from the Clergy Orphan Corporation founded in 1749. The girls' school reached Bushey in 1897 in a building designed by Alfred Waterhouse and became independent from the Corporation in 1996. That history now sits beside an all-through, co-educational route from Nursery to Junior, Senior School and Sixth Form.

The academic programme includes GCSE and Sixth Form study, university preparation, the Extended Project Qualification and General Studies. Pastoral care, leadership, service and community sit visibly beside lessons, giving the historic setting a modern purpose without losing its sense of inheritance.

Music, art, sport, debating and charitable activity provide the main channels beyond the timetable. Boarding is part of the Bushey provision, but the available detail does not establish the ages, accommodation or options, so those points are left open rather than filled with assumption.

Year 7 and Year 9 are the main senior entry points. Offers take account of an entrance assessment, interviews, reports and potential, while scholarships and bursaries are available. The Bushey provision is mixed, covers ages 2 to 18, includes a Sixth Form and offers boarding.

Key points
Assessment route
Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
Places and demand
Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
Catchment
Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
Results
85% grade 5+ in English and maths and 56.3 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 16.7% AAB or better.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Hertfordshire and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for St Margaret's School, Hertfordshire, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
56.3
Grade 5+ English and maths
85%
EBacc APS
4.88
EBacc entry
31.7%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Hertfordshire and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for St Margaret's School, Hertfordshire, and England. 60 55 50 45 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

School details
Sector
Private school
School type
Other independent school
Funding
Independent fee-paying
Application
Apply direct to school
Gender
Mixed
Age range
2-18
Headmistress
Mrs Lara Pechard
Pupil roll
799 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Boarding
Boarding school

Location and contact

Address

Address
Merry Hill Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire
Postcode
WD23 1DT
Area
Hertfordshire

School leadership

Headmistress
Mrs Lara Pechard

School contact

School phone
02084164400

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions phone
02084164400
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions
Application route
Apply direct to school
Age range
2-18
Gender
Mixed
Boarding
Boarding school
Day fees
Check school fees page
Boarding fees
Check school fees page
Scholarships and bursaries
Check school site
Entrance details
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
Admissions note
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

Entrance route and assessment

Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.

Assessment route
Apply direct to school
Papers and stages
4 papers
Format
Mixed format

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    Junior School entry assessment and taster session

    All registered children will be invited to an assessment and taster session, appropriate for their age and year group; this normally takes place during the autumn/winter of the academic year prior to entry.

  2. Paper 2

    Reception entry assessment (2027 entry)

    Our registrations for Reception 2027 are now open and we will hold our main entrance assessment during the 2026 autumn term.

  3. Paper 3

    7+ and occasional Junior School entry assessment

    Registration Form Assessment Attend an assessment day Assessment days for September 2027 entry for 7+/Year 3 and for occasional spaces within other year groups (outside of The Nursery and Reception and in those year groups where we have available places) will take place termly during the academic year 2026-27.

  4. Paper 4

    Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths, Interview

    Senior School entry assessment

    Entry to the Senior School is based not just on performance in a verbal, non-verbal and maths test, but also an interview with a member of the Senior Management Team, school reports and a confidential reference report sought from the candidate’s current Head.

Published assessment components

Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.

Published

  • Verbal reasoning

    Entry to the Senior School is based not just on performance in a verbal, non-verbal and maths test, but also an interview with a member of the Senior Management Team, school reports and a confidential reference report sought from the candidate’s current Head.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    Entry to the Senior School is based not just on performance in a verbal, non-verbal and maths test, but also an interview with a member of the Senior Management Team, school reports and a confidential reference report sought from the candidate’s current Head.

  • Maths

  • Interview

    Entry to the Senior School is based not just on performance in a verbal, non-verbal and maths test, but also an interview with a member of the Senior Management Team, school reports and a confidential reference report sought from the candidate’s current Head.

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders

  1. Year 7 registration deadline for September 2027 entry

    5 November 2026

    Route: 11+ / Year 7; entry year: 2027.

  2. Year 7 assessments for September 2027 entry

    Mid-November 2026

    Route: 11+ / Year 7; entry year: 2027.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply direct to the school

    Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

    Check school admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Attainment 8 ?
56.3 Attainment 8
GCSE results
85% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?
85% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?
4.88 EBacc APS
A-level results
16.7% AAB or better
A-level average points
39.17 A-level points per entry

Inspection
View report
Standards met

Latest inspection: 14 October 2025

Leadership, management and governance
Standards met
Quality of education, training and recreation
Standards met
Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
Standards met
Social and economic education and contribution to society
Standards met
Safeguarding
Standards met

Quick summary

  • Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 14 October 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Nearby schools with similar results

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Shortlist comparisons

Compare St Margaret's School with Immanuel College Compare St Margaret's School with The Purcell School Compare St Margaret's School with Aldenham School

Explore this school in context

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Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does St Margaret's School handle admissions?

St Margaret's School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

How do I apply to St Margaret's School?

1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

When are the key dates for St Margaret's School?

Year 7 registration deadline for September 2027 entry: 5 November 2026. Year 7 assessments for September 2027 entry: Mid-November 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for St Margaret's School?

St Margaret's School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 14 October 2025.