St Margaret's College
12 Winchester Street, Merivale · Canterbury
Composite score
Strong
Top 10% in NZ
Rank #150 of scored NZ schools
In summary
St Margaret's College underwent a special ERO review in May 2024 and meets all criteria for registration as a private school under the Education and Training Act 2020. The school demonstrates robust internal self-review processes and comprehensive pastoral care systems for all students. The school achieved a composite score of 80.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Merivale looking for an independent setting with a strong recent ERO trajectory.
Is St Margaret's College a good school?
St Margaret's College scores 86/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- All eight criteria for private school registration are being met
- Robust internal self-review processes provide clear information to leaders on areas to strengthen
- Comprehensive pastoral care systems available to all students including international students
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
L1 96% · L2 94% · UE 85% · near band median (n=38) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 72% · Te Pūkenga 8% · Industry 1% · top 10% of band (n=36) · why? ▼ hide
93% to Y13 · near band median (n=44) · why? ▼ hide
no discipline data · why? ▼ hide
+6.4% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
80/100 from ERO review 2024-05 · near band median (n=96) · why? ▼ hide
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 80/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-05-08 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- School meets all criteria for registration as a private school under clauses 2 to 6, Schedule 7 of the Education and Training Act 2020
- Premises, staffing, equipment, and curriculum all meet registration requirements
- School has regularly reviewed policies and procedures to provide for a physically and emotionally safe place for students
- International students experience high quality education with full access to comprehensive pastoral care systems
- St Margarets College Hostel is a well-run boarding facility with effective leadership and thorough welfare processes
"The school has regularly reviewed policies and procedures to provide for a physically and emotionally safe place for students."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2018–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2022 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$22.97M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$808k
Net assets / equity
$44.72M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
95.8%
114 of 119 leavers
-1.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
94.1%
112 of 119 leavers
-2.6pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
84.9%
101 of 119 leavers
-9.4pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
93.3%
2024 cohort · 119 students
-3.4pt vs 2023
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 6
- Service Industries 4
- Social and Community Services 1
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$1.19M
Per-student funding · 2022
$1,409
2018
$1.3M
2019
$1.4M
2020
$1.2M
2021
$1.3M
2022
$1.2M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 10
- Year 02 16
- Year 03 13
- Year 04 19
- Year 05 21
- Year 06 23
- Year 07 57
- Year 08 56
- Year 09 128
- Year 10 133
- Year 11 127
- Year 12 123
- Year 13+ 121
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 79.5%
- Asian 18.2%
- Māori 6.8%
- Other / MELAA 5.1%
- International 2.7%
- Pacific 0.6%
International students
SIEBA member · Boarding available
Years accepted
Year 0-13
Location
12 Winchester Street, Merivale. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with St Margaret's College.
Ferndale Te Ahu
Specialist School · 0.2km · 137 roll
51
-35 vs this
Selwyn House School
Full Primary · 0.3km · 298 roll
75
-11 vs this
Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 0.4km · 696 roll
87
+1 vs this
Elmwood Normal School
Contributing · 0.8km · 529 roll
68
-18 vs this
Christchurch Girls' High School -Te Kura o Hine Waiora
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1km · 1,301 roll
83
-3 vs this
He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.1km · 530 roll
65
-21 vs this
Frequently asked
Is St Margaret's College a good school?
St Margaret's College scores 86/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-05 review identified 5 key findings. School meets all criteria for registration as a private school under clauses 2 to 6, Schedule 7 of the Education and Training Act 2020
How do I enrol my child at St Margaret's College?
Contact the school directly on 03-3792000, email admin@stmargarets.school.nz, or visit www.stmargarets.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
St Margaret's College is a private school. Tuition fees are set by the school — contact them directly for current rates.
What is the roll size?
St Margaret's College has 848 students. It is a girls school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed St Margaret's College in 2024-05, signed by Shelley Booysen. 2 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- stmargarets.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz