Welcome to St. Margaret’s Prep School
We know that finding the right school for your child is one of the biggest decisions parents face. That perfect environment, suited especially to your child, where they will learn, grow and embark on a journey of discovery and adventure. At St. Margaret's Prep, we pride ourselves on being just this.
Our children are happy, curious and kind. They thrive in our beautiful, countryside school, where we prioritise a holistic education, fostering character development alongside academic excellence.
Whilst academic achievement is high, so is our focus on wellbeing, as we know that happy children are high achieving children. We nurture our pupils and develop the characteristics and qualities we know they will need to build bright futures. We ensure they are fully prepared for the next steps in life, both in the classroom and beyond.
Day Nursery Awards 2025 Winners
We’re delighted to have been awarded the ‘Top 20 Day Nursery Award’ for the second year in a row!
The annual Nursery Awards recognises 20 of the top-rated Nurseries in each region of the UK based on reviews from parents/individuals responsible for a child.
We are St Margaret’s
We have a strong family ethos and instil a sense of great pride in our school community. We look after, support and encourage each other to always be our best.
Welcome to St. Margaret’s Prep School, we make education fun and stimulating. We have a reputation for developing exceptionally well-rounded pupils with a love of learning. Our results speak for themselves, with our excellence in scholarships, sports, arts and music.
"I believe strongly that a happy child is a successful child and here at St Margaret’s we excel in providing a warm, welcoming and supportive community for your family."
-Carolyn Moss, Headteacher
Awards
An excellent all-round education
We were delighted to be awarded European ‘School of the Year 2022’ at the Cognita O-wards, we offer specialist teaching across the curriculum, combined with a home-from-home family feel, to give your child the very best start.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), rated St. Margaret’s as ‘excellent’ in October 2021. The inspection report concluded that the quality of the pupil’s academic and other achievements is excellent and the quality of the pupils’ personal development is also excellent.
"Pupils’ enjoyment of school life is evident in every aspect of their activities in and out the classroom. This is a result of the high quality of pastoral care, which focuses on the well-being of each individual to ensure they all flourish.” ISI, 2021
Join us for a Personal Tour
We warmly welcome families throughout the year, offering tailored personal tours on a day that suits you, including school holidays.
Enjoy a guided tour of the school, arranged by a member of our friendly Admissions Team who can answer any questions you may have
FACILITIES & LOCATION
A beautiful parkland setting
Our idyllic countryside setting, in rural north Essex, means we are surrounded by stunning scenery, including parkland, fields and woodland.
The former coach house and stables of Gosfield Hall make up the partly Grade 2 listed school buildings.
The school offers two classrooms per year group, plus dedicated rooms for music, science, art, languages and computers, as well as a sports hall and a well-stocked library. There are three music practice ‘pods’ where children have individual music lessons.
The grounds include netball courts, playgrounds, an adventure playground, and outdoor classrooms. Forest School and various sports are also available. Additionally, the school uses nearby facilities for cricket, hockey, and swimming.
School News
We have enthusiastic pupils who are eager to showcase their accomplishments, and we join in celebrating their triumphs through various engaging activities throughout the year. These activities, such as outings, concerts, sports events, and numerous other exciting events, are designed to enhance our pupils' learning experience.
Follow St Margaret's School on Social Media
🎶 Our Bollywood dance workshop is in full swing and the kids are absolutely LOVING it! 💃🕺 The energy is high, the moves are on point, and the smiles say it all! 😄 We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!
Get ready to join in at pick-up and learn a few moves yourself! 🎉✨ #BollywoodVibes #DanceFun
🚴♂️ Huge shout out to Henry in Year 3 for biking all the way to school from Stisted this week! 🌍 He said he wanted to help the environment, and even asked to do it again this morning! 💪👏
Go Henry!!
🌟 Stay & Play is Back! 🌟
Join us on next Friday 10th October | 9:00am – 10:00am
We’re opening the doors to our award-winning nursery for our much-loved Stay & Play morning!
👶 For babies, toddlers & pre-schoolers
👨👩👧👦 Parents & grandparents welcome
🎨 Enjoy engaging early years activities
🧩 Socialise with our nursery children
💙 Chat with our passionate teachers
Come and see what makes our nursery so special!
📧 Book your FREE place: admissions@stmargaretsprep.com
📞 Or call: 01787 273 050
🌍✨ What a vibrant morning at our Cultural & Heritage Fair in our School Hall today!
The children were captivated by the rich traditions and fascinating stories that make up the diverse tapestry of our school family.
We travelled the world in one morning, from Mrs Morelli’s South African heritage 🇿🇦Madame Oakley’s French roots 🇫🇷 to exploring Catalan and Romanian cultures here in Britain. 🇪🇸🇷🇴
We savoured the sights, stories, and delicious flavours of Pakistan 🇵🇰 and were enthralled by the tales from Charlie about his great grandfather and the Massey Shaw. 🚤📖
A huge thank you to our amazing parents and carers for making this morning so special — your time, stories, and spirit brought the hall to life. 💫
We’re already looking forward to the next one!
🎉 Roll on Thursday for our Bollywood Dance Workshop and The Big Sing on Friday! 🎶🕺💃
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#CulturalFair #SchoolCommunity #GlobalCitizens #HeritageCelebration #ProudToBeUs
Whooo’s been making clay owls? Year 1, of course! 🦉
Some fantastic feathered friends came to life in Art last week!
Meet our Year 6 Curriculum Prefects! 🧠📚
Whether it’s creating tricky maths puzzles in assembly or leading fun curriculum challenges, Adam and Lewis have it all covered! These two bring energy, enthusiasm, and a love of learning to everything they do. 👏
Year 2 - Race in to Space Timeline 🚀 🪐 🌕
Year 2 have launched into their Space topic this term with great enthusiasm! This week, they enjoyed creating timelines of key space events as they prepare for their exciting Race into Space event coming up soon.
After weeks of hard work with some children preparing for their 11+ exams, our Year 6s truly deserve some fun! 💙
They’ve not only tackled exam prep with determination, but have also stepped up and taken on their prefect roles and responsibilities so well in the last few weeks 👏
It’s only fair they let their hair down and enjoy every moment of their final year at St Mag’s before the big transition to secondary school 🫶✨
Colour Run = pure joy, pure fun, pure St Mag’s spirit! 🌈🏃♀️🏃♂️
