Leaders with a difference
As heads of St Margaret’s College Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools, Bridget Compton-Moen, Kathryn Gray, and Sian Evans lead teams that are nurturing the next generation of wāhine toa with a curriculum specifically tailored for how girls learn best from Year 1 to Year 13.
BRIDGET COMPTON-MOEN
Bridget Compton-Moen and her team lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning, ensuring that every girl in the Junior School is empowered to be a responsible citizen, an effective communicator, a dynamic thinker, and a confident self-manager.
“Our teachers truly know every girl – they inspire them to take risks, develop leadership skills, collaborate, and find joy in learning,” says Bridget, an experienced educator with over 25 years in the field.
As part of a full College, students benefit from primary-trained teachers specialising in literacy, mathematics, and inquiry, as well as subject-specific teachers and high school-level facilities. This unique blend of personalised support and enrichment opportunities ensures that girls in Years 0–6 discover their passions and strengths.
The Junior School is a leader in literacy education, with structured literacy embedded for over five years – well ahead of the national rollout.
Bridget says, “Our girls are surrounded by wāhine toa – whether it’s the older girls in our Junior School, our big sisters in the Middle and Senior Schools, or our amazing teachers.”
KATHRYN GRAY
As Head of Middle School for the past 14 years, Kathryn and her team have led and supported more than 1,500 girls in Years 7–10 through one of the most transformative times in their lives. As the only New Zealand Seconded Representative to the Adolescent Success Committee, Kathryn is a passionate advocate for girls’ education.
“One of the best things about being in a girls’ school is that girls give everything a go; there is a complete lack of hesitation. During their Middle School years, they are a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same time – fearless, determined, and ready to take on the world.
Our role is to nurture their confidence, ingenuity, and empathy, inside and outside the classroom, ensuring they grow into leaders who challenge the status quo, contribute to their communities, and are ready to take on the opportunities and challenges of Senior School.”
Kathryn says it is a huge privilege to be part of the St Margaret’s team supporting and empowering future generations of trailblazers.
SIAN EVANS
Sian, a published educational author with 18 years experience in single-sex education, oversees a unique Senior School curriculum that enables students to achieve their goals and define success on their terms. With a bespoke Year 11 curriculum and the choice of the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) or NCEA Level 2–3 in Years 12–13, students flourish.
Exceptional academic results are a testament to the College’s approach. Over the past seven years, students have achieved an average pass rate of 97% for NCEA Level 3 and 95% for the IBDP.
Sian says, “Our students definitely don’t fit one mould, and we don’t believe that their learning journeys should either. We offer our girls the choice of NCEA or IBDP, ensuring that they receive an education suited to their individual ambitions.”
“But success at St Margaret’s isn’t just about grades. We place a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing, resilience, empathy, and self-confidence, ensuring students graduate not only as high achievers but as well-rounded individuals ready to make a positive difference in the world.”