Westerford High School
Encyclopedia
Westerford High School is a public co-educational high school
in Cape Town
, Western Cape
, South Africa
.
It has a campus
in Rondebosch
where the main school buildings are located and a secondary campus in Newlands
used for sport. The school is located close to the Newlands Rugby Ground
and Table Mountain
. The school opened on the 21st of January 1953 and celebrated its Golden Jubilee
in 2003.
Westerford enjoys a prominent position in the local community, hosting visits from key figures within South Africa
such as the then President of South Africa
, Nelson Mandela
and guest speakers such as former Minister of Education Kader Asmal
.
In 2009, Westerford High School was ranked by the Sunday Times newspaper as the top state school in South Africa.
Westerford opened at the beginning of January 1953, housed in an old homestead which unfortunately no longer exists. The site was originally known as Westervoort, but the school was known as Claremont Secondary School from the name of the school which shared a property with a small primary school on Dean Street. The pupils from Claremont Secondary school had transferred their desks to the new property at the end of 1952
Noel Taylor, the first headmaster, began referring to the institution as Westerford Secondary School and in 1953 the Cape School Board recognised the name. In 1956 when the first pupils matriculated the school became Westerford College.
The institution enjoyed rapid growth from 29 pupils to 34 in its first year and grew further until 1959 when a new hall, named for the first headmaster, was opened as part of new school buildings for the 504 pupils and 27 staff members employed.
, the light shining through the oak trees on the property. Based on this scene he sketched the design, which is still in use today. However, the badge is also very similar to nearby Oakhurst Primary School
(established 47 years earlier) and the two schools share the same motto.
A Westerford Matric pupil, Wiebke Louise Toussaint, was placed 12th in the Senior Certificate Examination results for 2005. The school also received a book voucher award in the Senior Certificate Awards for 2005 for achieving excellent academic results. The school was placed in the top 10 schools in the Western Cape with a 100% pass rate, 47% distinction and 96% matriculation endorsement rate. In July 2006 two Westerfordians were finalists in the national English Olympiad - Anique Greyling was placed 8th and Joanna Mostert achieved the top position in the country.In the final results in 2006 the school was once again in the top 10 with a 100% pass rate, 46% distinction and 98% endorsement rate. In 2007 Stefan Conradie was ranked 14th in the province and Birte Toussaint 10th. Again the pass rate was 100%, the distinction rate 43% and endorsement rate 97%. In 2008, in the new NSC, Saxony Moolman was ranked 16th, Tanya Scott 9th and Anique Kruger was announced as the top achiever in the Province.
Every year the school holds a celebration that honours pupils with outstanding achievements, held in October, usually in the week of Valedictory.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It has a campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
in Rondebosch
Rondebosch
Rondebosch is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is primarily a residential suburb, with a medium-size shopping area, a small business district as well as the main campus of the University of Cape Town.-History:...
where the main school buildings are located and a secondary campus in Newlands
Newlands, Cape Town
Newlands is an upmarket suburb of Cape Town, South Africa.It is located at the foot of Table Mountain in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and is the wettest suburb in South Africa due to its high winter rainfall...
used for sport. The school is located close to the Newlands Rugby Ground
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
and Table Mountain
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
. The school opened on the 21st of January 1953 and celebrated its Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
in 2003.
Westerford enjoys a prominent position in the local community, hosting visits from key figures within South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
such as the then President of South Africa
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
and guest speakers such as former Minister of Education Kader Asmal
Kader Asmal
Kader Asmal was a South African politician. He was a professor of human rights at the University of the Western Cape, chairman of the council of the University of the North and vice-president of the African Association of International Law. He was married to Louise Parkinson and has two sons...
.
In 2009, Westerford High School was ranked by the Sunday Times newspaper as the top state school in South Africa.
History
Noel Taylor, the first headmaster, began referring to the institution as Westerford Secondary School and in 1953 the Cape School Board recognised the name. In 1956 when the first pupils matriculated the school became Westerford College.
The institution enjoyed rapid growth from 29 pupils to 34 in its first year and grew further until 1959 when a new hall, named for the first headmaster, was opened as part of new school buildings for the 504 pupils and 27 staff members employed.
Origin of School Badge
The first headmaster, Mr Noel Taylor, is credited with the design of the school badge. It is said that when he paid a visit to the site, he saw the sun setting behind Devil's PeakDevil's Peak (Cape Town)
Devil's Peak is part of the mountainous backdrop to Cape Town. When looking at Table Mountain from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, or when looking at the standard picture postcard view of the mountain, the skyline is from left to right: the spire of Devil's Peak, the flat mesa of Table Mountain,...
, the light shining through the oak trees on the property. Based on this scene he sketched the design, which is still in use today. However, the badge is also very similar to nearby Oakhurst Primary School
Oakhurst Primary School
Oakhurst Primary School is situated in Oakhurst Avenue, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. In 2006 the school celebrated its 100th anniversary.-Academics:...
(established 47 years earlier) and the two schools share the same motto.
Campus
The institution is currently based on the same site as the original homestead, although no trace of the homestead remains. The school now has extensive facilities for use by the students, including a dedicated sports centre. As of February 2010, plans have been approved for the building of a hockey astroturf, to be completed late 2010.Students
The school has approximately 900 pupils in 5 grades ranging from ages 13 to 18. There are roughly equal numbers of girls and boys in classes kept ideally below 30 learners.A Westerford Matric pupil, Wiebke Louise Toussaint, was placed 12th in the Senior Certificate Examination results for 2005. The school also received a book voucher award in the Senior Certificate Awards for 2005 for achieving excellent academic results. The school was placed in the top 10 schools in the Western Cape with a 100% pass rate, 47% distinction and 96% matriculation endorsement rate. In July 2006 two Westerfordians were finalists in the national English Olympiad - Anique Greyling was placed 8th and Joanna Mostert achieved the top position in the country.In the final results in 2006 the school was once again in the top 10 with a 100% pass rate, 46% distinction and 98% endorsement rate. In 2007 Stefan Conradie was ranked 14th in the province and Birte Toussaint 10th. Again the pass rate was 100%, the distinction rate 43% and endorsement rate 97%. In 2008, in the new NSC, Saxony Moolman was ranked 16th, Tanya Scott 9th and Anique Kruger was announced as the top achiever in the Province.
Every year the school holds a celebration that honours pupils with outstanding achievements, held in October, usually in the week of Valedictory.