Hillcrest High School (South Africa)
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| Hillcrest High School | |
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Adspirat Fortuna Labori
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| Location | |
| Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1976 |
| Locale | Suburban |
| Headmaster | Craig Girvin |
| Exam board | KZN |
| Grades | 8 - 12 |
| Number of students | 1017 |
| School Color(s) | Blue, Red and White |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 15:1 |
| Website | www.hhs.co.za |
Hillcrest High School is a public co-educational high school in Hillcrest, near Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
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[edit] History
Hillcrest High School is a large co-educational high school situated 2,5 km from the centre of Hillcrest and 35 km from Durban. The school not only has an unrivalled country setting but, according to authoritative reports, enjoys one of the healthiest climates in the world.[citation needed]
Hillcrest High had its origins at Hillcrest Primary School where, for a number of years, Grade 8 and 9 classes were accommodated. Hillcrest High opened its doors for the first time on 20 January 1976 with an enrolment of 276 learners and a staff of 18. The school was officially opened in October 1976 by the then Director of Education, Mr P R T Nel.
The founding principal, Mr Clive Talbot, served the school for nearly two years before being promoted to Head Office.
Mr Talbot's successors have been:
• Mr Phillip Hawkins
• Mr Malcom Garrett
• Mr Gerald Delport
• Mr Craig Girvin
The school has a student population just over 1 000, and academic staff of more than 52, and the support of many ancillary staff.
Over the years the school has had learners in the top 30 candidates in the Natal Senior Certificate examinations, has obtained Matric exemption rates of up to 80%, has featured consistently in the various academic extension olympiads. In addition, a large number of learners have represented KwaZulu-Natal in a variety of sports and cultural activities.[citation needed]
Hillcrest High is regarded a s a progressive school because of its willingness to experiment and refusal to be tied to the traditional.[citation needed] Thus, for example, the school was the first in KwaZulu-Natal to introduce the new and exciting Craft, Design and Technology subject in 1991, a bridging programme in 1992, Teacher Assistant programme in 1993, and Zulu for all Grade 8 and 9 learners in 2000.
As with all new schools, many difficulties have been faced. For a long time it was not possible to use the playing fields. But for the kindness of Hillcrest Primary School and the Hillcrest Sports Club, sport of any kind would have been impossible. The school now has sports facilities which include three tennis courts, three netball fields, four hockey fields, two rugby / soccer fields and three cricket pitches. Inanda Road property is used for hockey, cricket and soccer.
Fund raising undertaken over the years by the school and various parent committees has enabled the school to buy much needed equipment. Parents were largely responsible for the levelling and grassing of the Belvedere Field which was opened in 1984. The most successful fund raising ventures to date have provided us with a magnificent swimming pool opened in 1986, and a modern Media Centre opened in 1987. The upper storey of the Media Centre houses books, periodicals and the catalogue computers, while the lower floor provides a study area and three fully equipped audio-visual rooms. 1991 saw the completion of our two Art Studios and The Cage Theatre.
During 1999 the school's Governing Body embarked on a major upgrade of the school's Information Technology facilities. Structural improvements were made to the library to allow more the installation of more computers for research and Internet access. A new server and 30 computers were installed in the Computer Room. 25 more computers were installed in the Typing Room to allow the introduction of Computyping, a subject which teaches word processing instead of typing.
In February 1991 the parents of the school voted overwhelmingly to assume Model B status, opening our doors to learners of all race groups. In August 1992, along with most schools controlled by the Department of Education and Culture (House of Assembly), Hillcrest High became a state-aided school. The management and control of the school is invested in its Governing Body. In terms of the South African Schools Act of 1996, Hillcrest High is now a public school.
[edit] Academics
School-leavers write the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education exams.
| Matric results | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of candidates | 168 | 169 | 153 | 166 | 166 | 178 | 155 | 170 | - | - | - |
| Number of failures | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - |
| University endorsement (%) | 80 | 76 | 67 | 58 | 68 | 70 | 70 | 76 | - | - | - |
| A aggregates (%) | 9.5 | 10.7 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 9 | - | - | - |
| A-B-C aggregates (%) | 66.7 | 69.8 | 58.2 | 53 | 68.7 | 61.8 | 65.2 | 63 | - | - | - |
| Subject distinctions | 111 | 103 | 102 | 109 | 147 | 178 | 151 | 159 | - | - | - |
Most class sizes are under 30 pupils.
[edit] Sports
Usually in June, Hillcrest High competes in its Derby Day events against local rivals Kloof High School.
[edit] Cultural
Hillcrest High has various cultural activities in which pupils may partake. There are also a range on Clubs and Societies running within the school.
[edit] External links
