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Hilton College (South Africa)

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Coordinates: 29°29′S 30°18′E / 29.483°S 30.300°E / -29.483; 30.300
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Hilton College
Hilton badge
Location
Map
Hilton
,
KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa
Information
TypePrivate, Boarding
MottoOrando et Laborando - by Prayer and Work
Established1872
LocaleRural
HeadmasterGavin Thomson
Exam boardIEB
Grades8 - 12
Number of students550 boys
Color(s)Black, White
FeesR 158 900 p.a.
Websitewww.hiltoncollege.com

Hilton College is a private full boarding senior school for boys located near the small town of Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands of South Africa. It has been rated the top high school in South Africa for many years.

History

It was founded in 1872 by Gould Arthur Lucas and William Orde Newnham, an Anglican priest, when Natal was a British colony, as a non-denominational Christian school for boys. It is located on a 17 square kilometre estate.

The original school buildings were red brick but with development this changed to the present Cape Dutch style.

Hilton has established a friendly rivalry with other schools in the province including: Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse and Kearsney College.

Hilton is a member of the unofficial Elite Seven.

Nelson Mandela was a guest speaker at the school's annual prizegiving and speech day in 2001.

The school was shocked when headmaster, David Lovatt, suddenly resigned mere days before the annual prizegiving ceremony. The matter has been largely hushed up by the school's board of governors and has received no attention in the press. Lovatt, previously having served many years as a senior teacher before being elevated in 2008, was in only in his second year as headmaster. The role has now been filled by Gavin Thompson, after he served as acting Headmaster since Lovatt's resignation. Gavin Thompson has been a long serving member of the Hilton College teaching staff, and previously served as housemaster in Falcon House. The boys of Hilton were overjoyed after the announcemnt the Gavin Thomson was the new Headmaster and back him up 100%. Hilton is said to be in better state then it has been for many years. After the Hilton Michealhouse match in the first term Hilton has shown that they are back and mean business and that any school that comes to face them better ne ready for a better and stronger Hilton they have ever seen before. Hilton boys have revived the pride to be a hiltonion and the pride of wearing the Hilton blazer.

Relationship with Michaelhouse

Besides being the two most expensive schools of their kind in South Africa, Hilton College and Michaelhouse have much in common in that they are both boarding-only schools. The schools are located near one another in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

A friendly rivalry on the sportsfield has developed since 1896, and the high point of this is the Hilton-Michaelhouse Day, which alternates every year between the two campuses and during which the schools play one another in sport. The day cumlinates in a rugby match between the two 1st XVs.

Headmasters

  • William Orde Newnham (1872 - 1877)
  • Henry Vaughan Ellis (Old Rugbeian) (1878 - 1904)
  • William Falcon (1906 - 1933)
  • T.W. Mansergh (1934 - 1947)
  • J.A. Pateman (1947 - 1953)
  • J.W. Hudson (1953 - 1957)
  • E.L. Harrison (1958 - 1967)
  • R.G. Slater (1967 - 1980)
  • R.H. Todd (1981 - 1983)
  • D.V. Ducasse (1984 - 1986)
  • P.W. Marsh (1987 - 1993)
  • Michael J. Nicholson (1994 - 2007)
  • David Lovatt (2008 - 2009)
  • Gavin Thomson (2009 - present)

Academics

The years of study at Hilton are referred to as forms 1 to 5. Matric is the equivalent of grade 12 or form 5 and has boys aged 17 or 18 and "First form" is the equivalent of grade 8 or year 8 and has boys aged 13 or 14.

The pupil-teacher ratio is 10:1.[1]

Hilton College leavers write the Independent Examinations Board exams.

IEB Results 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Number of candidates 112 86 98 116 100 97 103 101 111 95 112 116 112
Number of failures 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
University endorsement (%) 88.4 92 86 91.4 94 88 94.2 94.1 96.4 94 92 96.6 98.2
A aggregates (%) 18.2 10.1 18 17 22.3 36 34 28.4 27.1 30 27 26.8 34.82
A-B-C aggregates (%) 67.2 71.2 70 71.3 65 65 71 64 90
Subject distinctions 113 48 112 79 88 141 167 128 140 142 174 168 178
Number in top 50* 1 2 3 1 1 0 4 1 1

Most of Hilton's leavers go on to attend South African Universities such as the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, Wits University and Rhodes University. [citation needed]

Hilton has also produced 15 Rhodes scholars for study at the University of Oxford and two Elsie Ballot scholars for study at the University of Cambridge.[2]

Spiritual

Hilton is a non-denominational Christian college, and Christian worship, values and principles are the foundation of College life. Pupils attend chapel service twice a week, including Sundays. About 40% of the school pupils come from Anglican backgrounds; 15% from Roman Catholic; 13% from Methodist; the other denominations are less than 10% each. The school chaplain is Fr. Kevin Robertson (Anglican).

The Old Hiltonian Club

Old boys of Hilton College are called old Hiltonians and they meet regularly at venues throughout South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (the largest gathering at the Harvard Club in New York.)

Notable Old Hiltonians

Lucas House

Hilton today

Hilton is the most expensive boarding school in South Africa with relatively high fees of approximately R158,900 in 2010.

The headmaster between 1994 and 2007 is Mike Nicholson, an Old Hiltonian who taught at Kearsney College before joining the teaching staff at Hilton in 1977. Dave Lovatt became the new headmaster in 2008.

Various performers and audiences gather every year for the Hilton Arts Festival held at the Hilton College Theatre - the second largest theatre in the province.

It has a student exchange programme with Eton College, Harrow School, Wrekin College, The King's School, Canterbury in England, Gordonstoun in Scotland, Schule Schloss Salem in Germany, The Scots College in Australia, and Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America.

Development

Hilton College has an endowment of approximately R37 million. A new Pearce boarding house, is being built in 2006 after a R12 million donation.

Feeder schools

Memberships

See also

References

  1. ^ "ISASA Schools Guide".
  2. ^ "Genealogy World".
  3. ^ Cape Argus - 1 December 2006

29°29′S 30°18′E / 29.483°S 30.300°E / -29.483; 30.300

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