Hilton College (South Africa)
Hilton College | |
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Hilton badge | |
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Information | |
Type | Private, Boarding |
Motto | Orando et Laborando - by Prayer and Work |
Established | 1872 |
Locale | Rural |
Headmaster | Gavin Thomson |
Exam board | IEB |
Grades | 8 - 12 |
Number of students | 550 boys |
Color(s) | Black, White |
Fees | R 158 900 p.a. |
Website | www.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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Hilton_lucas.jpg)
- Keagan Africa, Dolphins cricketer
- Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein, anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner
- Michael Bush, better known as nudist, Beau Brummel, founder of South Africa's first nudist colony
- Bruce Campbell, CEO of Mutual & Federal
- Derek Crookes, former Dolphins and South African cricketer
- Justice John Mowbray Didcott (1948), Constitutional Court judge 1995-1998
- Tim Harris, South African parliamentarian
- Paul Maritz a senior executive at Microsoft from 1986 to 2000
- Sir RH John Don-Wauchope, Bt.
- Wayne Fyvie, former Springbok rugby footballer
- Peter Hassard, president of the Sharks rugby franchise[3]
- David Hathorn, businessman and director of Anglo American and De Beers
- Sven Koenig, first-class cricketer
- Hentie Martens, former Springbok rugby footballer
- Roy McLean, South African cricketer 1951-1965
- Mike Melvill, first commercial astronaut and the 433rd person to go into space
- Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi, King of the Bafokeng Nation
- Michael Pfaff, recently Chief Executive of Rand Merchant Bank
- Mike Procter, former South African cricketer and coach
- Bobby Skinstad, former Springbok rugby union captain
- Russel Symcox, Dolphins cricketer
- Gary Teichmann, former Springbok rugby captain
- John Waite, South African cricketer 1951-1965
- Keith Wakefield, property tycoon
- Sandile Zungu, Executive Chairman of Zico Investments
- Bruce Hemphill, currently Chief Executive of the Liberty Group
- Stephen Coppinger, Top South African Squash Player (SA National champion '07 and '08)
- Roddy Grant, Current scotland 7's rugby player
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
- Highbury Preparatory School, KwaZulu-Natal
- Clifton Preparatory School, Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal
- Cowan House, KwaZulu-Natal
- Cordwalles Preparatory School, KwaZulu-Natal
- Clifton School, KwaZulu-Natal
- The Ridge School, Gauteng
- Pridwin Preparatory School, Gauteng
- St. Peter's Preparatory School, Gauteng
- Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Gauteng
Memberships
- Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa
- Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
- International Boys' Schools Coalition
See also
External links
- Hilton official site
- Old Hiltonian Club
- Old Hiltonian Club United Kingdom branch
- ISASA School Directory