Herschel Girls' School

Herschel Girls School
Herschel badge
Location
Cape Town , Western Cape South Africa
Coordinates	33°59′15″S 18°27′50″E
Information
Type	Private, Single-sex, Day & Boarding
Motto	Latin: Ad Dei Gloriam ("To the Glory of God")
Established	1922
Locale	Suburban
Headmaster	Mr Bruce Probyn
Exam board	WCED
Grades	0 - 12
Number of students	927 girls
Color(s)	Blue & Cream
Mascot	Hippo, Rabbit and Reindeer
Fees	R 107 760 p.a. (Boarding) R 54 950 p.a. (Tuition)
Website	www.herschel.org.za

Herschel Girls' School is a private, boarding and day school for girls, located in Claremont, a southern suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

History

Herschel was established in February 1922, on land which had been settled since the late 17th century. The property on which it stands belonged to V.A. Schonnberg who, when he sold the main estate in 1834 to Sir John Herschel, the astronomer, retained this portion and named it after his illustrious neighbour.

In July 1921, the estate was bought by The English Church Schools Association, with the aid of a generous loan from the Hon. John Wiliam Jagger MP, to provide for the needs of the many girls living in the Southern Suburbs who wished to attend a private school. The first headmistress was Miss Morley Ralph Armitage, and the school opened on Wednesday, 1 February 1922, when the first seven boarders arrived.

On the following day, the rollcall was taken and the first school day began with prayers led by Archbishop Carter. There were twenty-nine girls on the roll and seven staff members. The formal opening was held two weeks later, on Thursday, 16 February 1922. Dean Rolt conducted a brief service, John Xavier Merriman, the Minister of Education, performed the official opening and Jagger delivered the vote of thanks.

At this time the school comprised only what is now the Administration section, but it grew rapidly - the Mary Jagger Hall (named after Jagger's wife) was added in 1926 and in 1930 extensions to the Hall - with the famous open sleeping balconies which were popular at the time, though not with the unfortunate girls who endured them until 1971. Sports facilities were built - the first tennis court in December 1922, though the school did not get its own swimming pool until 1939.

The Depression years were difficult for Herschel and numbers dropped. Miss Ralph resigned in 1933 and was replaced by Miss Harriet Robinson, who imposed higher academic standards and insisted on the building of a new wing to house the kindergarten - in what is now the staffroom. In 1939/40 the Baxter library was added. This is now the chapel. It was Miss Robinson who gave Herschel its motto Ad Dei Gloriam and who designed the new badge with the symbol for Uranus as a reminder of the link with the Herschel family.

When Miss Robinson resigned in 1944, Miss Barbara Elcome was appointed, but her reign was short, for she was married in 1947 and left the school. She did, however, secure the addition of the crypt chapel - now the Matric common room.

Miss Hilda Caroline McLean was Herschel's longest-serving Head - from 1947 to 1962. During this time, the kindergarten moved up to its own premises at 'The Hill', and the school's academic standards were given high priority. She left her successor, Mrs Mavis Kittow, a school to be proud of. In 1967 two new Science laboratories were built, while Mrs Kittow's love of the Arts led to many cultural innovations, such as the Holiday Reading required by the English Department over the June holidays.

When Mrs Kittow left in 1970, Dr Barbara Silberbauer was appointed and presided over the celebrations for the Golden Jubilee in 1972, as well as the building of two large new sections- the Arts Block 1977 and a classroom block in 1978. Her successor, Miss Pamela Geldard (1979 to 1985) felt very strongly that privileged girls should involve themselves in community projects, and established a strong ethos of caring for others.

During Mrs Pamela Duff's headship (1986 to 1997), the school grew phenomenally. A new theatre was added in 1988, a Resource Centre and classroom block in 1992 and a Sports Centre in 1994.

Mrs van Zyl in her seven years as headmistress has continued with the building and modernising process. These include a new Music Centre and Media (Library, Computer Lab and Project Room) Centre at the Preparatory School; an enlarged Pre-Preparatory School catering for girls in a Pre-Nursery class; a refurbished Mary Jagger Hall and both schools are now on a combined network. (Taken from the Herschel website)

2008 saw the arrival or Mr Bruce Probyn, BSc(UCT), BEd(UCT) as Headmaster of Herschel. Mr Probyn was formally Headmaster of DSG in Grahamstown and the Wynberg Boys' School nearby.

Press

Recently 2 Herschel Students were caught filming a pornography with Nutella in the School Grounds. The video has been a viral hit and has tarnished the schools reputation. The girls have not been suspended but were forced to watch the video with there family before publicly appologizing to the South African news channels and newspapers.

Academics

WCED Results	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2009
Number of candidates	72	62	71	86	79	85	88	84	103	74	91
Number of failures	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
University endorsement (%)	20.2	93.5	100	98.8	98.7	98.8	97.7	98.8	99	97.3	100
A aggregates (%)	31.9	40.3	51	32.6	44.3	59	73.9	48.8	61.2	52.7	39.6
Subject distinctions	106	92	152	156	151	222	283	208	307	189	296

See also

• List of boarding schools

External links

• Herschel official site