Herschel Girls School

Welcome to our school!  Herschel Girls is an independent Anglican School in Cape Town, South Africa, that provides an incomparable learning experience for girls from Pre-Nursery to Grade 12. We cherish our decades of girls’ educational tradition and achievement and celebrate our forward-looking perspective as a global role-player.

As a school we thrive on the energy, respect, productivity and confident engagement that is daily evident in the classrooms, on the playgrounds and amidst the myriad of activities and social interactions of Herschel girls. From the early years of the Little Lambs and Cuddly Kittens all the way through to the demanding years of Senior School our teachers know and care for their students, understanding that girls will grow up to be confident, resilient, creative and successful when they feel intrinsically valued.

Here at Herschel, at every level, expectations are high, opportunities abound, role models are plentiful, values are fundamental and accomplishment is valued as staff work in partnership with parents to ensure a quality and supportive learning experience. We believe that every girl deserves the opportunity to grow, to demonstrate her talents and discoveries and be acknowledged for who she is and what she brings to her learning experience.

Our students are not sheltered from real life but are daily challenged to expand their intellectual, spiritual, social and emotional boundaries and skills in a safe and nurturing all-girls environment that encourages them to be themselves, be curious and be risk-takers. The school’s character and learning environment are built by its people and there is a close-knit atmosphere with ongoing interaction between the girls, staff, parents, our local community and the alumni.  We work tirelessly to create a learning environment in which every girl and staff member have the opportunity to thrive and in which they is encouraged to cultivate a passion for life and stay true to our credo of “learning to make a difference“.

Belinda Heidmann
HEAD OF THE PREPARATORY

THE SCHOOL SONG

We are assembled here in love,
We are united, we care for one another.
The greatest lesson of all is the one
That teaches us to live together, together.

Refrain:
Everyone’s a spark and in the night
Together we make a light, a fire burning bright
Ad Dei Gloriam; Inkosi mayibongwe:
To the glory of our God: this is what we believe.

In times of trouble we support
Our fellows; we are taught to be there for our friends.
And all around us, there will be
That special unity, that binds us all together.

If we come back after many years,
We will think fondly of the things that we remember,
And the friends that we made then,
These will be friends forever, forever.

By Thandi Siebert, Head Girl 1993

PROUDLY ECO-SCHOOL*

At the end of 2013, Herschel Preparatory was awarded Platinum Status plus a Diamond Decade Award  by the Eco-Schools Assessment Team  for Award for their efforts in teaching about and caring for the environment, both in the classroom and through special projects. Herschel is one of only three schools in the Western Cape to have reached this level.

(*Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world and is operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education and is active in 51 countries around the world.)

Herschel was established in February 1922. The property belonged to VA Schonnberg, who, when he sold the main estate in 1834 to the astronomer Sir John Herschel, retained this portion of land 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 John William Jagger, 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 Armitage Ralph, and the school opened on Wednesday, 1 February 1922, when the first seven boarders arrived. On the following day, Thursday, the roll call 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. Herschel’s first head girl was Enid Harsant. The formal opening was held two weeks later, on Thursday, 16 February 1922 and we still celebrate our Founder’s Day on the Friday closest to 16 February.

The Honourable William Jagger would take delight in the proud institution that Herschel has become today. It is a school that enables its pupils to attain high academic achievement and become citizens who are able to make a difference in the society they enter. Although the school has a long tradition, it has remained innovative and relevant to changing educational needs.