Academic Approach

Recent News

THE 2023 RESULTS ARE EXTRAORDINARY AND EXCELLENT

What an incredible journey and relationship it has been with the WCED! We are immensely proud of our pupils’ outstanding...

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS: 2022 Matric NSC Results

The 2022 results are awe-inspiring and excellent. Through a particularly challenging three years, our 2022 matriculants have achieved exceptional results!...

Academic Approach

If you are wanting your daughter to enter the world ready to embrace opportunities and to bravely tackle the challenges that their generation will undoubtedly face, Herschel Girls School is an obvious choice.

The Herschel academic staff are passionate, well qualified, highly motivated and deeply committed to assisting the pupils to achieve to the best of their ability. With their diverse set of talents and strengths, they are well-placed to guide the pupils along their personal academic journey.

Our school is well-resourced and boasts excellent facilities to support our teachers in designing engaging lessons that enrich the learning experience for the pupils. Despite being a school steeped in tradition, our staff are committed to providing dynamic, relevant, meaningful, and innovative education.

Curriculum

We introduced the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) curriculum to our Grade 8, 9 and 10 pupils in 2022, and are excited that our first Grade 12 pupils will write the IEB NSC examination in 2024.

Our Grade 8 and 9’s have undertaken this transformed curriculum with great success, and we are confident that the programme focuses both on the acquisition of knowledge and on 21st-century skills and the development of attitudes and values. Our teachers have also thought carefully through how assessment needs to change to support this new focus.

Broad Subject Choices

In Grades 8 and 9, we offer six core subjects, and pupils are able to make choices from a range of electives allowing them autonomy and independence. These electives are designed to be meaningful and allow students to contribute to their communities. We want our pupils to be exposed to opportunities in order to develop a range of skills and explore different interest areas. Our broad subject choice allows for this. Please see the elective booklets to learn more about the options available. In Grades 8 and 9 pupils also do modules on digital literacy and research skills providing them with valuable skills.

2024 Grade 8 GETC Booklet
2024 Grade 9 GETC Booklet

In Grades, 10 to 12 pupils are able to select 7 subjects. English Home Language, Afrikaans or IsiXhosa First additional language, Mathematics or Mathematical literacy and Life Orientation are the 4 compulsory subjects. They then have a wide choice of elective subjects to choose from: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Information Technology, Consumer Studies, Drama, Visual Arts, Design, Music, Accounting, Business Studies, French, Geography and History. Further Studies in English and Mathematics can also be taken. Please see the Grade 10 Subject choice booklet to learn more about the option available:
Grade 10 Subject Choice

Single Focus Days

We have recently introduced Single Focus Days. These are opportunities for pupils to have an enriched and in-depth experience of a particular subject every second Friday. These allow our staff to approach the process of teaching and learning in a more creative way which we believe will be very beneficial to our pupils.

We believe that the rigorous and profound approach to learning and assessment, with a focus on student voice and agency and on critical and creative thinking will stand our pupils in good stead to tackle their futures when they venture into the world.

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