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History
Pretoria High School for Girls was started by Lord Milner
in 1902 as part of his efforts to anglicise the Transvaal.
Miss Edith Aitken, the first headmistress, was a remarkable
pioneer who fought for higher education for women and
was determined to bring together the various cultural
groups, as is reflected in the School Charter she formulated.
Having had relatively few headmistresses through the
years, the school has been fortunate enough to maintain
great stability of leadership. While various headmistresses
have made changes to meet the challenge of changing
times, the standards of excellence and caring have remained
absolute.
Pretoria High School for Girls is known for the tremendous
contribution it has made to the community and for the
respect and admiration it draws from those who become
acquainted with it. As a beacon of light in the world
of education and innovative teaching, this school remains
an institution of which all can be proud. |
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Aims
It is the aim of the School to produce well educated,
balanced young woman, who are adaptable, creative
and independent, having integrity, social responsibility
and respect, in an environment of inclusivity and
equality. |
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Admission
Admission to the school is made in accordance with GDE
regulations. The language of instruction is English
and all learners admitted should be proficient in English
if they are to benefit from the teaching offered.
Applications should be made by the end of September
of the previous year for all day learners and by the
end of May of the previous year for boarders. Prospective
learners and their parents may be called for an interview.
Achievements
In line with its policy of affording all girls equal
opportunity for participation and success, learners
of this school have excelled in Olympiads in a variety
of subjects, in the sports arena and in cultural activities.
Academically, our learners achieve very well. There
is generally a 100% pass rate at the end of Grade 12
with between 90% and 95% achieving full university exemption.
The average aggregate achieved by our girls for their
best six subjects is regularly amongst the highest in
the province. Most matriculants proceed to tertiary
educational institutions where their secondary education
is acknowledged to have given them an excellent grounding
for a whole range of degrees and other courses.
Organisation
The School Management
The Governing Body, elected by parents, attempts to
co-operate as closely as possible with parents and the
academic staff. It is responsible for the appointment
of all educating staff in conjunction with the GDE,
for the determination of school policy, in consultation
with the school executive and for the management of
all movable and immovable property.
All parents of the school belong to the Parents’
Association. An enthusiastic and dedicated executive
committee is elected annually to assist with functions,
to plan and co-ordinate fund-raising activities, especially
the highly successful Spring Fair.
The Academic Staff
In order to achieve the aims and objectives of the school,
the staff are professional educators, who are dedicated
and caring. Under the guidance of the school executive,
consisting of the headmistress and deputy principals,
they aim to educate the learners to be responsible citizens
in the South African community. This includes providing
the girls with the skills needed to contribute to society,
and the moral courage, compassion and understanding
needed to face the challenges of the future.
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The Learners
We believe the strength of the school lies in
the diversity of its learners who come from a
variety of socio-economic, religious and cultural
backgrounds. Each girl is encouraged to achieve
her individual potential. Learner office bearers,
at every level, assist with the orderly running
of the school and form an important link between
the learners and the executive.
Learners are allocated to one of ten houses named
after the Governors-General of the Union of South
Africa: Athlone, Buxton, Clarendon, Connaught,
Duncan, Gladstone, Selborne and van Zyl, and the
first two headmistresses of the school: Aitken
and McWilliam.
Inter-house competitions take place on academic,
cultural, sport and fund-raising levels with the
aim of encouraging camaraderie, social awareness
and school spirit.A strongly supported Old Girls’
Association retains close ties with the school
and fulfils an important role in ensuring that
the ethos and traditions of the school are maintained
and upheld |
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School Hours
Learners and staff are required to be on the school
property by 07:20 and the official academic school day
ends at 13:50.
Extra-curricular activities start at 14:30 and are
run for three sessions of 45 minutes each.
Learners who have no extra-curricular activities and
who cannot be fetched by 14:30 must wait in the room
allocated for supervised study where a member of staff
is on duty. Learners are encouraged to make use of this
facility and so utilise their time effectively.
Discipline
Positive discipline depends upon consistency in the
application of, and the abiding by a given set of rules.
A code of conduct for learners is instituted for the
benefit of the whole school community. It is introduced
to uphold standards and create norms of courtesy and
consideration for the well being of the larger community.
All girls are expected to fulfil their obligations at
all times.
Dress Code
A strict dress code is in place. School uniform is to
be worn proudly, never varying in time or place. Only
regulation items of clothing and bags are permissible.
No jewellery of any kind may be worn.
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The Academic
Curriculum
In an attempt to enable each girl to strive for
self-awareness, self-discovery, self-realisation
and self-fulfilment, a wide range of subjects
is offered to all learners.
Grades 8 and 9
Since 2000 Outcomes Based Education has been implemented
in Grade 8 and since 2001 in Grade 9. Learners
develop their language and communication skills
in English (home language), Afrikaans (home or
1st additional language) OR Sepedi (1st additional
language) and French OR German (2nd additional
language). |
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The learning areas other than Languages,
Literature and Communication are:
Mathematical Literacy, Mathematics and Mathematical
Sciences, Natural Sciences, Human and Social Sciences,
Economic and Management Sciences, Technology, Arts and
Culture and Life Orientation.
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Grades 10, 11 and 12
To qualify for a National Senior Certificate (NSC) in
Grade 12 from 2008, all learners must offer 7 subjects
and meet minimum requirements with the following components.
4 compulsory subjects comprising:
*Two languages, one being a Home Language and the other
one being a Home Language or First Additional Language
(offered by the school), provided that one of the two
languages is the language of learning and teaching
- Mathematical Literacy or Mathematics; and *Life
Orientation.
3 choice subjects:
- Any 3 other approved NCS (National Curriculum Statement)
subjects offered by PHSG:
Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Computer Applications
Technology, Geography, History, Visual Arts, Music,
Design, German, French, Accounting and Consumer Science.
Capable learners may offer more than the required
minimum number of subjects set out above but must
start with these subjects in Grade 10 and permission
must be obtained from the school.
The Media Centre
Pretoria High School for Girls has an excellent media
centre with a well-stocked library. It houses DVD players
and monitors, cassette tape recorders/players and overhead
projectors, together with all the necessary software
for lesson enrichment.
Three Computer Centres house computers all with printer
access. CD ROM hardware which enables learners to access,
retrieve and print information from software packages
such as National Geographic and Groliers Encyclopaedia
is also used regularly.
Extra-Curricular Activities
A broad range of extra-curricular activities is offered
to girls of all ages to cater for their varying interests.
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Arts & Culture
Drama and public speaking play an important part in the
life of the school with inter-house plays, debating and
public speaking competitions, outings to the theatre and
the Grahamstown English Festival proving very popular
with learners. Our very popular musical productions give
learners yet another opportunity to share their talents.
The school newspaper, In the Limelight, published by the
learners themselves, gives scope to those with journalistic
aspirations. Other writing is encouraged by our Writers’
Competition, as well as outside writing competitions.
Two choirs, ensemble groups and an orchestra meet regularly
and entertain the school and the community on special
occasions. In the well-equipped, modern pottery and sculpture
studios and a fully equipped dark room, learners are taught
by qualified educators who are artists in their own right. |
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Clubs and Societies
The Contact Club, Amnesty International, the Students’
Christian Association, the Inter-cultural Club all encourage
concern for and interaction with the wider community.
Other interests catered for are provided by the Bridge,
Chess, Cooks Corner, Dance, Yoga, Horse riding, Art, and
Photography clubs. Outings and Tours
Curriculum orientated trips and tours enrich the syllabus. |
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Sport and Sports
Facilities
Games are an integral part of the school curriculum
with three to four sessions per afternoon allocated
for coaching and participation. Day scholars in
Grades 8 and 9 are required to attend three extra-curricular
(sport or cultural) sessions per week, but extra-curricular
activities are not compulsory for Grades 10 –
12. Learners are, however, encouraged to take part
as frequently as they are able.
Traditional sports are swimming, tennis, netball
and hockey. In addition, diving, lifesaving, water
polo, volleyball, basketball, squash, cross country,
athletics, and walking fitness are offered. |
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Sports facilities include a swimming pool,
a warm-up pool, an Astro-turf hockey field shared with
Boys’ High, three grass hockey fields, tennis courts,
two glass-backed squash courts, volleyball courts, basketball
courts, netball fields and a gymnasium. |
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Fund Raising
Every learner is required to make an active contribution
to the annual Spring Fair, bringing items for sale,
ingredients needed by food stalls and assisting in the
running of the stalls.
Community Service
Because we believe that each girl should be sensitive
to the needs of others, the school interacts with the
community at large, serving in various ways giving of
their talents and their time. Learners regularly visit
crèches, or homes for the elderly or less privileged.
In addition, the school has a peer tutorship programme
in place. Child Welfare is actively supported by fund-raising
and, in keeping with the tradition started at the time
of the Anglo Boer War, each learner and staff member
annually knits a jersey which is given to needy members
of the community at the start of the winter |
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The Girls Boarding School
The Hostels are an integral part of the school
with the boarders making a significant contribution
to all aspects of school life.
Two hostels, School House and North Lodge on
the school property, house a total of 142 boarders.
The hostels fall under the supervision of senior
Housemistresses who are members of the school
teaching staff, as well as a number of supervisory
educators and matrons. St Alban’s, a private
hostel under the auspices of the Anglican Church,
also accommodates 80 learners, who all attend
our school. |
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There is an active Boarder Parent Committee that serves
as a liaison between parents and the school, assisting
with fund raising for the hostels.
The girls generally go home each weekend on a Friday,
although involvement in school sports matches, cultural
contests or rehearsals may necessitate the hostels accommodating
these participants on some Friday nights.
A particular feature of our boarding school is that
each girl has her own cubicle which she may decorate
as she pleases. She thus enjoys the luxury of privacy
and the homeliness of individual taste.
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