| Kloof High School | |
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In Hoc Signo Vinces
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| Location | |
| Kloof, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1960 |
| Locale | Suburban |
| Acting Principal | Dawn A. Léfort |
| Exam board | KZN |
| Grades | 8 - 12 |
| Number of students | 1000 |
| School Color(s) | Brown, yellow and blue |
| Mascot | Leopard |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 32:1 |
| Website | www.kloof-high.co.za |
Kloof High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Kloof, near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Contents |
Kloof High School opened in February 1960 under the first headmaster, Mr Goodwin. The 127 students were taught in prefabricated classrooms situated on a temporary site at the corner of Emolweni and Dan Pienaar Roads in the village of Kloof.
The school grew quickly under the third principal, Mr Dudley Barton, who succeeded Mr J.F. Dixon in July 1963. Construction had begun on permanent buildings in 1963 and by mid–1964 the students in the eighth to eleventh grades were able to move into their new classrooms. For some time the prefabs on the top hockey field remained as further building continued. In 1965 the first grade 12 pupils wrote the School's first matriculation examinations, and the present school houses, Churchill, Founders and Keller, were established.
In 1969, Mr T. Gerdener (then Provincial Administrator for Natal) officially opened the school. At that time, there were 524 students and 26 teachers, and a further classroom wing, including an Art Studio and Media Centre had been added and a school hall. During the July holidays of that year the first sports tours were undertaken with a 1st Hockey XI touring the Eastern Cape and the first rugby touring Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The faith of the founders had been justified and a coat of arms was designed by Mr Alan Woodrow, including the motto: "In hoc signo vinces" meaning "In this sign (the cross) you will conquer."
Academic, sporting and cultural aspects of school life were catered for but Mr Barton felt the spiritual needs of the students should be met. Fund raising began for a chapel and the Dudley Barton Sanctuary was opened in 1977, dedicated by the Bishop of Natal. Despite being a public school, Kloof High retains its Christian ethos, but accommodates pupils of all religions.
Mr Barton retired in 1978 and was succeeded by Mr H.M. Puzey under whom the school continued to grow. Further classrooms were built including a Computer Room. On the sports front, provincial and, on occasion, national honours, were earned in swimming, (the school now had a swimming pool), cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis. Mr Hugh Deane was Principal from 1989 until 1994.
In January 1995 Mr Deane was succeeded by Mr Dave Seager. The school was declared a Model C school[1] early in the nineties, and the school governing body was formed to deal with financial concerns.
In the new millennium, the school introduced a sports centre, the John Dickson Indoor Centre, and an auditorium.
During March 2005, Mr Seager resigned and was replaced by Mrs Dawn A. Léfort in her capacity as Acting Principal. She has worked at the School since 1977 as a French teacher and more recently in management.
The school's location in the tree-lined avenues of Kloof make it a scenic suburban school.
It is run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and a school governing body. Approximately 26 teachers are employed by the governing body and about 23 are employed by the Department of Education.
About 1000 students, mostly from the suburbs of Kloof, Everton, Gillitts, Waterfall, Forest Hills, New Germany, Wyebank and pinetown, attend the school. A daily school bus operates from Marrianhill through to the school via Lyndhurst Primary School in New Germany.
It is an English-medium school and offers both Afrikaans and Zulu as second languages (or first additional languages in the new FET curriculum) and French as a third language.
The school comprises a large white population (approximately 75% of the school), with those of Indian/Asian descent (12%) and black Africans (13%) completing the school. Pupils of mixed European-Asian-African descent also attend the school.
Its school-leavers write the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education exams and consistently achieve good results.
| Matric Results | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of candidates | 175 | 184 |
| Number of failures | 0 | 0 |
| University endorsement (%) | 81 | 76 |
| A aggregates (%) | 17.1 | 18.5 |
| A-B-C aggregates (%) | 83 | 78 |
| Subject distinctions | 225 | 238 |
| Subject failures | 12 | 21 |
Sports offered include rugby, hockey (both indoor and outdoor), waterpolo, soccer (football), swimming and athletics as well as rock climbing and adventure racing, represented by both boys and girls teams. Boys can also participate in cricket and golf, while girls take part in netball and softball.
Cultural activities, including chess, forum discussions, choir,conservation, environmental clubs, investment/business groups
The Argus School (run by Mrs Dawn Crookes) uses the school during evenings. This service is involved in adult education of domestic workers and disadvantaged peoples in the area. Members of the Kloof community teach literacy and skills. Further to this, the school runs an annual Spring School under the auspices of the Kloof Rotary Club. Subjects range from baking to flower arranging to poetry. This is held during the Spring holidays.
The school celebrates its Founders Day every year on the final day of the second term (usually on 22 June) by commemorating its first set of grade 12 students.
There is a traditional sporting rivalry with nearby Hillcrest High School. Derby Day is held every mid-June, alternating between Kloof High and Hillcrest High, and culminates with the 1st XV rugby game in the afternoon.
The blazer is brown and special awards (such as honours, colours or honours cum laude) are indicated with yellow ribbing for colours or white, blue and yellow, in the case of honours. The tie is striped with brown, blue and yellow. Blazer and tie are not required during the summer terms for girls.
Matrics have the privilege of a slightly different uniform. This includes a white, as opposed to brown, school jersey. They also have the option of special ties. Most importantly, though, they are then allowed to purchase their annually renewed Matric Jackets. The jacket design is voted for by the upcoming matric class.