GENERAL INFORMATION

As a parent, you can expect the following from your son’s teachers:

• To educate your son according to the set academic syllabus with the flexibility to adapt where necessary in order to address current issues;
• To test and examine your son on the academic syllabus;
• To create a disciplined but relaxed environment that is conducive to learning;
• To set an example for your son to follow, particularly with regard to spiritual and moral values, respect of others, awareness of ethical values and the development of responsibility for the consequences of personal conduct;
• to identify potential areas of concern, and in concert with the family, attempt to resolve them.

As teachers, we would like the following from parents:

• To support the teacher in the education of your son, thereby creating a parent/teacher alliance in his eyes;
• To communicate to the teacher any serious domestic occurrence that may affect your son’s capacity to learn;
• To encourage your son to achieve his potential by striving for realistic and achievable goals.

All boys are expected to involve themselves in every aspect of school life. From Forms I to III there are certain events, both sporting and cultural, that take place during the week and on Saturdays, at which attendance is compulsory.

An earnest appeal is made to parents to give the headmaster and the staff their full support in maintaining the discipline, dignity, tone and tradition of the school.

The school is divided into ten houses, three of which are boarding houses and seven of which are day houses. When a pupil arrives at the school, he is allocated to a day house (unless an immediate relative is a current or past pupil, in which case he is allocated to the relative’s house). Each house has five tutors and a housemaster. The tutor’s function is to monitor the academic progress, extramural involvement and social development of the boys in his or her group. As each boy remains in one house throughout his school career, both the tutors and the housemasters come to know the boys very well. This continuity allows problems to be picked up early and also facilitates the transfer of information about the boys from one year to the next.

The school places a very high premium on the boys developing all facets of their personalities. The house system encourages boys who may not be selected for school teams, the opportunity to participate at an inter-house level. Disciplinary problems are also dealt within the house context. If a teacher has a serious issue with a pupil, he refers the pupil to his housemaster who will take corrective action where necessary. This will usually entail contacting the parents of the boy. The support of parents in this regard is invaluable.

All new boys will be expected to abide by certain rules and traditions which encourage them to respect those in higher forms and to acknowledge their seniority. It is important for all boys to ensure that visitors are politely greeted and taken care of.  After considering each boy’s interests, each Form I boy will be assigned to a matric boy who will be his “mentor”. The relationship benefits both the Form I boy and his mentor. The matric boy takes an interest in his charge’s progress during his Form I year and helps him whenever possible, while the junior is expected to do certain duties for his mentor. A very close relationship frequently develops between the two, which often continues well into adulthood.

Text books are issued to pupils free of charge. In the event of a textbook being lost or damaged, the parent will be asked to pay for a replacement copy.

Rockercen Stationery has been contracted by the school for the supply of stationery and workbooks. Stationery requirement lists and order forms can be collected from the school’s reception or downloaded from the D6 Communicator. The Stationery Shop will be open each day during second break from the beginning of the first term during January, and thereafter it will be open at second break every Wednesday.

Motor vehicles are NOT permitted into the school grounds for the purpose of transporting pupils at the start and close of school. Should a boy wish to leave early, he must have a note from his parents and then obtain an early departure slip from reception. If a boy is ill during school hours, he will be attended to by the nursing sister in the Sanatorium who will contact the parents, if necessary. Please do NOT send your sons to school if they are ill. Unless there is a family emergency, please do NOT telephone the secretary and ask for messages to be relayed to your sons. Appointments with doctors, dentists, etc. must not be made during school hours i.e. from 07:30 – 14:15.

N.B. Boys must be at school from the FIRST to the LAST day of each term. If a pupil is absent, please inform the receptionist telephonically AND a note must be handed to his tutor on the morning of his return. Should a boy miss an examination or standardised test due to illness, he must present a medical certificate from a doctor on his return. Parents should contact the Head of Studies on the day a boy misses an examination or test.

The school tuckshop is run by Empact Group, a private catering company. Boys have access to several types of meals providing for variation in their diets. The tuckshop and vending machines (which are scattered around campus) run on a cashless system whereby boys will use their preloaded Allxs Card or their bank card to purchase their meals. Hot meals may also be ordered by dayboys through the Allxs system and collected in the dining hall at second break.

The tuckshop is open during both breaks and after school. 

A lock-up bicycle shed is provided. However, no responsibility is accepted for the safe custody of bicycles and motorcycles, and it is strongly recommended that you insure these. Bicycles should be locked to a fixed object and should not be fitted with valuable or easily removable gadgets.

Boys entering or leaving the grounds should acquaint themselves with the school rules in regard to the use of the different routes within the grounds.

07:30 – 14:15 Monday to Thursday.

07:30 – 14:00 Friday.

Click here for school daily timetable.

Security arrangements are continually updated and reviewed at the school. All gates are kept locked and parents and visitors must use the East Gate (Roper Street) at all times. The only exception to this rule will be for special sporting and evening occasions, and you will be notified via your son when alternative arrangements are to be made. 

We appeal to all boys to look after their possessions and not leave their cases and sports bags lying around. While we do everything in our power to prevent thieving (and boys found guilty of this offence can face expulsion), it is unfortunate that this does still occur on rare occasions. There is a cage with security cameras available on the east side of the main building for the safekeeping of sports equipment and tog bags during school hours.