OUR MISSION
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OUR STANDING
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OUR ETHOS
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VISION 2021
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DEFINING FEATURES
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A SCHOOL DESIGNED FOR BOYS
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THE WYNBERG WAY
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ACADEMIC PILLAR
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CULTURAL PILLAR
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SERVICE PILLAR
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SPORTS PILLAR LITTLEWOOD BOARDING HOUSE
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COMMUNICATION 11 GENERAL INFORMATION 12 SCHOOL UNIFORM SCHOOL HOURS SCHOOL FEES LITTLEWOOD BOARDING HOUSE FEES MUSIC FEES SCHOOL CONTACT DETAILS
AREA MAP (back cover)
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WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL A Traditional School For Boys
our MISSION Wynberg Boys’ High School is committed to providing opportunities for our students to pursue excellence in all aspects of education: academic, cultural, and sporting. The school further promotes a responsibility of service to our broader community, a commitment to unity from diversity, and an ethos of relevant citizenship. At the end of a student’s school career he must be able to take his place proudly and responsibly in South African society.
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Wynberg Boys’ High School is a school with a fine tradition. The second oldest boys’ school in South Africa, established in 1841 in Glebe Cottage on Waterloo Road in Wynberg, the school has occupied three sites within historic Wynberg before moving to its present setting, one of the most beautiful school sites in Cape Town.
OUR STANDING Our philosophy is set on Four Pillars – Academics, Culture, Service and Sport, ensuring every boy participates equally across all Pillars so that at the end of their time with us they leave as wellrounded young men equipped for all spheres of life. The School has an enviable academic record with Ministerial Certificates for Academic Excellence, with well over 90% of the students qualifying for university entrance. Recently rated by the authoritative South African Schools Annual as one of the top five sporting schools in the country, we further pride ourselves on a strong emphasis in cultural activity, particularly Drama and Music. Numerous opportunities for students to contribute to the Service Pillar exist across all school activities. Comprehensive accounts of the history of the school may be found in print: “The Story of a School” (D H Thomson, 1961), “A School Reflects” (R Goodwin, 1991), and the 175th anniversary book “Brothers in an Endless Chain” (N Veitch, 2016).
OUR ETHOS The characteristic spirit of our community manifests itself in friendliness, manners, and mutual respect. In the spirit of our school motto Supera Moras, every Wynberg Man is encouraged to strive for greater heights and never give up. We are serious about, and committed to: being a boys’ only school; structure and accountability for actions; good traditions; pastoral care for our boys; our Four Pillars; offering opportunities for all; inclusivity and diversity.
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VISION 2021
Defining Features
Vision 2021 was designed with the purpose of charting Wynberg’s way forward. In 2016, on appointment of Headmaster Jan de Waal, the school embarked on a strategic planning process involving workshops with key stakeholders: our school management team, teaching staff, administrative staff, prefects and the Representative Council of Learners, our Old Boys, and Wynberg parents.
THE SCHOOL MOTTO: SUPERA MORAS
Our plans for Wynberg Boys’ High School are reflected in this vision to ensure the School continues to lead the way in academic, pastoral, and social relevance through 2021 and beyond.
The key focus areas are: • MODERN FACILITIES
Our excellence will be enhanced by the development of modern facilities for all pillars.
• INNOVATIVE EDUCATION
Highly qualified teaching staff skilled in innovative teaching methodologies, with all classrooms interactive and technologyinfused.
• DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY
Continue to build on the good traditions of our past to keep Wynberg the school for every man where our strength celebrates the unity drawn from our diversity.
• SUSTAINABILITY
Ensure our planning and actions embrace long term financial and environmental stability.
• THE WYNBERG BRAND
Maintaining and enhancing the strong relationships between our Wynberg Boys’ Schools, our Old Boys, and former Wynberg Families.
• THE WYNBERG ETHOS
Our students continue to display selfdiscipline, respect, manners, and values strengthening the Wynberg Brand.
This is perhaps most accurately translated as overcome difficulties, but we prefer a more liberal translation embracing the belief to never give up, rise above adversity and strive for greater heights. The meaning is clear, our Wynberg Men learn to live the Supera Moras spirit in the classroom and on the playing fields, and carry the call onto the world stage as proud Old Boys.
THE SCHOOL’S FACILITIES Set on a magnificent 35 hectare site below the eastern buttress of Table Mountain, the school boasts: • modern academic block • fully equipped science laboratories • two state-of-the-art computer centres • library and media centre • an engineering and design faculty • fully equipped gymnasium • heated swimming pool • two hockey astros • four squash courts, two glass-backed • four tennis courts • four basketball courts • an outdoor gym • sports pavilions • a coffee shop • boarding house for 110 students • a 1000-seater hall • a 160-seater auditorium and music centre • outdoor amphitheatre • museum • staff accommodation • numerous well-cared for fields • a cafeteria
– all embraced securely in the heart of the historic Wynberg greenbelt in close proximity to Wynberg Boys’ Junior and the Wynberg Girls’ High and Junior Schools.
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a school designed for boys
Sense of belonging: Through our House and Tutor system we recognise the need of all boys to belong to a group. Many activities are offered to ensure that our boys develop a sense of teamwork and respect, pride in their school, their uniform, their history, and one another. House and Tutor (Pastoral) system: This is the cornerstone of all we do at Wynberg. The school is divided into 8 Houses, each with its own House Head and five Tutors - the tutors meet with their students twice daily, and are directly responsible for each student’s wellbeing. Our innovative vertical system connects new Grade 8s with the other grades in tutor groups for the duration of their High School careers. As they move through the grades together, a relationship between the student, his tutor and the parents develops, with the tutor the first port of call for parental enquiries. Discipline: Boys prefer to know their boundaries and to live in the security of an ordered structure known as the Wynberg Way. Our House System helps maintain this boyfriendly environment in which rules are carefully considered and applied. Boys are encouraged to accept responsibility for their actions, with minor transgressions dealt with swiftly, and with understanding. Those guilty of major transgressions, especially those which negatively affect the well-being of others, must expect to be dealt with firmly. Nyamezela: Grade 10s have the opportunity to undertake an extremely challenging 14 day hike in the Cederberg. It is both a physical and mental test of endurance and an important milestone in the boys’ rite of passage to becoming a Wynberg Man, and into their senior leadership years at school.
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Considerable credible research confirms that boys do better at boys’ only schools. Proudly a school for boys, Wynberg’s broad curriculum and sprawling facilities are designed with their needs in mind. It has been branded “Nyamezela” which translates to “see through hard times”. Awards: Our awards system allows those who achieve in any field an equal chance for recognition. We recognise boys once a term in our Quarterly Awards Prize Giving Ceremony, through the Colours system, and annual grade prize givings. Action: Wynberg caters for the need of boys to be active. We offer a wide sporting programme and a variety of societies and activities in which the boys are encouraged to participate. Shorter class periods to aid concentration, movement between lesson venues to stretch the legs, and subjects with a practical component like Science, Electronics, Engineering Graphics and Design, Creative Arts, and Construction are offered. Mentors and role models: Boys need both, and the school relishes in providing them through the House & Tutor system, the Buddy programme, Old Boys’ involvement, and our expectation of all staff to be positive role models. Leadership: There is every opportunity for all students to develop their leadership and management skills. Captaining sports teams, acting as society chairmen, serving on numerous sub-committees, the Representative Council of Learners (RCL), house captains and prefects are but some of the roles to stand them in good stead as they head into the workplace and broader society after matric. The Four Pillars: The needs of boys aside, the educational programme at Wynberg is built on four pillars of Academics, Culture, Service, and Sport. Boys are expected to be actively involved in all four pillars throughout their school career.
THE WYNBERG WAY Manners - Friendly - Pride - Aim High Supera Moras
MAKE YOUR MARK! 5
ACADEMIC PILLAR
Academically the school caters for learners in two phases: • The General Education and Training phase (GET) (Grades 8 and 9, ages 13 – 15) • The Further Education and Training phase (FET) (Grades 10, 11 and 12, ages 15 – 18) at the end of which students will write the National Senior Certificate university entrance examination.
The School unambiguously regards the Academic Pillar as central to its approach to education.
The Further Education and Training Course (FET) Grade 10 is the first year of a three year National Senior Certificate course, with the following subjects which count toward university entrance on offer: The four core (compulsory) subjects: • Home Language - English •F irst Additional Language - Afrikaans or isiXhosa • Mathematics
The General Education and Training Course (GET) All students in the GET phase follow a course which lays a broad foundation for more detailed study encountered in the FET course. GET subjects offered at Wynberg: Grade 8 and Grade 9 • English Home Language • Afrikaans or isiXhosa (First Additional Language) • Mathematics • Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) • Social Sciences (History and Geography) • Technology • Creative Arts (Drama, Music, Art and Dance) • Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) an introduction to Accounting, Economics and Business Studies • In Grade 8 we also teach Digital Literacy • In Grade 9 we offer a Coding and Drone Programme.
• Life Orientation
Students are required to choose three more elective subjects: • Accounting • Construction • Economics • Electronics • Engineering Graphics & Design (EGD) • Geography • History • Information Technology • Life Sciences • Music • Physical Sciences • Visual Arts
Advanced Programme Mathematics is outsourced to AdMaths, an independent organisation off campus. The school serves as an intermediary only. Qualifying immigrant students may arrange to substitute another subject for the compulsory additional South African languages.
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Other academic initiatives Examinations and tests: The entire school writes standardised tests every Tuesday and Thursday during a designated test period. There are formal examinations at the end of the second and fourth terms for all grades. In addition, at the end of the third term the Grade 12s write their Preliminary Exams. Students are encouraged to work consistently throughout the year, as the cumulative year mark is increasingly important in determining their final results. Technology: All students are required to bring an electronic device, preferably a laptop, to school. A cell phone does not count as an electronic device for academic purposes. Our drive towards a paper-light system for downloading textbooks, tests, and worksheets has revolutionised the way we teach at Wynberg. Our first step in the paper-light process was the use of electronic devices, the next step is the universal use of eBooks. We’ve entered into an agreement with Snapplify, and from 2021 all textbooks will be available to order online through the Snapplify platform. We are justifiably proud to be recognised nationally as being at the forefront of the application of technology in education, and to be a Microsoft Certified School.
Teams. Every subject at Wynberg creates a Microsoft Team in which boys communicate with one another and their teacher regarding theory with interactive questions about the subject matter. Moodle: This state-of-the-art online Student Management System is in daily use, allowing us to redefine how we approach lessons and how our students access content. It is used in conjunction with MS Teams with both platforms fulfilling the following functions: •S tudent assignments can be uploaded, automatically checked for plagiarism, and marked through a rubric on screen. • L essons can be delivered and progress tracked – certain tasks cannot be started until a student has mastered the previous stage. • Vast resources are available for students to practise their skills. Quizzes and tests are administered online and marks can be seen instantly.
The Wynberg Pass and Minimum Performance Levels (MPLs): We set our academic goals far higher than the departmental minimum required to pass each grade. A Wynberg Pass (Bronze) is set at a minimum of 55% average across all subjects.
• Free wi-fi available throughout the campus • Free MS Office suite available to all learners • Free Office 365 account available to all learners on all devices (maximum 10 copies).
MPLs allow a student to choose his own academic goal, which can be raised or lowered on a termly basis in consultation with his tutor. Achieving his MPL makes him eligible for certain privileges, and is a superb way for students to focus on improvement:
Microsoft Teams: The Microsoft environment provides the full suite of products, with those most regularly used being Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook for email, and Microsoft
•B lue: 80% average; no subject below 70% • Silver: 70% average; no subject below 60% • Bronze: 55% average; no subject below 40% (The basic Wynberg Pass)
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CULTURAL PILLAR All students are encouraged to participate in the wide variety of cultural opportunities at the school. Activities may vary from year to year as interests grow and decline, though many have been in place for over a hundred years, and promise to be so for decades to come. Drama: The school has a strong drama tradition with an annual major production presented in collaboration with other schools. Various Music and Drama Evenings, including the inter-house play competition, are regular highlights of the school calendar. Each year the Wynberg Boys’ Acting Association (WBAA) participates in the National Schools Shakespeare Festival. Music: Apart from taking music as a subject, boys are able to learn the piano, brass, strings, and wind instruments as an extra-mural activity. The school has five musical ensembles – the concert band and string orchestra as well as jazz, steel and pipe bands – which play at school functions and perform outside the school at
SERVICE PILLAR It is important that young people learn to serve the community in which they grow up, and we regard service as an important part of their education. The following opportunities for service exist in the school: Community Service Projects, First Aid, Computer Room, Prefects, Interact, Library,
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Culture is not a thing one acquires: it is a lifelong process...
various events. Students interested in learning to play an instrument will be individually coached by one of the music staff. A choir and vocal ensemble participate in a number of our school functions and Eisteddfods. The Concert Band practises every weekday before school, and those interested need to bear this commitment in mind. Societies: These meet before school, at breaks or in the late afternoon or evening. It is during this time that the debaters meet, students learn new skills, and the chess players test their wits against each other, all without the interruptions of sport or academic matters. Societies on offer include: Chess, Capstone, Muslim and African Societies, Gaming Society, a Photographic and Video Society, Infotech, Surfing Club, Gardening Society, Space Society, Outdoor Society and a flourishing Debating Society. Others are added from time to time as the interest and demand rises.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?“ (Martin Luther King) Drama (Technical, Sound, Lighting, Media, Security, Ushering, and Backstage crews), assisting in the organisation of various sports, and many sub-committees. In conjunction with the organisation Living Hope, the Grade 8s have in recent years assisted the Capricorn Park community in essential maintenance work.
SPORTS PILLAR Sporting expectations Sports participation in a summer and winter sport is compulsory for all students in Grades 8 - 11. If the Teacher in Charge (TIC) of soccer deems a player good enough to play 1st XI soccer in Grade 8, 9 or 10, he may play this exclusively without playing rugby or hockey. If a 1st team soccer player also plays A team in hockey or rugby, his commitments to hockey and rugby take precedence. U15 and U17 soccer can only be played in conjunction with hockey or rugby. All Grade 11 and 12s are expected to play sport but may choose another activity with the permission of their House Head. Grade 11 and 12s must be involved in a significant sport/activity throughout the year in order to qualify for matric colours. Support and showing one’s colours are an essential part of our Wynberg sporting ethos and our much-envied school spirit. All students are expected to support certain derby fixtures during the course of the year. These compulsory events, known as All in for Wynberg events, are listed in the school diary and welladvertised in advance. Boys may choose from the sports offered at the school:
Summer sports
• Athletics • Basketball • Cricket • Swimming • Tennis • Water Polo • Summer League Squash
Wynberg Boys’ High is serious about sport. Winter sports • Cross Country • Golf • Hockey • Rugby • Squash • Soccer
Coaching, in many instances by professional coaches, is offered in all the above, and players are guaranteed of at least ten fixtures per season in all team sports. The Swimming team only takes part in inter-schools galas, without practices or coaching offered. Wynberg also enters teams or allows individuals to enter under the name of the school in other inter-school activities such as: • Bodyboarding • Cycling • Fencing • Judo • Sailing • Shooting • Surfing • Triathlon
Although we participate as a school, there is no formal coaching offered in these activities, and fixtures are not arranged by the school outside of the usual leagues. The list of these activities may vary from year to year.
Sportsmanship: Friendship, Rivalry, and Competition. All sport at school is aimed at teaching students not only the skills, traditions and etiquette of the various sports, but also to understand the responsibilities and advantages that come with teamwork: to play the game, to be fair, to respect the umpires and referees, and to play to the best of one’s ability.
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LITTLEWOOD BOARDING HOUSE
There can be many reasons why boys and their parents may decide that they would like a boarding option when moving to high school. • It offers the special structure, camaraderie and spirit provided only by communal living in a well-run institution • It opens wider options, as one is not limited to a choice of schools within daily commuting distance • It teaches young men to live together unselfishly and with tolerance • Lifetime friendships are formed • Independence is developed • Young men learn to work in a team • Optimum usage is made of school facilities • Boarders become true all-rounders • Time spent travelling to and from school can be spent more profitably
The Hostel is under the personal supervision of a senior member of staff and his wife who are specialists in their field. They are assisted by five resident masters, a professional team of caterers and housekeepers, and Student Masters. Littlewood supports the philosophy of boarders returning home over weekends to maintain contact with families and their communities. No boarder, unless termly (or unable to return to a family member or guardian), is allowed to stay in over a weekend after normal school activities have ended. In the event of the student being a termly boarder, every effort must be made to allow him to visit family over weekends.
Boarding Fees Fees, as listed at the end of this document, are payable annually, termly, or monthly. Full details appear on our website under Boarding. Fees are reviewed and adjusted in November each year.
LITTLEWOOD
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Firmamentum Ludi - the Backbone of the School.
Communication
It is Wynberg’s specific aim to build a solid bridge of communication between the school and home.
Parent-School Communication
Parent / Teacher Meetings
It is essential for the development of every student that communication between parents and teachers be positive and open.
Parents are encouraged to support these meetings which take the following forms:
Electronic communication: Weekly email newsletters are distributed to all Wynberg parents and guardians during term time. These contain both news stories and our 7-day weekly planner of activities. In addition, regular information notices are communicated either by email, via the students, or through our website. eMail: This is the preferred and most efficient method of communication between parents and the school. All staff email addresses are available on our website. eMails will be acknowledged within 24 hours, with queries dealt with as soon as possible.
General meetings are held from time to time with the aim of parents and teachers to meet socially and get to know one another. Specific meetings are called after each term’s formal assessments where parents are given an opportunity to meet the teachers to discuss progress of students in specific subjects. Ten-minute slots with individual teachers may be booked in advance on Moodle using the student’s login details. Grade meetings are held with parents to discuss matters pertinent to grades or houses.
SMS: At times parents may receive a text message with information about their child. Parents are requested to ask their sons for more detail before contacting the school. Website: www.wbhs.org.za The school website is regularly updated with news and events, and is our central platform for all information, including the annual school calendar. Social Media: Wynberg maintains an extensive stable of pages on Facebook covering all four of our Pillars, major events, and Old Boys’ interests. A detailed list of our Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts, our YouTube channel, and other social media platforms may be found on our website under the Contact section. Diary: All students are issued with a School Diary containing the school calendar including the test and exam timetable for the year. Circulars: These are generally sent home via email, but copies will at times also be linked into weekly newsletters.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
School Uniform Our compulsory school uniform is very much part of our tradition, and important in providing boys with an identity, in countering discrimination on financial grounds, and in cutting costs and avoiding fashion trend competition. • Summer Uniform: Khaki shorts with khaki socks (or charcoal longs with black or charcoal socks); white shirt (long or short sleeved); navy blazer with school badge; black shoes; school tie; belt. •W inter Uniform: Long charcoal trousers with black or charcoal socks and a belt; white shirt (long sleeved); navy blazer with school badge; black shoes; school tie; belt; regulation grey or blue pullover school jersey. • School Shoes: Black lace-ups, with rounded toe caps. Grasshopper-style footwear is not permitted.
Please note: Either winter or summer uniform may be worn as appropriate for the weather on the day. On all formal occasions (Prize Giving, Valedictory, School Excursions, etc.) winter uniform is worn irrespective of season and weather.
Other compulsory kit or uniform items: • navy blue shorts, house shirt, regulation school sport shirt • regulation school tracksuit • regulation school tog bag. • regulation school book bag.
Individual sports have their own uniform requirements communicated to players at sports registration.
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A School uniform is important in providing boys with an identity.
Our official School Uniform stockist is School and Leisure situated in Rondebosch Main Shopping Centre – Tel: 021 686 1541/2. They are the only official stockists of school colours, but also stock charcoal longs, khaki shorts, school blazers, short black, charcoal or khaki socks, etc. Though it is obviously more convenient to do one-stop uniform shopping, there is no compulsion to use the stockist for non-branded items – these may be purchased at stockists of choice. Quality used uniform items, as well as supporters’ gear, can be purchased from the School Shop every Wednesday during term-time, between 14:30 and 15:30.
Books Most textbooks are ebooks and must be ordered by families from the suppliers.
Lockers A limited number of lockers are available at the school and may be hired on an annual basis at a fee of R200. Boys will be required to provide their own padlocks.
2021 School Hours School starts at 07:45 and closes at; 14:55 on Monday and Tuesdays, 14:40 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 12:40 on Fridays, but students may be expected to remain after school for a variety of activities. No student is allowed to leave the school premises during school hours without permission.
2021 School Fees School fees are R52 500-00 per annum payable annually, termly, or monthly. Full details appear on our website under Admissions. Fees are reviewed and adjusted in November each year. Section 39(4) of the SA Schools Act (1998) stipulates that some parents may be partially or fully exempted from paying school fees. Exemption forms may be requested from the fees administrator before the end of January. Parents must be aware that requests for exemption may place an additional financial burden on those parents who do pay their fees. The purpose of school fees is to maintain staffing ratios and extensive facilities - the state provides only 1% of our discretionary budget annually. Kindly note: when giving notice to take your son out of the school and/or hostel, a term’s notice is required or alternatively a term’s fees in lieu of notice.
2021 Littlewood Boarding House Fees Boarding Fees are R57 100-00 per annum payable annually, termly, or monthly. Full details appear on our website under Boarding. Fees are reviewed and adjusted in November each year.
2021 Music Fees Annual fees: R5 670-00 for Subject Music, R2 835-00 for Non-Subject lessons, R1 050-00 for instrument hire.
School Contact Details Telephone: 021 797 4247 (Mondays - Fridays during term-time) Fax: 021 761 0959
Website: www.wbhs.org.za
Moodle: www.moodle.wbhs.org.za
Facebook: facebook.com/WynbergBHS
Instagram: Wynbergboyshighschool_official eMail: secretaries@wbhs.org.za
Address: Wynberg Boys’ High School, Lovers’ Walk, Wynberg, 7800
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