WBHS Information Brochure 2024

INFORMATION BROCHURE

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL

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 – and for our students and staff to enjoy as safe a working and learning environment as possible.

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.

A Traditional School For Boys

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 well-rounded young men equipped for all spheres of life.

The School has an enviable academic record with Ministerial Certificates for Academic Excellence, and with well over 90% of the students qualifying for university entrance. Consistently ranked in the top ten sports schools in South Africa, 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.

DEFINING FEATURES

THE SCHOOl MOTTO: SUpERA MORAS

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

• media centre

• multimedia lab

• 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

• two student cafeterias –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.

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: Bo ys 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 wellbeing of others, must expect to be dealt with firmly.

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.

Teamwork & Brotherhood: Boys need to believe in themselves and their peers. We have evolved a structured, safe, and confidence-building series of challenges for them beyond the classrooms.

Grade 8s tackle Table Mountain’s Nursery Ravine during their orientation in a challenging hike, supported throughout by their Matric Buddies and our staff, forging friendships and working together in their WBHS Houses.

Grade 9s build on this in September with a tougher hiking experience, starting from the base of the Cable Car in the City Bowl, sleeping out for two nights, before finishing in Simonstown. This gives them another outdoor experience with their friends and has become a solid tradition of preparation for their Grade 10 Challenge.

In Grade 10 the boys face the Nyamezela Hike in the Cederberg, a 12-day hike in which they cook their own meals, sleep under the stars, and tackle community service projects before returning home. The Nyamezela, isiXhosa for “see through hard times”, 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.

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.

WYNBERG’S ARCHITECTURE

Pastoral Care

Supera Moras

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, Digital 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 chairpersons, 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.

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 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, Chemistr y and Biology)

• Social Sciences (History and Geography)

• Technology (IT, Construction, Electronics, Drones)

• Creative Arts (Drama, Music, Art and Dance)

• Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) an introduction to Accounting & Economics.

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. The following subjects count toward university entrance on offer:

The four core (compulsory) subjects:

• Home Language - English

• First Additional Language - Afrikaans or isiXhosa

• Mathematics

• Life Orientation

Students are required to choose three more elective subjects:

• Accounting

• Construction

• Economics

• Digital Electronics

• 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.

Other academic initiatives

Examinations and tests

The entire school writes standardised tests every Tuesday and selected Friday afternoons 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. Formative quizzes are ongoing and recorded as part of the School Based Assessment (SBA) on a termly basis.

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 paperlight system for downloading textbooks, tests, and worksheets has revolutionised the way we teach at Wynberg. Our first step in the paperlight 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 since 2021 all textbooks are 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.

•Free wi-fi available throughout the campus

• Free MS Office suite available to all students

• Free Office 365 account available to all students on all devices (maximum 10 copies).

Microsoft Office 365

The Microsoft environment provides the full suite of products, with those most regularly

used being Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook for email, and Microsoft Teams and Onedrive. 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. The Team page is essentially a digital resource which can be used to stay on top of termly progress in the subject.

OneDrive

Cloud storage of all subject content allows for daily use on any device. Files stored in Onedrive can be shared with anyone allowing for collaboration on projects.

Minimum Performance Level (MPL)

To calculate your aggregate points, add together your subject averages excluding LO and AP subjects. Subjects below 40% are not counted.

• In Gr 10–12, six subject six subject percentages (excluding LO) are added together to get the aggregate points.

• In Gr 8 and 9 , the percentages for Maths, English, Afrikaans/isiXhosa are compulsor y in calculating the points. To determine the MPL, the best 3 marks out of Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Creative Arts and Technology/EMS combined are added together.

• University entry requirements are loosely based on this system. 480 points results in a guaranteed acceptance at first choice universities for popular degrees (excluding Medicine and some Science degrees) while a score of 390–420 will gain acceptance at 2nd or 3rd choice universities.

Criteria for Wynberg Pass / Bronze - 290 points (minimum required for Bachelors pass)

Criteria for a SILVER Pass - 360 points

Criteria for a GOLD Pass - 420 points

Criteria for a BLUE Pass - 480 points

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 major productions presented in collaboration with other schools. Various 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 Shakespeare Schools Festival. We also host minor showcase evenings where possible. We also have various crews including Technical, Sound, Lighting, Media, Ushering, and Backstage crews, assisting in the organisation of various events.

Music

Apart from taking music as a subject, boys can learn the piano, brass, strings, and wind instruments as an extra-mural activity. The school has various musical ensembles – the concert band, string orchestra, jazz band, steel,

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, Prefects, various school, and outside events. Each term the Service Pillar runs with

Culture is not a thing one acquires: it is a lifelong process...

and pipe bands as well as a guitar ensemble. These bands and ensembles play at school functions and perform outside the school at various events. Students interested in learning to play an instrument will be individually coached by one of the music staff. Our choir and vocal ensemble participate in several of our school functions and Eisteddfods, as well as at other functions outside of the school. 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, the Muslim Students Association, the Umanyano African Society, the Afrikaans Society, the Gaming Society, a Photographic and Video Society, Surfing Club, the Outdoor Society, and the 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)

an initiative to help those in our community. Boys are asked to give of their time to support these focus areas and to encourage other to take part. We have a group within the Service Pillar who focus on sustainability, and they focus on doing weekly clean ups of the areas and beaches around us as well as getting involved in community work.

SpORTS pIllAR

Sporting expectations

Sports participation in a summer and winter sport is expected of all students in Grades 8 -10.

In Grades 8 and 9, boys are expected to play rugby, hockey or soccer. They may play another winter sport, but it must be in addition to rugby, hockey or soccer

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

• Cycling

• Tennis

• Water Polo

• Summer League Squash.

Winter sports

• Cross Country

• Cycling

• Golf

• Hockey

• Rugby

• Squash

• Soccer.

Wynberg Boys’ High School is serious about sport.

Coaching, in many instances by professional coaches, is offered in all the above, and players are guaranteed 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

• Fencing

• Judo

• Sailing

• Shooting

• Surfing

• Swimming

• 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.

lITTlEWOOD BOARDING HOUSE

Firmamentum Ludi - the Backbone of the School.

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 productively.

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 eight resident masters and student masters, and a professional team of caterers and housekeepers.

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

COMMUNICATION

parent-School Communication

It is essential for the development of every student that communication between parents and teachers be positive and open.

Electronic communication: Weekly email newsletters are distributed to all Wynberg parents and guardians during term time. These contain both news stories, our Wynberg Week single link for sports fixtures and events, 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.

WhatsApp Groups: All parents are sent invitations to join their son’s grade group. These groups are no-reply, broadcast-only, for essential messages, reminders, web links, and event notices.

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 is renowned for its extensive social media coverage of School Life, 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 sent via email, with copies on the school website, and linked into weekly newsletters.

It

is Wynberg’s specific aim to build a solid bridge of communication between the school and home.

parent / Teacher Meetings

Parents are encouraged to support these meetings which take the following forms:

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. Tenminute 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.

GENERAl INFORMATION

2024 School Hours

School starts at 07:40 and closes at 14:35 on Mondays to Thursdays, and 12:35 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.

2024 School Fees

School fees are R62 350 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.

2024 littlewood Boarding House Fees

Boarding Fees are R68 100 per annum payable annually, termly, or monthly. Full details appear on our website under Boarding. Fees are reviewed and adjusted in November each year.

2024 Annual Music Fees

R6 750 Subject music fees (Grades 8-9) (Grades 10-12 FET no charge) (1 hour per week, 30 weeks).

R3 375 Non-Subject music fees (1/2 hr per week, 30 weeks).

R1 170 Instrument hire.

lockers

A limited number of lockers are available at the school and may be hired on an annual basis at a fee of R200 for a small locker / R300 for a large locker. Boys will be required to provide their own padlocks.

Books

Most textbooks are ebooks and must be ordered by families from the suppliers.

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; black belt.

• Winter Uniform: Long charcoal trousers with black or charcoal socks and a black belt; white shirt (long sleeved); navy blue blazer with school badge; black shoes; school tie; black 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.

• school regulation tracksuit.

• school regulation tog bag.

• school regulation book bag. Individual sports have their own uniform requirements communicated to players at sports registration.

Online Sports Apparel Shop

WBHS has partnered with Canterbury clothing for most sports kit. Items can be ordered online via the dedicated WBHSCanterbury website: https://canterburysa. co.za/collections/wynberg-boys-high-school.

Our official School Uniform stockist is School and Leisure

Shop 19, Ground floor, Stadium on Main, Main Road, Claremont – 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 14:00 and 15:00, or at times advertised in the weekly email newsletters.

School Contact Details

Telephone: 021 797 4247

(Mondays - Fridays during term-time)

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