Epworth School ,South AfricaCall : +91-8828912891

Brief History

Epworth is actually two schools: Epworth Preparatory School for Boys and Girls and Epworth High School for Girls.

Set in scenic 15-hectare grounds on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, which is known as the Garden City, Epworth has a history dating back to 1898.

Epworth was established by Miss Emily Lowe and Miss Emma Mason to teach 45 Natal settler children. The school was named after a village in Lincolnshire, the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley, two brothers who developed the Methodist ethos during the Industrial Revolution in England. The brothers believed strongly in the need for education (unsurprising as their mother was a teacher).

At the time, only one in 25 children attended school. John believed that education was vital to address social problems such as poverty, crime and alcoholism. He believed that through education, children could become individuals of sound character who would improve the world around them. In 1748, the brothers established their first educational institution, a boarding school for the children of coal miners.

For its first 21 years, Epworth operated as a private venture, before being transferred in 1919 to the Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of South Africa, which appointed a management council. In 1982, the running of the school was taken over by an independent trust, which assumed responsibility for the school’s assets and liabilities.

The original school was housed in various different buildings located in the centre of Pietermaritzburg. Over the years, further properties in Loop, Chapel, Burger and Prince Alfred streets were acquired to accommodate the growing school. In 1936, spurred on by Miss Church’s (the then principal) desire for Epworth to become “one of the foremost schools in the land”, a decision was taken to move the school to a more appropriate setting. Forty acres of land in Scottsville was bought from the Pietermaritzburg City Council and the new school was officially opened in 1941.

In 1959, a beautiful chapel, strategically located at the heart of the campus, was a significant addition to the new school. Smaller building projects followed, culminating in a ten-year development plan for Epworth. Except for the construction of the hall, this plan came to fruition in five years and forms the basis of the school as we know it today.

The foundation stone for a dedicated junior school was laid in 1965, which also saw the school swell to 445 pupils. The school’s 75th anniversary, in 1973, marked the opening of the Haley Hall and a nursery school to house its 50 pre-primary pupils.

1978 was a noteworthy year in Epworth’s history. It marked the admission of the school’s first black pupils and brought to fruition Miss Kachelhoffer’s long-held belief that Epworth’s success would be gained through giving each girl, regardless of colour or creed, a chance. Previous attempts, in the early 70s, to offer education to pupils of all races, was thwarted when schools in the Cape were denied permission to do so. In 1980, despite Government working against integration by cutting subsidies to schools with less than a 90% white population, Epworth boasted the highest number of non-white pupils of all the Natal private schools

Between 1983 and 1991, due to a shrinking economy and declining pupil numbers, Epworth was forced to operate on an extremely tight budget. Pupil numbers dropped to 316 and the High School lost 48 boarders in one year. In 1989, many private schools in the area were experiencing severe financial constraints and were forced to increase fees to meet rising expenditure and to counter dwindling numbers. Despite considerations to amalgamate with another school, Epworth stood resolute and remained independent.

The primary school, meanwhile, was going from strength to strength. Its innovative, child-centred approach was beginning to attract more pupils from the surrounding community. In order to free up much needed space, a new building, specifically designed to accommodate the pre-primary section, was built. Boys, who had been part of Grades one to three since the 1950s, were introduced into the rest of the primary school in 1994.

By the time Epworth celebrated its centenary in 1998, it had turned a major corner in terms of management, finances and pupil numbers. There had been a steady growth in the number of day scholars and a third Grade 8 class was introduced, pushing classroom capacity to its maximum. The school recorded a total of 520 pupils, the largest the school had ever been.

Epworth approached the 21st century – and its second century – with a clear sense of its identity and where it was going. Since then, it has, over the last 17 years, overcome many challenges and has come out on top – today Epworth proudly stands amoungst the top schools in the country.  We look forward to the challenges of the future, confident in the strength of our values of Faith, Compassion and Courage which have been so integral to our past success.

School

Epworth is a school like no other, an educational opportunity unlike any other.

Our spacious classrooms offer the latest in technology, with Wi-Fi, iPads, state-of-the-art projectors. We offer mentorship for new pupils in Grades 8 and 9 so that their new high school experience is comfortable and never scary or intimidating. Our boarding houses are homely, relaxed and sociable places. Our sporting programmes use specially trained coaches to bring our young sportspeople to the pinnacle of their ability. Through our Adventure Sports tours, our pupils can try their hand at amazing, life-changing challenges such as sea-kayaking around Mauritius, cycling across the country, or paddling down the Orange River.

Our cultural classes, numerous clubs and various enrichment programmes enable tomorrow’s actors, artists, musicians and directors to thrive and flourish.

Our vision:

Transforming to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Our mission:

Our Methodist ethos, diversity, innovative and relevant education, promote the development of character and enable individuals to realise their full potential in an ever-changing world. This is provided in a nurturing and enriching environment where our values are fostered and honoured.

Our values:

We keep faith in God, ourselves and others. We serve all with compassion and respect. We take the courageous option. We nurture hope. Our integrity is above reproach. Our lifestyle cares for and sustains the social and natural environment. Our commitment to Epworth is fuelled by fellowship and passion. We pursue excellence through self-discipline.

Facilities

Epworth is a lovely place for children to be educated, with wide open spaces and the fresh-air-feel of the nearby countryside. The school is set in rolling yet secure 15-hectare grounds on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, with ample room for spacious classrooms and admin buildings, boarding houses and extensive sports facilities.

As our faith is central to the school’s way of life, it is appropriate that our beautiful 50-year old chapel is located at the heart of the campus. Our state-of-the-art learning facilities include a fully equipped lecture theatre that seats 80 pupils, a team teaching room, computer centre, library, design and technology room, media centre, and music and art block. There is Wi-Fi throughout the school and a computer, iPad and projector in every classroom.

Our sports facilities, which are expertly maintained and upgraded, cater for the school’s diverse and extensive sporting programmes. They are able to support every single school sport, with the exception of canoeing, which takes place at Camps Drift, 5km from campus.

These include, inter alia, a multi-purpose centre which accommodates a range of sports; an artificial hockey surface; a squash centre with four glass-backed courts; a ten-lane swimming pool with a diving well; six newly-resurfaced tennis courts, including mini tennis facilities, and cricket, rugby and soccer fields.

Program

Epworth Preparatory School for Boys and Girls

Our preparatory school offers boys and girls from Grade RRR to Grade 7 the perfect place to begin their journey through life and learning.

Epworth was one of the first educational institutions to introduce the multiple intelligences approach to education, developed through international research to discover the best way to maximise each child’s personal strengths and talents. This methodology is the basis of our educational programme from the youngest of our pupils to our Grade 12 girls, ensuring that each child develops their unique abilities in an individual, expressive and creative way.

Caring for others is a way of life at Epworth: Grade 1 pupils are paired with Grade 7 mentors who ensure that they feel secure as they explore their new environment.

At Epworth, we believe that the role of educator is shared between parents and our teachers. Daily contact and discussion is balanced with various formal consultations and meetings throughout the year.

We are known for our academic prowess. Our small classes, with no more than 26 pupils per class, ensure that each girl receives special, personalised attention from the teachers and is able to meaningfully interact with others in the classroom. Our pupils are never ‘lost in the crowd’. Our pupils are individuals – to us, to themselves, to those around them.

Each pupil is assigned to a tutor and Grade 12 pupils also have a staff mentor to guide them during their final year at Epworth. Pupils are able to meet with their teachers one afternoon a week to discuss academic issues or queries.

Epworth pupils write the National Senior Certificate examinations set by the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and we are proud to consistently achieve a 100% pass rate. Epworth is one of a select group of schools in South Africa (and one of only two girls’ schools in Pietermaritzburg), which are identified as an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Circle of Excellence School. These schools are selected for their excellence in education and for repeatedly producing successful candidates for the Allan Gray Fellowship programme.

Our pupils lap up challenges, and tackle tests with enthusiasm. They write various national and international tests such as the English, isiZulu, Mathematics and Consumer Studies Olympiads. We also offer two extension courses for Grade 12 pupils: Advanced Programme Mathematics and Advanced Programme English, both courses designed to stretch students with talent in these subjects and better prepare them for tertiary study. Although these subjects are not part of the National Senior Certificate, the Independent Examinations Board recognises the effort and achievements of these students with a certificate.

Our academic achievements in 2015 and 2016:

• 100% pass rate in the 2015 IEB National Senior Certificate examinations. In this year, four pupils achieved 6 A grades and seven achieved 5 A grades.
• 98.5% of Epworth pupils obtained university entrance (significantly higher than the national IEB figure of 85.26%).
• 85% of all papers written at Epworth were graded at 60% or above and 95.5% of the girls achieved a C aggregate or higher.
• Seven pupils were ranked in the top 1% of a subject.
• Winner of the 2015 Pietermaritzburg Senior Debating League

Our proven recipe produces fully rounded, exceptional adults, and our girls thrive on formal and informal educational opportunities. One class a week is reserved for club activities and pupils choose from a wide selection of club topics such as craft, photography, cooking, debating, scrap booking, chess and dance.

Epworth has its own school counselor and female chaplain for additional, possibly non-academic, support of its girls.