Rustenburg Girls' High School and Rustenburg Girls' Junior School are two separate public (fee-paying) schools with a shared history, originating in the suburb of Rondebosch in Cape Town, South Africa. Rustenburg was founded in 1894 and divided into separate junior and high schools in 1932.
History The school was founded in 1894 in the historic Rustenburg House, which dates from the early years of the Dutch settlement at the Cape McIntyre, Josephine (1994) White stoep on the highway In 1932, the school was divided into two schools, and the high school moved into its new buildings on Erinville Estate and Charlie's Hope in the suburb of Rosebank, while the junior school remained in Rustenburg House on Main Road, Rondebosch. Charlie's Hope was subsequently demolished in 1976, before being rebuilt closer to the school. Erinville is now the name of the High School's boarding house. Rustenburg House was declared a National Monument in 1941.
Headmistresses of the Combined School: Miss Alicia Bleby, 1894–1911 Miss Jean Donaldson-Wright, 1912–1916 Miss Caroline Kemp, 1916–1933 Principals of the High School: Miss Caroline Kemp, 1933–1936 Miss Gwen Hazell, 1937–1951 Miss Margaret Thomson, 1952–1979 Mrs Josephine McIntyre, 1980–1991 Mrs Mary van Blerk, 1991–1999 Dr Elizabeth Fullard, 1999–2006 Mrs Susan Schnetler (Acting), 2006-2007 Ms Laura Bekker, 2007–2015 Mrs Susan Schnetler (Acting), 2016 Mr Michael Gates, 2017–present Headmistresses of the Junior School: Miss Marion Roper, 1933–1944 Miss Zoë Orton, 1945–1967 Mrs Ruth Jones, 1968–1977 Miss Hazel Lentin, 1978–1998 Mrs Joyce Conway, 1998–2007 Mrs Di Berry, 2008–2018 Mrs Belinda Petersen, 2019–present
Academics
In 2010, Rustenberg Girls' High School was placed third in a list of the top schools in the Western Cape after placing sixth in 2009.
A 2013 survey by Fairlady magazine listed Rustenburg Girls' High School among the top 25 schools in the country.
In 2014, Rustenburg Girls' High School again qualified for inclusion in the official top 20 schools list and was placed sixth.
In 2015, the Western Cape Education Department stopped ranking the top schools in order of their performance and instead listed them alphabetically. In this year, Rustenburg Girls' High School was included in the list of the top 22 schools.
In 2019, a Grade 7 student at Rustenberg Girls' Junior School came first in the Western Cape at the Horizon Maths Competition.
In 2023, a matriculant from Rustenberg Girls' High School was honoured as the country's top candidate overall as well as in Maths.
Grade 12 NSC Results20062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022Number of candidates 127130?142152161154136143151152149171143166163154165Pass Rate (%) 10010010010010010010010010010010010010010098.8100100Matriculation Exemption/Bachelors Pass 98.4%97%99%97%97.5%98%99.3%97.9%98.7%99.3%99.3%99.4%99.3%100%97.5%98.7%98.2%Subject A's -262324313373458467430508607581631510614558611647Top aggregate -106.1%92.3%90.8%90.8%94%93%96%96.7%96.2%97.5%96%97.8%96.0%95.8%96.5%97.8%
Sport
Rustenburg has historically been well represented in South African and Western Province teams. In 2012, two girls represented South Africa in tennis and artistic gymnastics, while two staff members represented South Africa in sevens rugby and triathlon.
The high school has nine tennis/netball courts, a swimming pool and two hockey/cricket fields. An astroturf playing field was installed during 2014 with floodlights added in 2016
The following sports are offered by Rustenburg Girls' High School: cricket, cross-country, hockey, indoor hockey, netball, running, football, squash, swimming, tennis, touch rugby, waterpolo
Music The school has an orchestra, choir, chamber choir, jazz band, wind band, string quartet, vocal quartet, string ensemble and savuyisa (marimba band).
Notable alumni
Frances Ames, neurologist, psychiatrist, and human rights activistBateman, Chris (January 2003). Frances Ames – Human Rights Champion. South African Medical Journal, 93 (1): 14–15. Retrieved October 31, 2019. Jodi Balfour, film and television actress Louise Carver, singerLouise Carver Janette Deacon, archaeologist Mabel Malherbe, South African politicianStandard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town, Volume 7, page 154, 1972 Hlubi Mboya, film and television actress and humanitarian Debora Patta, broadcast journalist and television producer Leila Reitz, the first woman elected to South Africa's parliament Edith Layard Stephens, botanist Désirée Talbot, opera singerDésirée Talbot Marjorie van Heerden, book illustrator Pauline Vogelpoel MBE, late director of the Contemporary Art Society and member of the International Council of the Tate Gallery Elizabeth Voigt, late director of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley
In popular culture Scenes in the films Spud 2: The Madness Continues and Spud 3: Learning to Fly were shot at the school.
See also List of primary schools in South Africa List of High Schools in South Africa
References