South African School

St Benedict's College

Veritas in Caritate (Truth through Caring)

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ"

Ephesians 4:15

School Vision

To develop St Benedict's as a distinctly Catholic school where there is caring and the pursuit of Truth and Love which guides boys to an ever-increasing appreciation of their ability to think, act, play and reflect; and a ever-deepening understanding that these gifts should always be directed towards the service of the world; its people and building the kingdom of God on earth.

School Mission Statement

St Benedict's strives to light the way to an:

• Understanding that we are blessed and fallible beings who are precious in the eyes of God and loved without condition;
• Understanding that each boy is a work in progress and that through God's grace has the potential to become Christ-like;
• Understanding that, in and through Jesus, we may encounter the real and loving presence of God;
• Understanding that as unique and independent human beings we have the greatest chance of reaching our full potential in a God-centred community;
• Understanding that justice and peace are  achieved when living in right relationship with God,  in solidarity with others and in harmony with creation
• Understanding that universal inclusivity demands that we reach out and care for all who experience impoverishment of any kind or circumstance.

It is our desire that the young men who grow in our care will display:

• Spiritual maturity sufficient to contemplate a divine call to God's service and Christian life and to lead at some level in their church;
• Moral maturity sufficient to lead as an example of righteousness, to understand what is really important; to demonstrate courage under fire; to make responsible decisions and to be men of integrity
• Personal maturity sufficient to marry and fulfil God's purposes in responsible relationships as a husband and father
• Academic maturity sufficient to study; be a lifelong learner and communicate and articulate as a man
• Social maturity sufficient to understand and respect others and to make a real contribution to society
• Economic maturity sufficient to hold an adult job and handle money
• Physical maturity sufficient to work, play and protect a family

Activities

The School

St Benedict's is a modern South African school with excellent facilities, built on a 40-acre site in Bedfordview, Gauteng. It was established in 1958 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a congregation of priests and brothers, founded in 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Bishop of Marseilles, France.

The property is owned by the St Benedict's Trust and the School is administered by a Board of Governors, with day-to-day operations conducted by a headmaster, principals, deputies and top academic and sports staff.

St Benedict's is not only South Africa's largest Catholic School, but also one of the country's finest and most successful schools! It caters for 620 College and 800 Preparatory School boys - from reception in Grade 0 through to matriculation in Grade.12.

Bishop Grandin House, our boarding facility, situated on the property, offers both weekly and termly boarding and accommodates eighty-four boys from Grade 7 to Grade 12. 

Christian Formation

The Christian formation of young men through the fostering of Gospel values is our most fundamental purpose! Although open to boys of all denominations, it is a condition of acceptance into St Benedict's that boys participate in all Catholic religious education classes and liturgical celebrations. It is the Catholic faith that is taught throughout. It is not our intention, however, to turn all into Catholics! We are happy to see our Anglican boys leave us at the end of their matric year as better Anglicans, Methodists as better Methodists etc!

Like many of the best schools at home and abroad, St Benedict's is a traditional Boys' School, based on the tried and tested model of the English Public School, where religion, academics, sport and cultural activities all have an important educational role to play. Educational research clearly proves that boys and girls learn in different ways, because a boy's brain is very different to a girl's. One size, therefore, cannot and does not fit all and a co-ed school does not work for every child.

In a Boys' school, boys have have the freedom to be themselves. Boys thrive in a single sex academic setting for many reasons. With no girls to 'impress', boys can get on with being themselves and male stereotypes dictated by society fall away. Conformity gives way to individuality. A boys school provides an opportunity for our boys to develop their own unique characters in an environment which is designed and geared to encourage their strengths and support their weaknesses.

Teachers in a boys' school can teach effectively in ways which reach boys and appeal to their learning style.  

Academic Success

This is a school with a proud academic tradition. Particularly strong departments are Mathematics, the Sciences and Information Technology. The school produces outstanding matriculation results each year in the Independent Examination Board (IEB) examinations. There has been no matric failure since 1974 and the university-entrance pass rate is invariably of the order of 95%.

In 2009 the University of the Witwatersrand named St Benedict's as one of its top ten feeder schools.

Activities

Our boys are most successful in sporting activities - as a result of the school's fine facilities, coaching and our unique "integrated day" - where much of the boys' sport takes place during normal school hours. Parents of applicants should note that boys' participation in sport (or alternatively the College Pipe Band) is compulsory: Rugby or Hockey in the Winter term; and Basketball, Cricket, Rowing, Swimming, Tennis or Waterpolo in the Summer terms. Additional activities are Athletics, Cross-Country, Golf, Soccer and Squash. Inter-school sporting activities take place mainly on Saturdays and Wednesday afternoons.

There is also an extensive range of successful cultural activities through the year, including the Pipe-Band, Chess, Debating, Drama and Public-speaking. 

Sporting Facilities

St Benedict's boasts superb facilities: from our fully-equipped health-gymnasium facility and indoor heated pool to the 50-metre outdoor pool; tennis and basketball courts; cricket and rugby fields; a magnificent rugby/cricket pavilion and restaurant; grass hockey fields and an astroturf; as well as an outstanding fleet of rowing boats, kept in our boathouses at Germiston Lake and Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria. Our R7.5 million indoor Cricket Centre and Sports Hall was opened in July 2010. 

Ravens Sports Centre

This modern facility, the first of its kind at a school in South Africa was opened in 2000! It consists of a state-of-the-art gymnasium and 10-lane heated indoor pool, as well as health specialists' rooms. It is open not only to College boys but also to oldboys, staff, parents and the local community.

Parnassus Farm

This is the St Benedict's magnificent 250-acre Conference and Environmental Centre on the Magalies River. It caters primarily for our own leadership, academic, religious and sporting camps throughout the year - but is open to other schools too. New facilities: Dining Hall and Kitchen, new Conference facilities, Dormitory Blocks, Recreation Hall and 25m x 15m swimming pool, as well as eight upmarket chalets (available for rental to staff, parents and the public) were completed in 2009.

Ravens Park

This is a 20-acre property in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, also owned by the St Benedict's Trust. It caters for much of our Prep School sport. Our Scout Troop and Cub Pack are also accommodated here. 

School Fees

The primary reason for deteriorating standards in many schools today is the underfunding of these schools. With this in mind, the policy of the St Benedict's Board of Governors, is to keep school fees as affordable as possible, subject to the condition that boys continue to receive a first-class education. Consequently, St.Benedict's, despite its excellent facilities and highly successful academic and sporting programmes, prescribes fees that are considerably more affordable than fees at comparable schools!

Transport

Our fleet of buses and mini-buses transports boys daily to and from Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Germiston, Glenvista, Greenstone, Modderfontein and Thornhill. At reasonable rates

Detailed School Statistics

Associated schools

Photo Album