Woodridge College
| Woodridge College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private & boarding |
| Motto | Fideliter (Faithfully) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Established | 1936 |
| Headmaster | Derek Bradley |
| Exam board | IEB |
| Staff | 100 full-time |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Gender | Boys & Girls |
| Age | 3 to 18 |
| Number of students | 800 pupils |
| Language | English |
| Schedule | 08:00 - 14:00 |
| Colour(s) | Brown Yellow White |
| School fees | R243,000 (boarding) R154,100 (tuition) |
| Alumni | Old Woodridgean Association |
| Website | www.woodridge.co.za |
Woodridge College is a private, co-educational school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Woodridge is situated near the small town of Thornhill, Kouga, halfway between Jeffrey's Bay and Port Elizabeth. The school is attended by both boarders and day-scholars.
Motto[edit]
The motto of the school is Fideliter, as can be seen on the school emblem, meaning "Faithfully".[1]
Location[edit]
It is situated on the edge of the gorge that has been created by Van Stadens River, next to the Van Stadens Bridge.
History[edit]
The school was started by the Carter family[2] in 1936, all of whose descendants have attended the school.[citation needed] Originally the school was only a preparatory school, and the college was started during the 1960s.[2] On June 10, 2017, Woodridge experienced a fire that engulfed at least half of the campus.[3]
Curriculum[edit]
The school offers the standard schooling under the guidelines of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa, and pupils taking their National Senior Certificate write the IEB examinations. Woodridge is also strongly supporting outdoor education, meaning that the students frequently take outdoor excursions and learn outdoors or about the outdoors.
Sport[edit]
Woodridge is involved in the sports of rugby, cricket, hockey, star gazing, netball, squash, tennis, bird watching, athletics and water polo.[4] Surf lifesaving is also offered.[5]
Other sports offered are rock climbing, canoeing, and hiking.[6] Outdoor education is offered, which is similar to Outward Bound, although it got its roots more from the Veld en Vlei society in nearby Sedgefield which many Old Woodridgeans used to attend, which was later bought out by the Outward Bound association. The Outward Bound was modelled on the Scottish school Gordonstoun, as was the rating system.[7]
Inter house competitions are held for all sports offered by the school. The Outdoor Education house trophy is considered the most revered of house trophies.
Notable alumni[edit]
- Colin Ingram - cricketer
- James Kamte,[8] - golfer
- Jade de Klerk - cricketer
- Mark Rushmere - cricketer
- Riki Wessels - cricketer
- Edith Molikoe - Hockey
Headmasters[edit]
The Headmaster of the school is Luke Hartley.[9]
Previous headmasters include:
- 2024-present: Luke Hartley
- 2017-2024: Derek Bradley
- 2014-2017: Simon Crane
- 2005-2014: Craig Neave
- 2002-2004: Ken Ball
- 1997-2001: Guy Norman Pearson
- 1967-1992: Keith Starck
Simon Crane joined as deputy headmaster in 2013. He is British born, an ex Bishops pupil and has served roles both in the UK (Milton Abbey School) and KwaZulu Natal (Carter High School (South Africa)) and Michaelhouse).[10]
Religious teachings[edit]
Woodridge is considered a Christian school, and is a parish of the Anglican church.
References[edit]
- ^ "King's-Edgehill School". www.kes.ns.ca. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007.
- ^ a b "History". Archived from the original on 24 September 2006.
- ^ "At least half of Eastern Cape's Woodridge College burnt down". 10 June 2017.
- ^ http://www.woodridge.co.za/Content.asp?pageID=302 [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Surf Lifesaving". Archived from the original on 24 September 2006.
- ^ "Woodridge College & Preparatory College".
- ^ Paget, Dick (23 August 2007). Paget's Progress: A Tale of High Adventure and Low Salaries. ISBN 9781467018692.
- ^ Ndabeni, Khanyi (21 March 2008). "Golfer 'Cobra' Kamte once aimed for soccer stardom". The Herald Online. Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Headmaster".
- ^ http://www.sahisa.org/2014/02/simon-crane/ [permanent dead link]