St. John's Diocesan School for Girls
Encyclopedia
St. John's Diocesan School for Girls is a private
boarding
and day school for girls in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg
, KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
.
In 1887, Sister Fanny, together with Novices Anna and Margaret (who took their vows soon after they arrived), were sent out to Pietermaritzburg from England to look after and educate orphans. Within months they were running the St Cross Orphanage in Loop Street and had named their little community 'The Society of St John the Divine'.
As the orphanage expanded, the Sisters decided to build a boarding facility to accommodate children who wished to attend school in the town. Thus in 1894 the foundation stone to the convent in Burger Street was laid where the present Medical Centre now exists. Numbers continued to grow and the building next to the convent was acquired for older girls and was named 'St John's School' in 1897. The following year this building became a school for girls from kindergarten to Matric.
In 1913, a site was selected in Scottsville to give "...a freer life . . .more space for playing fields, more accommodation for boarders and better school buildings" and so began the development of the school we know today. The original school building, opened in 1915, is now part of the Junior School, the Junior Resource centre being the original school hall.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and day school for girls in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
History
It was founded in 1897 by the Society of Sisters of St John the Divine and has an Anglican foundation.In 1887, Sister Fanny, together with Novices Anna and Margaret (who took their vows soon after they arrived), were sent out to Pietermaritzburg from England to look after and educate orphans. Within months they were running the St Cross Orphanage in Loop Street and had named their little community 'The Society of St John the Divine'.
As the orphanage expanded, the Sisters decided to build a boarding facility to accommodate children who wished to attend school in the town. Thus in 1894 the foundation stone to the convent in Burger Street was laid where the present Medical Centre now exists. Numbers continued to grow and the building next to the convent was acquired for older girls and was named 'St John's School' in 1897. The following year this building became a school for girls from kindergarten to Matric.
In 1913, a site was selected in Scottsville to give "...a freer life . . .more space for playing fields, more accommodation for boarders and better school buildings" and so began the development of the school we know today. The original school building, opened in 1915, is now part of the Junior School, the Junior Resource centre being the original school hall.