Kearsney College


Kearsney College is a private boarding, English medium high school for boys in Botha's Hill, a small town between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
WWW kearsney.com

History

Kearsney College was founded by Sir Liege Hulett in 1921. Hulett founded what would become Tongaat Hulett Sugar. Sir Liege Hulett cherished the idea of establishing a boys' school for Methodist ministers and their sons and those of the families of the free churches. Kearsney took its name from Kearsney, Kent where Sir Liege Hulett had moved to where his father established St Martin's Academy.
He considered Kearsney House, the house he originally built for his family, ideally suited for this purpose. On 29 November 1920, a contract was signed with the Wesleyan Church to use Kearsney House as a school. This was the birth of Kearsney College and remains a living memorial to Sir Liege. The school opened with 11 boys. Kearsney College remained at the Kearsney Estate until June 1939, when it moved to its present site at Botha's Hill between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The decision to move the school was based on the reluctance of parents to send their sons to a school on the north coast that suffered many cases of malaria in the 1930s. However, none were reported at Kearsney. On hearing of this, Mr Clement Stott of Botha’s Hill donated of land. At the same time, Mr JJ Crookes offered to build a boarding house. The move was completed a month before the beginning of World War II. The new Kearsney College opened with 196 boys.
Kearsney's badge was designed by the then-headmaster, Mr RH Matterson, and the chaplain, the Rev. WH Irving, in about 1923. The greyhound is taken from the arms of the founder, Sir James Liege Hulett The scallop shells and the dividing chevron are from the arms of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The pheon, or arrowhead, is taken from the badge of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where Matterson studied. The motto Carpe Diem, traditionally at Kearsney translated "Seize the Day," comes from the Roman poet Horace.

Headmasters

  • D. Pyne Mercier
  • R.H. Matterson
  • S.G. Osler
  • J.H. Hopkins
  • E.W. Silcock
  • O.J. Roberts
  • E.D. van den Aardweg
  • P Lees

Boarding Houses

There are five boarding houses - four senior houses and one junior house. They are Finningley, Gillingham, Pembroke, Sheffield and Haley. Finningley is named after the town of Finningley in South Yorkshire, England. Gillingham is named after Gillingham, Kent, England, where Sir Liege Hulett lived as a young man Pembroke is named after the town of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Sheffield is named after Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, where Sir Liege Hulett moved following his time in Gillingham.

Academics

The College offers the following subject choices for Grades 10,11,12 : English; Afrikaans or isiZulu; Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy; Life Orientation; Accounting, Business Studies, Dramatic Art; Engineering Graphics and Design; Geography; History; Information Technology; Life Sciences ; Music; Science and Visual Arts.
In 2020, Kearsney had a 100% pass rate and a 100% Bachelor Degree pass rate.

Clubs and Cultural Activities

Clubs offered range from academic extension to personal enrichment to creative to the physical and the just plain fun. Finally, boys are coached in public speaking skills through their membership of the Speakers’ Circle and Inner Circle Speakers’ Club.

Sports

Sports facilities include several rugby fields, several cricket ovals, an artificial turf for field hockey and two swimming pools. Included is SportZone, an indoor training facility with several cricket nets, two indoor and two outdoor basketball courts, and a gymnasium.
Sports on offer at the College include:
Kearsney has hosted the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival since 2008. This school's rugby tournament regularly attracts top South African school teams. Previous festival players that have achieved higher honours include : Handré Pollard, Warrick Gelant, Jan Serfontein, RG Snyman, Dan du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, JJ van der Mescht,

International Exchange Programme

Kearsney has an international exchange programme with several schools. Schools that Kearsney pupils spend time at include: Catholic University School in Dublin, Ireland, Mount St Mary’s College, Derbyshire, England and Canberra Grammar School in Red Hill, Australia.

Notable alumni

Authors

Politicians

Businessmen

Medical

  • Henry Markram - Founder and Director of the Blue Brain Project.
  • Jonathan Pons - ophthalmologist
  • Dr Michael A. Belfort - World’s First Use of Thulium Laser-Assisted Fetal Cardiac Surgery
  • Professor Nigel Clement Halley Stott - professor of general practice in the Cardiff Medical School, awarded a CBE for services to primary care and general practice medicine

Other

  • Ian McGregor - director of the Smithsonian
  • Peter Ralph Randall - anti-apartheid publisher
  • Terence Reis - Guitarist Dire Straits
  • Professor David Hall - United Nations advisor, Leader in alternative energy
  • Alan Dell - BBC radio broadcaster
  • Kendrew Lascelles - actor, performer and writer
  • HRH Prince Shlobosenkosi Zulu of the Zulu royal family
  • King Ndamase Ndamase sixth King of Western Pondoland
  • Andrew Boraine

Sports

Cricket

Hockey

Rugby

Other