St Benedict's College

location_on BEDFORDVIEW, Gauteng

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About St Benedict's College

The School St Benedict\'s is a modern school with excellent facilities on a 40-acre site in Bedfordview, South Africa.  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 boys (including 84 boarders) and 800 Preparatory School boys from reception in Grade R through to matriculation in Grade 12.   Bishop Grandin House, our boarding facility offers both weekly and termly boarding and accommodates 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! Boys\\\' School 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 academics, sport and cultural activities all have an important educational role to play.   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 year after 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.   Sporting Activities Here our boys are most successful - 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; eight tennis courts; two basketball courts; six cricket fields; four rugby fields; a magnificent rugby/cricket pavilion and restaurant; two grass hockey fields and an astroturf; as well as an outstanding fleet of rowing boats, kept in St Benedict\\\'s boathouses at Germiston Lake and Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria. Construction of our new indoor Cricket Centre and Sports Hall is scheduled for completion early in 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 magnificent St Benedict\\\'s Conference and Environmental Centre on the Magalies River, owned by the St Benedict\\\'s Trust.  It consists of 250 acres of unspoiled land and caters for leadership, academic, religious and sporting camps throughout the year.  The construction of the new Dining Hall and Kitchen complex, 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) was 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 lower 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!