Northcliff High School

Coordinates: 26°07′48″S 27°57′52″E / 26.130134°S 27.964437°E / -26.130134; 27.964437
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Northcliff High School
Address
Map
Mountain View Drive, Blackheath

,
Coordinates26°07′48″S 27°57′52″E / 26.130134°S 27.964437°E / -26.130134; 27.964437
Information
School typePublic
MottoNihil Tam Altum
(Nothing so high)
Established1969; 55 years ago (1969)
School districtDistrict 9
PrincipalMr Essex-Clarke
Teaching staff56
Grades8–12
GenderBoys & Girls
Age14 to 18
Number of students1,500 pupils
Average class size22-35
LanguageEnglish
Schedule 07:30 - 14:00
Colour(s)  Blue
  Navy
  White
Rivals
AccreditationGauteng Department of Education
Websitewww.northcliffhigh.co.za

Northcliff High School, commonly known as Northcliff High, is a public English medium co-educational high school located in the suburb of Blackheath in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the top and most academic schools in Gauteng. The high school was established in 1969.

Location[edit]

The school is located on Mountain View Drive, at the bottom of Northcliff Hill.

Sporting[edit]

Northcliff High has won the A-League Inter-High Athletics competition for 25 consecutive years, from 1997 - 2023 [Meeting did not talk place in 2020/1 due to Covid].

In 2015, construction of an astroturf hockey field started.[1] At the time, the school was the only government school in the area to own one.

A bear was the First Rugby team mascot in 1973. It featured in every First Rugby team photo until 1987. In 2018 the mascot was returned to the school by the 1990 First Rugby team Captain.[2]

Northcliff won the A-league inter-high gala 24 times over the years.

Controversy[edit]

In June 2017, Northcliff High was embroiled in a religious sensitivity scandal after it required its female Muslim students to carry concession cards in order to wear a head scarf to school. It was claimed that this was to make sure that the uniform rules were upheld.[3]

Transformation[edit]

According to a Sunday Times investigative report, Northcliff was named as Gauteng's least representative school staff-wise, with its academic staff consisting of 96% white staff members.[4] The figures for Northcliff High School were according to teaching staff lists and photos on the school's website as the school refused to reveal its numbers to the press.[4]

Past and present heads of school[edit]

The following have been the heads of the school:

  • Mr Ged Dickerson (1969 - 1986)
  • Mr Peter Cawdry (1986 - 1997)
  • Mr David Klein (1997 - 2002)
  • Mrs Samantha Jandersen (2002-2002)
  • Mr Walter Essex-Clark (2003 - date)[citation needed]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ NHS Astro, Northcliff High School Astro Turf Project, retrieved 11 September 2014
  2. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
  3. ^ "Northcliff High's concession cards for Muslim learners compared to dompas".
  4. ^ a b "Schools change, but not in staff rooms".
  5. ^ "Musical 'Sister Act' a hard one to follow". www.iol.co.za.
  6. ^ "Schoolsportsnews.co.za".
  7. ^ "Wimbledon 1996 (Great Britain)". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Vincent Tshituka Rugby | Vincent Tshituka News, Stats & Team | RugbyPass". www.rugbypass.com.

External links[edit]