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Herschel Girls School
Cape Town
WHERE ARE WE?
20 minutes from Cape Town Internationals Airport
7 minutes from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
16 minutes from District Six Museum
16 minutes from Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu Foundation
20 minutes from V&A Waterfront
20 minutes from Two Oceans Aquariam
20 minutes from Zeitz Mocca Museum
20 minutes from Parliament and Company Garden, Iziko Museum, Planetarium
25 minutes from Lions Head
25 minutes from Table Mountain Aerial Cable Way
1 hour and 10 minutes from Cape Point Nature Reserve
Welcome to Herschel
Herschel Girls School was founded in 1922 as an independent, Anglican girls school. Our pupils are encouraged to explore, discover and develop their own unique interests, talents and skills. We believe in fostering a school that enables everyone to be recognised, appreciated, engaged, encouraged, challenged and inspired.
SPIRITUALITY & SERVING THE COMMUNITY
Herschel Girls School is a proud Anglican school. We value our Anglican ethos and live by our school values of respect, equality, equity, accountability and empathy. Herschel Girls School, guided by its Christian and Anglican values, strives to help its community build a meaningful relationship with God while encouraging active participation and citizenship within the South African society.
PASTORAL CARE
We believe each pupil needs to belong to a smaller community where she feels comfortable to be herself and where she learns to connect with pupils of other grades to grow in knowledge, thoughtfulness and confidence.
Herschel operates a vertical tutor system which functions through our House system allowing pupils to belong to a specific group within Herschel – to be cared for, to have fun, to compete, to grow. Herschel has four Houses – Carter, Jagger, Merriman and Rolt. Each House has 9 tutor groups.
We have a number of House events throughout the year –sporting, cultural, community engagement and many more which offer wonderful opportunities to gather together, compete and celebrate.
MERRIM AN CARTER ROLT
ACADEMIC
The Herschel academic staff are dedicated to supporting pupils on their individual academic paths. We follow the Independent Examinations Board curriculum which promotes critical and independant thinking.
SPORT
The school recognises the many life lessons that pupils can learn through sport. We offer a wide range of summer and winter sports.
CULTURE
Our cultural departments of art, music, design, dance and drama provides an essential balance for our pupils away from the pressures of academic pursuits.
WHY CHOOSE HERSCHEL GIRLS
AS YOUR EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE?
The Herschel Exchange Programme is a unique opportunity for pupils to gain an international experience with cultural exposure.
They will be welcomed into our school community and enjoy a variety of tours and activities. Pupils will learn to make a difference by being involved in our numerous outreach projects. They will be paired with one of our pupils and hosted by their family. Additionally, they will take part in a programme specifically curated for our visiting exchange pupils, to further enhance their South African experience.
Part of a community
Our visiting exchange pupils will become part of our community and join their hosts tutor group. A tutor group is a vertical slice of the House system and consists of up to 16 pupils, with 3 or 4 from each grade. This allows pupils from different grades to interact and learn from each other in a small family unit. You may well have the opportunity to take part in House events during your stay.
TOURS & ACTIVITIES
We offer our exchange pupils a variety of tours and activities which they can participate in. From travelling to our iconic Kruger National Park and seeing The Big Five to visiting the southernmost tip. Our exchangees are guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience.
Cape Agulhas - southernmost tip of Africa
standing on the chain bridge at Storms River
Surfing at Muizenberg Beach
LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
At Herschel Girls Senior School, we believe in the power of giving back and making a positive impact to the communities we serve. The visiting exchange pupils will be given the opportunity to volunteer at our local outreach projects focussing on education, environmental conservation and social welfare.
Community outreach work
Turtle Foundation at the Two Oceans Aquarium
creating educational toys
beach cleanup
Conservation and Anti-poaching at the Kruger National Park
clothes donations
supporting WOOF
FAMILY HOSTED
programme activities. There is no better way to fully understand a new culture than to be part of the life of the locals.
CURATED EXPERIENCE
Exchange pupils will participate in a school programme specifically curated for them.
• Greetings and basic conversation in two of our official languages
• A brief overview of South African history
• Indigenous musical instruments
• African storytelling
• South African Voices – a literary journey
They will also be given the opportunity to participate in some of their hosts academic classes.
Molo. Unjani?
Hallo. Hoe gaan dit met jou?
Herschel is excited to welcome you onto our exchange programme. You’ll experience new cultures, challenge stereotypes, and make lasting friendships. You’ll gain a deeper understanding about our country and have a meaningful impact on the lives of many. You’ll experience a different educational system and lifestyle broadening your perspective and developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. Our aim is for you to leave as empathetic, open minded global citizens, prepared to contribute positively to an interconnected world. We hope you’ll fully embrace everything offered, celebrate your uniqueness, and both share your skills and develop new ones.
– The Herschel Exchange Team
exchange@herschel.org.za