Kloof High School


Kloof High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Kloof, near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

History

Kloof High School opened in February 1960 under the first headmaster, Mr G. Goodwin. The 127 students were taught in prefabricated classrooms situated on a temporary site at the corner of Emolweni and Dan Pienaar Roads in the village of Kloof.
The school grew quickly under the third principal, Mr Dudley Barton, who succeeded Mr J.F. Dixon in July 1963. Construction had begun on permanent buildings in 1963 and by mid–1964 the students in the eighth to eleventh grades were able to move into their new classrooms. For some time the prefabs on the top field remained as further building continued. In 1965 the first grade 12 pupils wrote the School's first matriculation examinations, and the school houses, Churchill, Founders and Keller, were established.
In 1969, Mr T. Gerdener officially opened the school. At that time, there were 524 students and 26 teachers, and a further classroom wing, including an Art Studio and Media Centre had been added and a school hall. During the July holidays of that year the first sports tours were undertaken with a 1st Hockey XI touring the Eastern Cape and the first rugby touring Rhodesia. The faith of the founders had been justified and a coat of arms was designed by Mr Alan Woodrow, including the motto: "In hoc signo vinces" meaning "In this sign you will conquer."
Academic, sporting and cultural aspects of school life were catered for but Mr Barton felt the spiritual needs of the students should be met. Fund raising began for a chapel and the Dudley Barton Sanctuary was opened in 1977, dedicated by the Bishop of Natal. Despite being a public school, Kloof High retains its Christian ethos, but accommodates pupils of all religions.
Mr Barton retired in 1978 and was succeeded by Mr H.M. Puzey under whom the school continued to grow. Further classrooms were built including a Computer Room. On the sports front, provincial and, on occasion, national honours, were earned in swimming,, cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis. Mr Hugh Deane was Principal from 1989 until 1994.
In January 1995 Mr Deane was succeeded by Mr Dave Seager. The school was declared a Model C school early in the nineties, and a school governing body was formed to deal with financial concerns.
In the new millennium, the school introduced a sports centre, the John Dickson Indoor Centre, and an auditorium.
During March 2005, Mr Seager resigned and was replaced by Mrs Dawn A. Lefort in her capacity as Acting Principal. She has worked at the School since 1977 as a French and History teacher. Mrs Dawn A. Lefort is the current principal and head of Senior Management at Kloof High School.

Principals

The school's location is on the tree-lined avenues of Kloof.
Kloof High School is an English-medium school that is run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and a school governing body. Approximately 26 teachers are employed by the governing body and about 23 are employed by the Department of Education.
About 1000 students, mostly from the suburbs of Kloof, Everton, Gillitts, Waterfall, Forest Hills, New Germany, Wyebank and Pinetown, attend the school. A daily school bus operates from Marrianhill through to the school via Lyndhurst Primary School in New Germany.

Facilities


Other facilities:
Kloof High School's students write the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education NSC exams and consistently achieve good results.
KHS is an English-Medium school. It offers Afrikaans and isiZulu as second languages as well as French and German as third languages.
German Second Additional Language can only be taken as an 8th Matriculation subject unless permission has been granted by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education for the child to take German as an incorporated 7th subject or at "Home Language" level.

ABET education

The Argus School uses the school during evenings. The service is involved in adult education of domestic workers and disadvantaged peoples in the area. ABET are taught by members of the Kloof community, teaching literacy and numerous skills.
The school runs an annual spring school under the auspices of the Kloof Rotary Club. Subjects range from baking to flower arranging to poetry. It is held during the spring holidays.

Subjects

GET Level (Grades 8 and 9)

In a student's Grade 9 year, they choose one of the subjects from each Line set out below. In the case of the Optional line; students approach Mrs Roux for assistance — except for 'Additional Mathematics'.
Line 1Line 2Line 3Line 4Line 5Line 6Line 7Optional
EnglishAfrikaansMathematicsL.O.HistoryHistoryEGDGerman
isiZuluMaths Lit.GeographyGeographyBus. Std.Italian
P.SciencesFrenchCons.Std.isiZulu
L.SciencesAccountingDramaFrench
Vis.ArtI.T.Ad. Maths
P.Sciences
L.Sciences

Note: under the Optional heading, all of the languages stated can only be taken as 2nd Additional Languages — unless prior consent has been given by the Department of Education. These optional languages are taught by Mrs. O. Roux at either conversational level or NSC Examination level.

Subjects

Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation is unique to South Africa. Citizenship Education, in American schools, resembles this compulsory subject. There is no final NSC exam although learners must complete a final standardised task set by the KZN Department of Education in their Grade 12-year. The final Life Orientation mark is based on work from Grades 10, 11 and 12. This means learners build a portfolio throughout their FET phase.
Physical Sciences takes Chemistry and Physics and uses them to improve lives while still caring for the environment. In other countries, students take Physics PLUS Chemistry as electives but in the case of all South African Schools – Physical Science is the amalgamation of both.
Life Sciences. Four themes are covered in each grade, namely:
Visual Art.
"The subject Visual Arts offers learners a way to meaningfully engage with and respond to their world. It provides opportunities to stimulate and develop learners‘ intellect, engaging their creative imagination through visual and tactile experiences and the innovative use of materials and technology in the realisation of their ideas. This provides the basis for learners to develop an individual visual language, which in turn is informed and shaped by immersion in the visual culture of the past and present."
Engineering Graphics and Design is a communication and management tool that links those who design and plan with those who produce the artefacts and systems. It is used in the design phase to record and develop ideas, and in the manufacturing phase to guide those who do the manufacturing.
Business Studies deals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values critical for participation in the economic sectors.
Consumer Studies focuses on enabling learners to become informed consumers of food, clothing, housing, furnishings and household equipment. Learners entering Grade 10 will not have any prior knowledge of Consumer Studies and will be introduced to the subject for the first time in their Grade 10-year.
Dramatic Arts is concerned both with the workings of the imagination and with the discipline of craftsmanship. Practical work and written work are equally weighted. Drama assessment is 50% practical work and 50% theory. There is a written and practical exam in June and at the end of each year, as well as continuous assessment throughout the year.
Information Technology.
2nd Additional Languages. The school has a wide array of foreign languages spoken within its boundaries

Sports

Sports offered include rugby, hockey, waterpolo, soccer, swimming and athletics as well as rock climbing and adventure racing, represented by both boys and girls teams. Boys can participate in cricket, while girls take part in netball and softball.
BoysGirlsTogether
SoccerSoccerChess
RugbyNetballCross-Country
Indoor/Outdoor HockeyIndoor/Outdoor HockeySquash
TennisTennisRock Climbing
WaterpoloWaterpoloSwimming
CricketAdventure Racing
Touch RugbyEquestrian
Softball

Cultural

The cultural community of the school comprises:
The school celebrates its Founders Day every year on the final day of the second term by commemorating its first set of grade 12 students.
There is a sporting rivalry with nearby Hillcrest High School. Derby Day is held every mid-June, alternating between Kloof High and Hillcrest High, and culminates with the 1st XV rugby game in the afternoon.

School uniform

The blazer is royal blue and special awards are indicated with yellow ribbing for colours or white, blue and yellow, in the case of honours. The tie is striped with royal blue, navy blue and yellow. Blazer and tie are not required during the summer terms for girls.
Matrics have the privilege of a slightly different uniform. This includes a white, as opposed to brown, school jersey. They also have the option of special ties. Most importantly, though, they are then allowed to purchase their annually renewed Matric Jackets. The jacket design is voted for by the upcoming Matric class and designed by the Students of that year