Springfield Convent School
PROSPECTUS
trust
listen care achieve
“SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SCHOOL provides a foundation of
trust that encourages confidence and independence, allowing
our girls to enter the wider community with the ability to think,
listen, care and achieve.”
SPIRITUAL CORNERSTONE
HISTORY & ETHOS
A time-honoured tradition of academic prestige, sporting
triumphs and solid values, with a spiritual approach that
is all embracing, provides the basis for outstanding and
balanced schooling. By providing these ingredients, we
encourage our pupils to excel … and that is precisely what
excellence, and Springfield, is all about.
When six Dominican sisters left Ireland forever in the 1860’s to establish a girls’ school in
Cape Town, we were decidedly blessed. Guided by faith and dedication, they purchased the
spacious and beautiful Springfield estate in Wynberg, then considered “the countryside”,
for £800. Founded in 1871, Springfield Convent School is steeped in almost 150 years of
cherished history. Yet remaining with the times, we blend our tradition with a contemporary
outlook.
Today, our nursery to matric pupils are nurtured by an ethos that resonates with the
principles and values of academic excellence, spiritual awareness, physical well-being
and social generosity. This integrated approach is underpinned by our motto:
Veritas – Truth.
Take a breath. Let your eyes wander. Walls hewn from stone. Colonnades.
Granite and marble. Moss. Dappled sunlight. Stained glass. Wood and brass.
Palms. Pink and white Camellias. Rows of Liquidambar trees against the bluest
sky. Meandering pathways. Plum trees. Listen: The engaging notes of piano
and strings. The soft splashing of a Victorian fountain. Laughter. Sense the allembracing calm and deeply spiritual presence of Springfield Convent School.
Our education is inspired by Christian values and
instilled with Catholic character and tradition. We
welcome girls of all faiths and backgrounds since we
teach respect, tolerance and understanding for the
beliefs of others. Springfield recognises that every
pupil is a child of God. In this manner, we foster a
spiritual awareness that becomes conducive to an
enlightened way of life.
veritas
ACADEMIC CORNERSTONE
CULTURAL CORNERSTONE
PHYSICAL CORNERSTONE
Since its earliest days Springfield has been a leading academic
school. It offers a superbly comprehensive and balanced academic
curriculum. Our teachers are experts in their field and impart a strong
work ethic, for which we are renowned. It is this mindset which is
a foundation of our academic excellence – consistently resulting in
100 percent matric pass rates.
A mentoring system assists our girls both academically and
personally, providing a proactive support base that allows them
to unfold their talents with confidence. At Springfield, we pride
ourselves on this individualised attention.
Being ever mindful of the need for innovation in our teaching
methods, our networked IT and Media Centres remain state-of-the-art.
Intellectual discipline is complemented with creative expression in
the fields of music, art and drama, to ensure that the unique spark
within each and every girl is fully expressed.
To allow pupils to evolve and develop additional skills that might not be readily
measurable by marks or scores, we provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Art is a medium of expression that is part and parcel of our curriculum and you will
be delighted to see the exceptional talent that our teachers have kindled and do so on
an ongoing basis.
Springfield stimulates creativity through music. While strolling through our grounds
you may hear notes of classical music from a variety of instruments, bursts of vibrant
contemporary jazz and African marimba melodies – all resonating from the Music School.
We encourage generosity of spirit. Our pupils become actively involved in hands-on
assignments that enhance the lives of underprivileged communities, thereby developing
life skills such as social awareness and teamwork.
Springfield boasts a huge variety of societies, from Beading to Debating and Ceramics
to Environmental Groups. Learning life skills in a facilitative way ensures that our pupils
become even more accomplished adult individuals.
Physical fitness complements academic prowess. At Springfield
we encourage physical activity and a competitive spirit.
We built one of the first school swimming pools in the country
over a century ago. Today, it’s half Olympic size, with a circular
diving pool alongside and watersports range from swimming,
diving, synchronised swimming to waterpolo.
There are three hockey fields that allow the multiple hockey
teams to prepare for their impressive achievements in the school
leagues. Six courts for tennis in summer and netball in winter.
Squash and cross-country running are popular too.
Our sporting excellence has been rewarded with pupils
achieving representation at national level for all sporting
disciplines. Some of our pupils have even participated in the
Commonwealth Games and other prestigious international
sporting events.
accomplished
individuals
creative
“Entrusting your daughter to Springfield
is one of the finest investments you could
make. You can count on our high standards
of academic excellence.
Apart from providing an impeccable
education, we instill sound values and
life skills that will enrich your child and
remain with her during the course of her
lifetime.”
“Throughout the school’s long history, girls who’ve been
educated here have been drawn back throughout their lives
by Springfield’s spell.
They can’t define it; they can’t name it.
They can only tell you that here they find a peace and an
atmosphere that they find nowhere else.”
Springfield Convent School, St. John’s Road, Wynberg, 7800
Tel: Senior School +27 (0)21 797 6169 and Junior School +27 (0)21 797 9637
Fax: Senior School +27 (0)21 762 7930 and Junior School +27 (0)21 797 8200
www.springfieldconvent.co.za