wbhs foundation brochure

WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Nurturing All-Round Excellence

WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION | Nurturing All-Round Excellence Page | 3

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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 4 - 5

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 6 - 7

The Westville Boys’ High Foundation . . pg 8 - 9

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 10 - 14

The Present WBHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 16 - 18

Our Pillars of Excellence . . . . . . . . . . pg 19 - 25

The Impact of the Foundation . . . . . . . pg 28 - 31

Targeted Strategic Projects . . . . . . . . pg 32 - 35

Donation Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 36 - 38

CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION

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Westville Boys’ High School (hereafter referred to as ‘WBHS’) celebrates its 60th anniversary as a high school in 2015 . As with any anniversary, it is an opportune time to reflect on both the past achievements and the future of the School . The Management of the School, in partnership with the Governing Body and the Old Boys’ Association, is in the process of strategically repositioning itself to ensure a sustainable and successful future for the School .

Part of this preparation has included the establishment of the Westville Boys’ High School Foundation (hereafter referred to as ‘the Foundation’), a vehicle that provides an opportunity for old boys, parents and other members of the school community to offer financial assistance to the school in support of a selection of projects that will secure the School’s ongoing mission of “nurturing all-round excellence .”

Among other things, these projects include the upgrading of existing facilities and the building of new facilities in order to ensure that the learning environment remains innovative and technologically relevant . In so doing, the Foundation will assist the School in achieving its strategic objectives .

INTRODUCTION


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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The initial fund-raising target of the Foundation

is R10million .

WBHS is a world-class South African institution that prepares its students for a rapidly changing global environment and has developed an enviable reputation for achieving all-round excellence in the education of its students .

While for most of its sixty year history it has been regarded as the premier academic school for boys in KwaZulu-Natal, over the past two decades in particular, it has expanded and developed its programmes to become an institution that is excellent across all facets of school life – the four pillars of Academics, Arts, Sport and Leadership . This consistent level of achievement has received both national and international recognition .

The facilities of WBHS were developed in its initial period of existence by the State . These have been enhanced over the last ten to fifteen years by the generous support of parents and benefactors . In line with government policy of correcting the inequalities in the South African education system, the State has, since 1997, significantly reduced its funding of the School . We are regarded as a ‘quintile 5 advantaged school’, and consequently State funding is limited to approximately 30% of our operational budget . Parents and guardians of students at the School contribute approximately 68% of the funds required through school fees, while a further 1 .5% of funds are obtained from other sources . This funding does not allow for large-scale campus development . As such, for any new developments and supplementary programmes not covered in the School’s budget to be fulfilled, the School needs to source funds through other avenues .

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In order for us to uphold our position as a world-class South African school, several new and exciting capital developments need to be initiated . All planned developments, including the purchase and development of a new boarding establishment, the refurbishing of science laboratories, the upgrading of change rooms, and the construction of a student centre and drama teaching facility, are designed to support the pillars of excellence of the School .

The Foundation has been established as a fundraising vehicle to support the School in strengthening its position as a premier school . In so doing, the Foundation will directly support the all-round education experience of the current students of the School, and the thousands of boys who will attend the School in the future .

The Foundation is a separate legal entity to the School and is registered as a non-profit company in terms of Section 21 of the Companies Act . In addition, it enjoys Public-Benefit Organisation (PBO) status. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors . Individuals who make donations over a certain threshold become voting members of the Foundation .

The initial fund-raising target of the Foundation is R10 million .


THE WESTVILLE BOYS’HIGH FOUNDATION

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THE WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH FOUNDATION

The Foundation is an initiative aimed at harnessing financial support for the School.

RegistrationThe Foundation has been registered under Section 21 of the Companies Act (Reg No . 2014/038/219/08; PBO No . 930046644) and operates as a non-profit company. WBHS is the sole beneficiary of the Foundation.

MembershipWBHS old boys, current and past parents of WBHS, students and friends of the School, who make donations over a certain threshold determined by the Board of Directors will become voting members of the Company . By virtue of that membership they will be able to participate in the functioning of the Company by formulating company policy and nominating and electing Directors .

DirectorsThe Board of Directors of the Foundation comprises:

• Not less than five directors elected by donors to the Foundation

• Four ex-officio directors comprising the WBHS Headmaster, and the chairpersons of the Governing Body, the Educational Trust and the Westville Old Boys’ Association .

Allocation of fundsFunds will be allocated in accordance with the mandate established by the members of the Foundation . All funds utilised in support of WBHS will be guided by the primary objective of the Foundation which is to ensure that WBHS upholds its status as a premier school in South Africa and the world .

Westville Boys’ High School Foundation ProgrammesThe Foundation has identified various initiatives which are strategically aligned with the goals and objectives as identified by the Management of WBHS as part of its strategic planning process . The Campus Development Fund will be devoted to funding capital developments and improvements at WBHS, while the Endowment Fund aims at creating a sustainable support fund for new initiatives at WBHS .


HISTORY


WBHS is one of the premier high schools in South Africa . We have developed a reputation for producing fine young men who are able to make significant contributions to the building of South Africa and the world . In doing so, these men live up to our motto, Incepto Ne Desistam – “Do not shrink from your purpose” .

It has been a remarkable journey for WBHS thus far . While several other schools in the country have histories dating back over 100 years, WBHS has emerged as a school of choice and distinction in its considerably shorter period of 60 years of existence . Approximately 9 000 boys have benefited from the world class education offered by WBHS, and its immediate forerunner, Westville High School .

The success of the School is testament to a number of significant people who have contributed to the WBHS journey . Miss Gladys Carr opened her private school in Westville in 1935, an event which was the precursor to all schooling in the community thereafter; and, in 1941, the Bernard Family donated the land on which WBHS stands today .

The State assumed responsibility for the initial development of the high school campus from the commencement of Westville High School in 1955 . This extended to the inauguration of WBHS a decade later, and onwards into the 1970s .

HISTORY

“DO NOT SHRINK FROM YOUR PURPOSE”


HISTORY

Subsequently the support of numerous parents and benefactors has been vital to the development of a fine campus that forms the backbone of the School’s vision of nurturing all-round excellence in the boys who choose to attend WBHS . To date this has primarily been achieved through the WBHS Educational Trust, a body created in 1984 .

In 1990, at the dawn of the democratic era in South Africa, the parents of students at the school voted overwhelmingly, at the first opportunity provided to them, to open the school to boys of all races . It was around this time that the concept of fee-paying public schools was entrenched. Following the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, Section 21 of the South African Schools Act of 1996 effectively provided for the concept of the self-managing public school, a status which WBHS currently enjoys .

From that time onwards, the running of WBHS has become increasingly independent of the State . New legislation permitted the Governing Body of the School to assume responsibilities for the upkeep and expansion of the campus, among other obligations . Contributions from the State to the School were reduced, as the State began to increasingly rectify the imbalances in the education system left by Apartheid .Undeterred by the reduction of State support, from the early-2000s onwards the School began the largest phase of campus development since the 1970s .

The construction of the Multi-Purpose Centre, the installation of the shared Hockey Astroturf at our sister school, the redevelopment of the School Hall into an operative Performing Arts Theatre, and the building of a new Aquatics Centre were some of the major capital projects conducted over the past decade . All of these projects were entirely funded by parents, donors, or grants from various organisations .

The Management and Governing Body of WBHS can be truly proud of what they have achieved in recent decades . It is remarkable that the recent success of

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HISTORY


HISTORY

the School occurred during a time of both restricted State funding and the greatest economic downturn in the world economy in many years .

The work continues though . A rapidly changing world requires institutions to be able to constantly adapt or otherwise face redundancy. WBHS has justifiably earned itself a reputation of being one of the premier high schools in South Africa, and more recently, as one of the premier high schools in the world . To remain a premier school, and to continue to provide a world-class education to the future boys that will choose WBHS as their school, will require continued hard work and commitment from all the role-players in the WBHS community, including the Management of the School, the Governing Body, the broader parent body and the old boys from across all the matriculating classes .

There are further projects in the planning stages, all positioned to support the School’s vision of nurturing all-round excellence in academics, the arts, sport and leadership . The Foundation has been created to ensure that the future of the School is secured . Working hand-in-hand with the Management, Governing Body and Educational Trust of the School, the Foundation aims to raise considerable funds from now onwards to support and enhance the educational experience of the thousands of boys who will attend the School in the future .

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THE PRESENT WBHS

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While for most of its sixty year history the School has been regarded as the premier academic school for boys in KwaZulu-Natal, over the past two decades in particular it has expanded and developed its programmes to become an institution that is excellent across all facets of school life .

Embracing the changes of a democratic South Africa and a rapidly globalising world, along with the new found freedoms associated with the time, the Management team of the School has looked abroad for the best practices in education for replication at WBHS . In addition, the Management team has introduced its own innovations to ensure that the experience of WBHS students is in line with the best educational opportunities available both locally and abroad .

Many schools in South Africa claim to offer balance between all facets of school life in the education they provide, but few achieve it in practice . This balance is only truly attained when the educational experience is provided to every boy in the school to cater for his own unique talents and interests . At WBHS, this is inculcated through its four pillars of excellence – Academics, Arts, Sport and Leadership and it is brought together in our student-centred vision of ‘nurturing all-round excellence’ .

Every boy who attends WBHS is offered a world of opportunities across a number of fields and disciplines in order to learn, discover, perform, compete, lead and play . The School has developed innovative methods, notably in sport and leadership, to ensure that boys discover

THE PRESENT WBHS


new talents in themselves and are then afforded opportunities by the School to develop those talents .

The School’s commitment to nurturing all-round excellence, and the associate balance that comes

SCHOOL FEES(Year = Cost of Fees)

1972 = R60

1982 = R100

1992 = R640

2002 = R9 600

2008 = R18 500

2013 = R31 100

2014 = R33 850

THE PRESENT WBHS

WBHS STATISTICS

WBHS MATRIC RESULTS*

Number of pupils 246

Subject distinctions 605

Passes (246) 100%

Bachelors’ passes (222) 90%

7+ distinctions (24) 10%

6+ distinctions (37) 15%

A aggregates (54) 22%

C+ aggregates (193) 78%

Boys doing Maths (226) 92%

Boys doing Science (211) 86%

NUMBER OF PUPILS(Year = No. Pupils)

1968 = 550

1972 = 770

1982 = 828

1992 = 932

2008 = 1 152

2014 = 1 292

with it, is being realised at WBHS . It is an offer that the Foundation wants to ensure is secured and enhanced for the thousands of boys who are yet to walk through the school’s gates for the first time.

*2013 figures

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OUR PILLARSOF EXCELLENCE


OUR PILLARS OF EXCELLENCE

ACADEMICS

• WBHS has retained excellent staff over the years, and has recruited many new teachers and counsellors of impressive character and proficiency who have continued to adopt a student-centred and disciplined approach to educating boys .

• A significant number of teachers, in addition to the State ration, are employed by the Governing Body in order to retain an average class size of approximately 26 students .

• WBHS has maintained its high level of academic excellence, consistently producing graduates who have raised the bar of academic achievement in the National Senior Certificate examinations. In most years the School achieves a 100% pass rate and a university exemption rate in excess of 90% . The School consistently produces the highest average number of distinctions per student out of any boys’ school in KwaZulu-Natal .

• On eight occasions since the first matriculating class in 1959, the School has produced the top matriculant in the province, and on two occasions the top student in South Africa .

• WBHS boasts one of the highest percentages of students, over 80%, taking Mathematics and Physical Science at the Matric level . The School does not subscribe to channeling students into courses that may be considered as softer options . This is to enable students to extend themselves to their full academic potential and to maximise their opportunities in their chosen careers . We offer the Accelerated Mathematics course as an additional Matric subject to top students, and provide arguably the highest number of Grade 10-12 boys undertaking this course in the country each year .

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• Our teaching methodology in each subject is generally based on a questioning and interactive approach, and we promote the concept of collaborative learning as a skill which benefits all students . This is evidenced through classroom activities and the academic extension and academic support programmes offered outside of the timetable .

• The School’s academic facilities include a Media Centre, two team-teaching auditoriums, two computer rooms, and several science laboratories . The upgrading of these centres in line with changing educational demands remains a priority for School Management and the Governing Body .



SPORT

• The School has raised the focus on the benefits of sporting programmes through the adoption of a compulsory sport-for-all policy so that all students gain from the life-lessons and health benefits of sporting involvement . A point of difference at WBHS is that sport is timetabled into the school day, in addition to the usual provision of sport at the conclusion of the school day .

• WBHS offers 21 sporting codes to its students . Some of these codes, notably Rugby, Cricket and Soccer, are able to field up to 30 teams each season, a feat which can be replicated by only a handful of other schools in the country .

• Many of the teaching staff are involved in sport coaching as part of their extra-curricular commitment . In addition, the School employs more than 15 full-time and 60 part-time coaches in order to ensure the provision of sport-for-all students .

• While every boy is offered the highest quality coaching, our most proficient sportsmen are offered high performance development which provides them the base from which to pursue successful professional sporting careers if they so choose .

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THE ARTS

• The School has developed an impressive reputation in both the Visual and Performing Arts . Drama and

• The School’s sporting facilities, including playing fields, two Swimming/Water-Polo pools, a Multi-Purpose Centre containing indoor Cricket nets, and a Hockey Astroturf, provide our boys with the environment to hone their skills and to compete . There is no doubt that these facilities have enhanced the quality and depth of sporting achievements across all age-groups . However, the regular maintenance and redevelopment of the sporting campus is a costly exercise which continues to demand the attention of School Management and the Governing Body .

Music, among the various other programmes on offer, broaden the horizons of all boys in the School .

• Annual events include at least three dramatic productions in addition to Visual Art exhibitions and choir and cultural festivals .


LEADERSHIP

• The School took the progressive step a decade ago to remove the outdated system of prefects and replaced it with a system of school leaders, tasked with the real management and organisation of school life . It is evident that many other leading schools, both in this country and abroad, have shown an interest in adopting the WBHS model .

• All boys in the School are exposed to innovative leadership programmes based on the concept of servant-leadership . They are provided with opportunities to develop their inter-personal abilities, enabling them to gain the skills that are necessary to make a difference to their current communities and in their future careers .


• The School’s impressive cultural facilities include a flexible 450-seater theatre, as well as a Visual Arts teaching facility containing a specialist computer room for graphic design .

• Over twenty clubs and societies supplement the educational experience by offering deeper experiential learning in a number of fields such as outreach programmes, public-speaking and environmental activities .

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• In addition to the leadership programmes, the School encourages its students to be free-thinking, autonomous individuals with a powerful sense of accountability, and a strong commitment to justice and fairness .

• A fully democratic Students’ Representative Council is tasked with certain aspects of school governance . In addition, in line with the relevant legislation, two representatives of the student body sit on the Governing Body of the School .

The commitment of the School to delivering a high quality holistic education in a very real sense has been noticed by educational leaders far beyond the shores of South Africa . In 2011 WBHS was invited to join the World Leading Schools Association, the only school from Africa to be afforded this accolade . This elite body, comprising 50 leading schools from the East and 50 from the West, is at the forefront of innovation in education . The major requirement for membership of this body is the proven ability of a school to meaningfully achieve a mission of all-round holistic education in developing global citizens who are able lead in the context of a rapidly evolving world .

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WBHS 1st Team Rugby’s 50-10 victory over Maritzburg College in 2013


THE IMPACT OF THE FOUNDATION

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WBHS has been fortunate to be able to offer quality education due to the committed support of its parent body and various sponsors, which supplements the contribution from the State . It is a reality in South Africa that the State has to commit significant funding to redressing the inequalities in our education system . For this reason the costs of running a large school like WBHS, which emerged out of a privileged education system, is only partially funded by the State .

WBHS is categorised by the State as a Quintile 5 ‘advantaged’ public school . As such, the State funds less than one-third of the total running costs of the School . Parents of current students are therefore funding the bulk of the operational costs of the School through school fees which currently sit at over R33 000 per year . With the current operational cost, these fees do not provide for campus development or the advancement of the academic, extra-curricular and technological environment . Funding for capital costs such as these are critical if WBHS is to continue to provide the high standard of education to which we aspire .


Fundraiser Results by Salesperson

PARTICIPANT UNITS SOLD

Parent Funded School Fees 68,0

State Contribution to Other Expenses

0,6

State Contribution to Salaries 29,9

Other Income 1,5

With this in mind, the Foundation has been established to ensure the School’s long-term financial sustainability and its continued ability to ensure educational advancement while keeping the annual school fees affordable.


HOW THE OPERATING COSTS OF WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL ARE FUNDED*

*2013 figures(these do not include provision for campus capital development)

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TYPICAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENDITURE OF THE SCHOOL*

Salaries – academic staff R23 .4 million

Salaries – sport staff R3 .5 million

Salaries – other R5 .2 million

Subject department expenditure R1 .4 million

Sport activities R2 .0 million

Other student-related expenditure R0 .6 million

Administrative costs R7 .6 million

Maintenance and campus costs R4 .2 million

TOTAL R47.9 MILLION

*2013 figures(these do not include provision for campus capital development)


TARGETED STRATEGICPROJECTS

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The Foundation aims to generate financial support that will target specific strategic projects in the support of the four pillars of excellence of the School . These plans will initially focus on capital projects aimed at developing the school campus, although in time it is expected that the Foundation will aim to support the School through other initiatives such as the professional development of the teaching and coaching staff .

FUNDING CAMPUS DEVELOPMENTInitial strategic planning has identified a number of projects that need to be implemented in the immediate future and in the medium-term in order for WBHS to continue offering superior all-round education comparable with, if not exceeding, the quality of education offered by other leading boys’ schools, both public and private .

A major shortcoming, however, is the fact that WBHS is the only leading South African boys’ high school without a large boarding establishment . To address this concern, the WBHS Educational Trust purchased an off-campus property in 2010 to cater for approximately 24 boarders, and a second property is being rented to cater for a similar number . The need for a larger boarding establishment is of significant strategic importance to attracting students from a greater number of communities . The enlarged establishments will in addition offer increased boarding opportunities to sons of old boys who live in other parts of the country or overseas, and will assist the School in retaining talented students when parents find it necessary to relocate to other provinces or countries . Several properties adjacent to the School have become available for purchase, and are deemed suitable by the

TARGETED STRATEGIC PROJECTS


efficiency in the teaching of the Sciences. In order to enable students to keep their career options open, the School does not allow students to freely choose softer options in their chosen subject packages . This is a policy that is followed in few schools in South Africa . Over 80% of Grade 12 students at WBHS continue with the gateway subjects of Mathematics and Physical Science for their Matric qualification. Many also choose to undertake Accelerated Programme Mathematics as an additional subject, which has positive benefits for achievement both in Mathematics and Science . Upgrading of the Science laboratories and the expansion of existing IT facilities is expected to further enhance students’ learning experience . As the School is regarded as a Quintile 5 advantaged school, funding for laboratories and IT is not provided by the State . The Foundation therefore aims to support the School in addressing immediate needs such as these .

It is also expected that the Foundation will play a significant role in the medium-term and long-term strategies of the School. Given the high profile of


Management of the School as possible new boarding establishments . The Foundation is ideally positioned to facilitate the realisation of the School’s strategies in this regard, particularly as ownership of the properties will remain vested in the Foundation .

A number of other factors have placed further short-term demands on the School’s facilities . Given the success of the School’s sport-for-all policy, the change-room facilities require upgrading to cater for the needs of more than 1 200 students .

The School’s newly established links with leading academic schools in the USA and China have highlighted the need for the development of at least two state-of-the-art experimental laboratories to improve

Projects requiring funding in the immediate future (approximate costs in brackets*):• Upgrading of IT facilities (R1m)• Purchase of properties for a new boarding

establishment (R3 .9m)• Refurbishment of the boarding establishment

(R2 .6m) • Upgrading of change-rooms (R1m)• Upgrading of experimental Science laboratories

(R1 .5m) .*2014 Estimates

Projects that require funding in the medium term (2 – 3 years) include:• Construction of a Performing Arts

teaching facility • Construction of a Student Centre .

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the Performing Arts at WBHS, School Management regards the development of a second Drama teaching venue as important .

The changing nature of student interaction, particularly in the area of collaborative learning, coupled with the lengthening of the school day to incorporate a range of new activities, have necessitated the need for the development of a Student Centre . A proposal for a venue of this nature was first explored a decade ago, but it has yet to come to fruition . It might well be that these facilities could be combined into one centre, with the Dramatic Arts department utilising the centre during the School’s academic day, and the Student Centre facility functioning in the afternoons and evenings . It is envisaged that such a centre will make a significantly positive difference to the manner in which students effectively use their discretionary time while on the School campus, thereby supporting their development of lifelong learning skills which will benefit them in the tertiary and professional arenas .

Support for projects will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Directors of the Foundation, and regular updates on how the Foundation funds are spent will be shared with all members of the Foundation on a regular basis .

Andrew Bray & Shane Ball (Grade 11; 2014)

Artists’ impressions of the proposed Student Centre.


DONATION METHODS

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DONATION METHODS

There are several ways in which you can donate to the Foundation:

A cash donation can be made by completing the Foundation pledge form . This entitles every donor to membership of the Foundation . Payments may be made in the following ways:

• Once-off payment via cash, cheque or EFT• Debit order authorisation• Arranged payment terms .

A bequest is an effective way to make a planned donation to lessen the burden of taxes on your family and on your estate . Please consult your legal adviser before drafting a new will or updating an existing one . A codicil to your will is obtainable from the Foundation Office.

CASH DONATION

BEQUEST

WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION NPCBank: Standard BankBranch: Westville, 30 Church RoadBranch code: 04 5426 44 (if only 6 digits required, use the first 6)Account number: 371 101 247Swift address: SBZA ZA JJAccount type: Business cheque account

BANKING DETAILS


DONATION METHODS

Bonds, shares, life insurance policies, real estate and other securities may also be donated or bequeathed to the Foundation .

The School offers opportunities for advertising in or around certain of its high-profile facilities, such as the on-campus Aquatics Centre, Multi-Purpose Centre, Bowdens Field and Commons Field, as well as the off-campus Hockey artificial turf facility. Advertising rates may be obtained from the Foundation Office.

The Foundation has Section 18A status as a Public Benefit Organisation . This means that South African taxpayers may be eligible to enjoy a tax deduction for donations of up to 10% of their annual taxable income . Donors are issued with a tax certificate. Please consult your tax advisor for advice with planning your donation . Assistance may also be obtained from the Foundation office.

ADVERTISING

TAX DEDUCTION BENEFITS

OTHER DONATIONS

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Thank you for your loyal support.® 2014/038/219/08; PBO Ref 930046644 • www .wbhs .co .za • foundation@wbhs .co .za • 031-2671330

Westville Boys’ High School Foundation, P .O .Box 1019, Wandsbeck, 3631, KZN, South AfricaCompleted pledge forms can be returned via post, fax or email

wbhs foundation brochure

Documents

school community

advantaged school

school fees

facets of school life

premier academic school

allround excellence

old boys association

facilities of wbhs