The 20th
Headmaster


Mr Tom Hamilton


Welcome to St Andrew’s College. With an incredibly proud heritage dating back to 1855, St Andrew’s is steeped in rich tradition and, at the same time, is a thoroughly modern, progressive boys’ boarding school.


Founded in
1855



St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown is an innovative independent school. This premium Anglican boarding school caters for 450 pupils from across the globe. From Grade 8 to Matric, pupils experience individual attention with a focus on fostering individual talent.

The school is passionate about ensuring that each boy is schooled for life, develops character and strives to reach his full potential. The school motto is Nec Aspera Terrent (Difficulties do not dismay us) – this ideal of fearless acceptance of challenge sums up what the school aims to instil in its pupils as preparation for future life. Learn More

Welcome to the St Andrew’s College website and thank you for showing an interest in our school.​

 
A school of welcome and belonging
The strong boarding house system at College is central to its ethos, and the six Houses are the magical environments in which life-long bonds and friendships are formed between College boys. The Andrean community is renowned for being supportive, enthusiastic and loyal, especially the generations of Old Andreans spanning the 167 year history of our school.
A school of wonder, learning and academic excellence
Curiosity and awe are fundamental to any child’s desire to learn and enjoy new experiences. Our world class educational facilities, highly qualified and experienced staff, and diverse range of subjects covering the arts, humanities, sciences and commercial subjects, provide each boy with the academic opportunity to excel. Our parallel curricula of the IEB and Cambridge A Levels examinations opens the door for each boy to pursue his dreams at a tertiary institution in South Africa or abroad.
A school of opportunity
While our priority is always academic and intellectual growth, we are committed to the holistic development of each Andrean.
Boys love their sport and this is fundamental to their physical development and healthy lifestyle as well as vivid memories of epic encounters on the playing fields.
Our clubs and societies provide a multitude of opportunities for boys to unpack and understand the human condition and accumulate emotional vocabulary.
A genuine and sincere engagement with the community is imperative if a young man is to learn empathy and benefit from the spiritual growth of sharing and listening.
Our extensive outdoor education programme, with the 21-day Fish River Journey being its flagship, is intended to inculcate in all our boys a respect for the environment and an appreciation of the rich natural world of which they are the guardians.
A school of pride and beauty
Whether it is in a service in the Chapel, an OA reunion dinner, Speech Day or a staff function, the sense of appreciation for the formative role that College has played in each person’s life is palpable. It is a pride driven by the beauty of the eclectic architecture, the lovingly manicured gardens and fields, the faithful Clock Tower with its chimes, but mostly by the beauty of each and every relationship formed and nurtured.

We welcome Tom Hamilton as the 20th Headmaster of St Andrew’s College.

Mr. Aidan Smith

Interim Headmaster
Physical Science, Natural Science, 2001

BSc, HDE (UCT), BEd (Rhodes)

“I hope you will always be true to the boy in you.” With these words Jan Hofmeyr, one of South Africa’s most gifted political leaders, summed up his address at St Andrew’s College Speech Day in 1929 and identified the theme that has run like an unbroken thread through the life of the school during the century and a half of its existence. Be true to yourself and remember that who you are springs from the boy within you.


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Rite of passage



Admissions

No Admission fee is charged. We do recommend that you return the form as soon as possible. An Entrance Deposit is requested once the pupil has been accepted the year prior to entry.

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