school-hub i August 13, 2025

School Focus: Michaelhouse

INTRODUCTION
Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your son’s future. At Michaelhouse, we offer more than just an education - we provide a foundation for leadership, character, and lifelong success.

Now in its 129th year Michaelhouse has established an ethos dedicated to Holism. In an era marked by educational focus on a single area of endeavour - academic, sporting or cultural - Michaelhouse remains committed to its founder's vision: to make not accountants, not clerks, not clergymen, but men; men of understanding, thought, and culture.

Our distinctive location and architecture, our world class facilities and fully residential academic staff compliment, the all boys, all boarding environment, our globally engaged network of significant Old Boys and a bold long-range vision for our school are blended to create the unique greenhouse conditions which cultivate the timeless character traits of belonging, curiosity, and grit, the fundamental building blocks for navigating a world dominated by ambiguity and technology.

With world-class academics, a rich sporting tradition, and a vibrant boarding experience, Michaelhouse nurtures boys into confident, capable young men. Our dedicated staff, strong values, and unmatched camaraderie ensure that every boy thrives in an environment designed to challenge, inspire, and support.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Founding Year:
Category:
School Level:
Number of Terms:
Boarding:
1896
All Boys School
Grade 8 to Grade 12
4
Full boarding school
ACADEMICS
BOARDING
CULTURAL PROGRAMME
SPORT
PASTORAL
OUTDOOR EDUCATION

ACADEMICS

Academic pursuits receive priority at Michaelhouse. Research shows that a boy’s learning needs are quite different to those of a girl. Michaelhouse places special emphasis on teaching programmes that support this difference.

We have chosen to write the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exams rather than those set by the Department of Education. While the curricula are largely the same, we feel that the IEB sets a higher academic standard, emphasizing Higher Order Thinking Skills. The management and marking of IEB examinations are world-class and beyond reproach, ensuring credibility and excellence.

An IEB matric offers significant advantages, demonstrated by the success of IEB candidates at universities both locally and internationally. While we have explored alternative curricula such as the IB and A Levels, we firmly believe that the IEB provides an excellent foundation for academics. Our students have gained admission to top universities worldwide.

As an African school, it is important that we remain relevant to the South African students we serve while continuing to uphold excellence in academics.

BOARDING

Central to the Michaelhouse experience is the House system with each House being home to approximately 60 boys.

There are ten Houses at Michaelhouse. These include Founders, East, West, Tatham, Farfield, Pascoe, Baines, Mackenzie, Ralfe and McCormick. Each House is under the care of a Housemaster who acts in “Loco Parentis.”

The Housemaster is supported by a management team consisting of an assistant Housemaster, a Senior Tutor, House Tutors, Home Room Teacher and a prefect body.

The Houses are the focal point of group identity, friendship and relaxation, and have a healthy rivalry in sporting, cultural and academic arenas. All Houses have comfortable common-rooms that have networked television facilities and table tennis or pool tables for relaxation.

CULTURAL PROGRAMME

In a quest for achieving excellence in a variety of cultural pursuits, there are 7 specialized cultural programs to engage in. A range of activities provides Michaelhouse boys with the opportunity to develop passions into skills in a variety of bands & choirs, debating and public speaking, individual art development, theatrical productions and technology, and chess.

The aim of the cultural programs is help boys to develop skills in playing music in four different marimba bands, an orchestra and jazz band, the chapel and chamber choirs, junior and senior chess and debating teams, in stage productions, and in a variety of artistic areas such as sculpture, welding and painting. All the groups in the various programs practice, or rehearse, twice a week.

The top cultural teams compete and perform on local, provincial, national and international level. Most of the performance groups are in high demand both locally and further afield and have distinguished themselves as highly skilled performers and entertainers.

SPORT

Michaelhouse blends academics, arts, environment, and sport to provide a well-rounded education.

With 14 sports options and some of the finest facilities in the country - including a high-performance centre, multiple courts and pools, and a dedicated team of coaching experts - each boy is encouraged to reach his full athletic potential. Our boys regularly compete at zonal, provincial, and international levels, with over 140 Michaelhouse sportsmen having represented their country in major sporting arenas.

PASTORAL

Michaelhouse is proactively and energetically committed to providing the appropriate academic, physical, emotional, spiritual, and personal support to ensure our boys’ all-round wellbeing - all day, every day.

We pride ourselves on a world-class pastoral care offering. Our academic staff are fully resident, and this unique feature ensures a happy and safe boarding environment. The column of care in each of our ten Houses is at the core of our offering, including Housemasters, assistant Housemasters, House Mothers, homeroom tutors and interns as well as our school prefects.

Outside of the Houses, our school provides a dedicated counselling department which in 2024 was at the forefront of Michaelhouse being acknowledged as the World Steer School of the Year. Steer is an internationally recognised tool for managing mental wellbeing, strengthening the bond between student and school by equipping every teacher with insights to give every child timely, targeted support. Our San is accessible to boys 24 hours a day and is staffed by a compassionate, experienced, and well-equipped nursing team. As an Anglican Foundation school, our resident chaplain is a constant source of support and guidance.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

One would have to traverse vast distances to discover anything quite like the natural setting which Michaelhouse enjoys and our school capitalizes on a myriad of opportunities to include the environment as a critical part of our learning. The outdoor programme for our E (Grade 8), D (Grade 9) and C Block (Grade 10) boys keys into the major advantages of a Michaelhouse education: fostering curiosity, resilience and belonging.

The additional benefits of environmental awareness, and cultural understanding are fundamental to the journey or personal growth which our boys enjoy while they are challenged physically and mentally miles away from the home comforts of daily school life.

Michaelhouse believes that outdoor education is essential for holistic development, shaping our boys into thoughtful, capable, and environmentally conscious individuals.

A Community for all ...

COMMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TRUST

Michaelhouse believes in education beyond its school. Through Michaelhouse’s Community Partnership Trust ‘MCPT’, Michaelhouse’s flagship Outreach initiative, the school enables the provision of 13 high-impact educational programmes across 16 under-resourced schools within our 35 kilometre footprint radius.

cpt@michaelhouse.org

ST MICHAELS CLUB

While we must always eventually bid farewell to our boys and parents, like our boys, our parents connection to Michaelhouse too, does not have to end! Our commitment to maintaining strong ties with our Old Boys as well as our parents remains unwavering.

The St Michael’s Club has been established to create a formal way for our past parents to be, and remain, part of the Michaelhouse community once your son departs and becomes an Old Boy.

smc@michaelhouse.org

OLD BOYS CLUB

Michaelhouse is ideally positioned to provide an exceptional holistic education. It provides more than just a five year school experience it invites you into a lifelong community - a club for life.

OM+ is a private online community for members of the Michaelhouse Old Boys' Club. Using the best alumni technology available, OM+ enables its members to connect like never before to share memories, ask for help, offer help, share knowledge and do good business.

“Our aim is to make, not accountants, not clerks, not clergymen, but men; men of understanding, thought and culture.” Founder James Cameron Todd, Speech Day 1897.

oldboys@michaelhouse.org

GET IN TOUCH

Contact Michaelhouse today

R103, Nottingham Road, South Africa
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VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

Phone

(033) 234-1000

E-mail

General Enquiries:
info@michaelhouse.org
Admissions:
admissions@michaelhouse.org
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PICTURES © Actionpix (Frans Lombard) I Martin Ashworth I Dune Sports Photography
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