The motto of HeronBridge College, located 10km north of Fourways where the two Jukskei rivers meet, is Ad Integritatem. It means “towards integrity” and is a philosophy that underpins the school’s commitment to both its ethos and its students. With a 100% matric pass rate and impressive overall results, it is a commitment that is bearing remarkable fruit.
“We work hard at the academics and really hard on the sporting and cultural fronts,” says Keith Wilke, headmaster at HeronBridge College. “There is also a fourth aspect and this is our strong Christian ethos, which manifests itself in our outreach programmes and inspires our students to go out into the world with the desire to make a difference.”
The matric pass rate for the HeronBridge College is a fantastic achievement, but even more so is the university entrance pass rate of 96%.
“Many schools have strict entrance criteria; if you’re not getting 70% you aren’t going to be accepted, and with those criteria in place, getting superb marks and university passes doesn’t mean a great deal,” he says. “For us, the one thing that’s really important, while we do celebrate the achievements of those at the very top, is that every student is recognised. Often we celebrate the achievements of our weak students even more. They have really fought hard to improve their grades and their achievements make our results even more pleasing. We have enabled each and every one of these kids to go on and study further.”
Another aspect to the HeronBridge approach is a sense of fun. Wilke believes that it is critical for children to enjoy their education as this will inspire them to do well and grow as individuals. The school encourages children to become involved in as many things as possible and keeps homework in the junior grades to an absolute minimum.
“We want children to participate in all the things that make school such fun, and it works! Every one of our top achievers this year was immersed in the sporting and cultural programmes of the school,” says the headmaster. “We think it is critical to encourage this level of involvement as it prepares them for university and helps them to develop skills in time management and teamwork. And those are the skills that they need for the next stage of their life.
“Another element to HeronBridge is our outreach programme,” says Wilke. “We have developed a number of schemes to encourage the growth of children with heart. We raise money every year to stop hunger and are feeding 520 kids a day; we have a centre on the school property to train teachers from impoverished communities, and every week we have mission trips to the schools we are linked to. Students get to interact with the kids, teach them and so much more.”
The students participate in week-long trips into disadvantaged communities where they dig trenches, lay water pipes, put up fences, clear areas of weeds and plant crops, among other vital tasks. This work has taken place in communities in South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
“We want our children to leave the school with a strong sense of community, a Christian commitment to making a difference and a top-notch education,” concludes Wilke. “This year our results certainly do speak for themselves, and we are extremely proud of how well the 2015 class has done and the marks they have received. Our school provides a space that is conducive to the development of children, leaving a lasting, positive impact that will endure into their futures.”