Port Alfred
High School
The Heart of Port Alfred
Port Alfred School is a family school. We cater for children from nursery school to matric on one beautiful campus with one Principal and one Governing Body.
We celebrate our origin at a special Founders Day Assembly in August each year. On this special day, everyone takes the time to reflect on just how far our town’s oldest school has come since those early days of 1883. This was the year that the school was officially converted into a Government School and it was housed in an Anglican church building in Park Road. The school then had an enrolment of about fifty boys and girls.Over the years, the school has grown to nearly 1000 children from nursery school to matric. Rooted in a proud past, the Port Alfred School staff, governing body, alumni and greater community work together to move with the times, catering for the needs of our children on a multitude of levels.The school’s motto, “Facta Non Verba” meaning “Deeds and not Words” is an constant theme which the School underpins at every opportunity. Honesty, integrity, grit and determination, perseverance, loyalty and commitment are qualities held in high regard by one and all at Port Alfred School.
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Our journey starting in 1882
As one of the oldest schools in the Eastern Cape we are exceptionally proud of our heritage
1942 /3 | Victor Edward Symons, an Eastern Province man, was the next Headmaster and this gentle and kind man guided the school through the very difficult war years, before he moved on, leaving behind many friends and a well-run centre of education. In 1943 there were calls for high school status. |
1942 | Shelter trenches were dug by pupils in case of attack. 60 extra children were entroooled while the air school was being built. |
1946 | An excerpt from the Grocott’s Daily Mail reads: “The committee of Queen Alexandra School, Port Alfred, resigned yesterday as a protest against the dilatory and unbusinesslike methods of the School Board and Education Department. The school board assumed management of the school as a result. |
1947 | 71 students went by rail to Grahamstown to see the Royal Family during their visit to the city. As a result of this visit, a school uniform was suggested. |
1948 | A telephone was installed and a school uniform introduced. |
1949 | A Rhodes University graduate, Ronald Victor Stewart became what was to be the longest serving Headmaster in the history of the school. |
1975 | The third Eastern Cape and Rhodes man, Keith Howard, became the headmaster. Under his guidance new sports fields were laid, a swimming pool was built with the help of Round Table 177, new uniforms and badges became accepted, and school enrolment increased to 325 students and there were renewed calls for high school status. |
1977 | The first recorded multiracial matches played with the school hosting rugby and netball teams from Mtyobo Bantu School. A tractor was bought for use on the campus. The school Board again agitated for high school status. |
1976 | isiXhosa granted as a subject after application to the Department of Education. |
1978 | After a great deal of lobbying, a pre-primary section was opened. Permission was granted by the Department of Education provided the school pay for the building. The Parent Teacher Association, under the chair of Mr Sandy Inglis accepted the challenged and engaged the services of contractors, Douglas Brothers, to build the classroom and tuckshop (now known as the outside classrooms) during the December holidays. Domestic Science (Consumer Studies) was introduced as a subject. |
1979 | The school was awarded High School status. As a result, a change of name became necessary and after much thought and discussion the present name Port Alfred High School was adopted. |
1981 | The first Port Alfred High School class matriculated with a 100% pass rate! Nine boys and girls sat the exam. The 80s proved to be a period of rapid growth resulting in a large number of prefab classrooms being provided by the Department of Education. These were uncomfortably hot in summer and cold in winter. |