South Africa

The oldest school in Johannesburg with over 4 distinctions per student

Bianke Neethling • 5 November 2025

The City of Gold’s oldest school dates all the way back to 1888, when St Mary’s Waverley was founded in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

The all-girls school has undergone significant changes since the 1880s, having moved locations three times before finally settling in Waverley, Johannesburg.

Since then, the school has grown into one of the best private schools in the country, averaging four distinctions per matriculant.

The 1880s marked a significant period in South Africa’s history, as the discovery of gold in 1886 saw thousands of people swarm to Johannesburg in search of the precious metal.

During the height of the gold rush, the Anglican bishop of Pretoria, Bishop Bousfield, became concerned about the education of the daughters of the first gentlemen of Johannesburg.

This concern drive the Bishop to call his friend, John Darragh, away from Kimberley’s diamond mines, encouraging him to open a school for girls.

In 1888, Darragh did exactly this, and St Mary’s was opened in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

A decade and a half later, the school was moved to Belgravia. There, the school was run by the Sisters of East Grinstead, England.

Not too long after, in 1934, St Mary’s moved again, this time to Johannesburg’s “new frontier”, Waverley, where it has been ever since. The school said this was a decision made with “enormous foresight”.

Since settling at Waverley, the school has seen significant growth. The school explains that its first wings were cloister-like, with classrooms on the first floor and dormitories above.

As the school grew, new wings were added and a house system was introduced, fuelling the girls’ competitive spirits and encouraging an appreciation for ballet, music and drama.

To this day, St Mary’s maintains an excellent academic, cultural and sporting record. The school boasts a long history of outstanding matriculation results, with an unbroken record of 100% pass rates.

In the 2024 school year, St Mary’s matriculants obtained a total of 395 distinctions, with 96% of matric students achieving distinctions, translating to an average of 4.2 distinctions per student.

Today, St Mary’s consists of three “schools” – its pre-primary ‘Little Saints’ school, a Junior School, and its Senior School.

Keeping history alive

Head of school at St Mary’s Waverley, Deanne King

Despite all the changes the school has gone through since its establishment over a century ago, St Mary’s maintains strong ties to its history.

One of the most important figures in the school’s history was Miss Evelyn Darke, who served as the institution’s headmistress from 1928.

She was a pivotal figure in the school’s move to Waverley and oversaw the construction of the new building.

According to St Mary’s, Darke sometimes even helped with the construction personally, and was known as a warm and deeply kind person. Darke has also been credited with introducing the house system.

One of her most beloved parts of the school building was its Angel Doors, which is located at the top end of The Close, with its Queen’s Path lined with jacaranda trees.

Today, the school’s main entrance is once again through these Angel Doors, in honour of the historic headmistress.

Darke retired in 1940 to pursue missionary work, succeeded by Miss Sewell (whose first name remains unknown) and then Winifred Bryn Jones in 1942.

The school explained that Jones came into the helm at a critical time, providing the school with much-needed stability during the Second World War.

The current head of St Mary’s, Deanne King, said the school’s Anglican faith remains the foundation of its community, inculcating strong values in St Mary’s pupils.

“Our well-developed pastoral care system supports them and our wider community. We also teach our pupils to look beyond themselves, and take part in our community programmes,” she said.

“Our staff (some of them former St Mary’s pupils) comprise highly experienced, superb educators who not only teach but inspire in myriad ways.”

King believes the school to be a home for its pupils, a place where they are nurtured, loved, and given opportunities to discover and develop their best selves.