Epworth School

Epworth School is an independent Christian school with a Methodist ethos, set on a spacious 15-hectare campus in Scottsville on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Founded in 1898 by Miss Emily Lowe and Miss Emma Mason – opening with 45 children of early Natal settlers – it takes its name from Epworth in Lincolnshire, England, the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley, founders of Methodism. The school moved to its present grounds in 1941 and has been run by an independent trust since 1982, preserving its Methodist character. It is the sister school of Kearsney College.

Epworth has a distinctive structure: a co-educational Preparatory School for boys and girls from Grade RRR to Grade 7, and a girls-only High School from Grade 8 to Grade 12, with termly, weekly and overnight boarding for high-school girls. Around half the pupils board, cared for by live-in housemothers in homely boarding houses with a 24-hour sanatorium on site. Guided by its motto Fida Humana Fortis (“Faith, Compassion, Courage”), the school welcomes pupils of all faiths and weaves spirituality through daily life and weekly chapel.

Academically, pupils write the IEB National Senior Certificate and consistently achieve a 100% pass rate, with results well above the IEB university-entrance average. The school was an early adopter of the “multiple intelligences” approach, and offers a rich co-curricular life – it is among South Africa’s top schools for squash and canoeing, with strong music, dance and drama programmes and adventurous sports tours. Full fee and admissions details are available directly from the school.