Maris Stella School

Maris Stella School is an independent, Roman Catholic day school for girls on the Berea in Durban, and one of the city’s most established schools. Founded in 1899 by the Holy Family Sisters and originally a boarding school, it became one of the first schools in the area to declare a non-racial policy, in 1974. Today it educates around 830 girls from Grade 000 to Grade 12 (alongside a co-educational pre-school, “Little Anchors”), with its wide age range fostering a real sense of family and welcoming pupils of all races, denominations and faiths. The school’s name means “Star of the Sea,” and its motto, Suspice confide, translates as “Look up and trust.”

As a Holy Family Catholic school, Maris Stella offers a holistic, faith-based and family-centred education focused on the academic, moral, spiritual and physical development of each girl, nurturing confidence, self-respect, loyalty, tolerance and a strong sense of sisterhood and community service. Since 1996 its matriculants have written the IEB (Independent Examinations Board) National Senior Certificate, consistently achieving a 100% pass rate with a strong spread of A aggregates and distinctions; languages on offer include Afrikaans, isiZulu, French and, as an eighth subject, German, Chinese or Hindi.

Pupils enjoy excellent facilities – including a Multi-Purpose Centre, a swimming pool, tennis and netball courts and a shared astroturf – alongside a rich cultural programme of music, art, drama and public speaking, and an on-site therapeutic and learning-support centre, THRIVE. Full fee and admissions details are available directly from the school.