Merchiston Preparatory School

Merchiston Preparatory School is a boys’ preparatory school in the heart of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, and one of the oldest and most respected boys’ schools in the province. It was founded in 1892 by Miss Agnes Rowe and Miss Elizabeth Allan, who took their inspiration – and the school’s motto, “Ready Aye Ready” – from Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland. Today Merchiston is a single-sex state school of around 790 boys, offering day schooling from the pre-primary years (Grade RRR) through to Grade 7, with boarding available from Grade 3 in its Parkinson House. It is a long-established feeder to Maritzburg College and other leading senior schools.

A specialist boys’ school through and through, Merchiston is built on four pillars – academic, sport, culture and character-building – and is steeped in tradition while striving to remain a forerunner in education. It caters fully to the way boys learn and grow, with a modern, child-centred approach that recognises individual differences and encourages every boy to achieve his best. Closely guarded values such as honesty, integrity, loyalty, commitment and self-discipline lie at the heart of its ethos.

The school is widely known for its sporting prowess, having produced many provincial and national sportsmen, and offers a rich cultural programme alongside a homely, well-supervised boarding environment. True to its watchword, Merchiston is dedicated to “raising today’s boys to be tomorrow’s gentlemen.” Full fee and admissions details are available directly from the school.