St John's Diocesan School for Girls

St John’s Diocesan School for Girls (St John’s D.S.G.) is a leading independent Anglican day and boarding school for girls in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg – the “garden city” of KwaZulu-Natal. It traces its roots to 1887, when Sisters of the newly formed Society of St John the Divine arrived from England to care for orphans, and was formally founded as a school in 1897. Today it educates around 500 girls from Grade RR to Grade 12, with weekly and termly boarding offered from Grade 8, and is fondly described by its pupils as a “small school with a big heart.”

Grounded in over 125 years of Christian tradition and a value system of “love and discipline,” the school offers a broad, liberal education within a caring, nurturing environment, while warmly welcoming girls of all denominations, religions, languages and cultures. Its relatively small size lends a real sense of intimacy and warmth, with the Junior School running a single class per grade so that each girl is known and supported. Pupils write the IEB National Senior Certificate, and the school works to stay abreast of modern, 21st-century educational trends.

Set in ample, leafy grounds known for their indigenous gardens, St John’s enjoys manicured sports fields, a gracious chapel, a theatre, a science block, a resource centre and an indoor multi-purpose centre. Work, play and worship combine to develop confident, kind and resilient young women, prepared to flourish in the world beyond school. Full fee and admissions details are available directly from the school.