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Junior PrepJunior PrepGrades 0-3Grades 0-3Progressive teaching methods and a holistic approach enable your child to build a rich educational foundation for future, lifelong learning in a stimulating, happy and nurturing environment. -
Senior PrepGrades 4-7Senior PrepGrades 4-7An inspiring space that encourages exploration and develops critical thinking and independence through innovative, character-based learning and a wealth of extramural opportunities. -
High SchoolHigh SchoolGrades 8-12Grades 8-12Acquire the knowledge, skills and values to become a positive, engaged and confident young leader through our exciting, world-class educational approach and comprehensive sports and cultural offer.
About Us
Dainfern College is a forward thinking coeducational, independent school for Grade 0000 to Grade 12. Our ethos is Christian and we celebrate diversity.
After it first opened its doors in 1997, Dainfern College quickly established its reputation as a world-class educational institution and a leading independent school in Southern Africa. This is through the consistent demonstration of excellence in all areas of school life, a sound financial management structure, and responsible stewardship of the school’s assets.
Dainfern College is a place of learning where acceptance and belonging prevail, and character, competence and community are the foundations upon which we continue to build. Our motto is ‘Celebrate’ and we offer “A world of education. An education for the world.”
OUR VISION
To be recognised as one of the leading educational institutions in the country.
OUR MISSION
Dainfern College develops the skills for life required to unlock unique personal potential and to nurture creative thinkers with the confidence to become leaders – through the provision of an innovative, relevant and quality education.
OUR CORE VALUES
The ethos of Dainfern College is Christian, underpinned by our core values:
A MULTI-CULTURAL, NON-RACIAL AND NON-SEXIST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Dainfern College fosters a learning environment in which all members of our diverse community are encouraged to understand, accept and respect each other.
HOLISTIC AND STUDENT-CENTRED EDUCATION
OUR COMMUNITY
OUR GOVERNANCE
Sustainability, strong leadership and transparent governance are key to our school. We cherish our independence as a private, stand-alone and registered non-profit school where all of our fees and consequently our resources are poured back into the school to maximise the benefits to our students.
The College is overseen by a Board of Governors which is responsible for the strategic planning of the College, in conjunction with the Executive Head of College. The Executive Head chairs the College Executive Commitee, who are responsible for the organisational management of the school on a day-to-day basis. Click here to find out more about the governance of the College.
TIMELINE OF DAINFERN COLLEGE
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Stella and Russell Upneck conceptualise and found Dainfern College, aiming to create a coeducational, independent school of excellence for children from Grade 0 to Grade 12
Johnnic Properties agrees to donate the land for the school
An innovative debenture system is introduced to fund the new school
Building commences in September 1996
Enrolments open on 12 October 1996
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Dainfern College opens in the Junior Prep block on 15 January with only 35 students. The three teachers were Margaret Holleran, Linda Glass and Felicity Gower-Jackson
Tom Bourquin is the first College Principal
Russell Upneck is the first Chairman of the Board of Governors
Construction starts on the Senior Preparatory and High School sections
The Grade 0 block and first tennis courts are completed
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The High School opens on 14 January
The Senior Prep and High School buildings are completed
The Opening Ceremony of the College is held on 18 September and the school is officially opened by Mark Henning
Founder staff and parents boards are unveiled
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Mrs Sue Redelinghuys join the College in January as Principal of the Prep School
Grade 1-10 students are officially allocated into Houses for the first time on 25 February
The new 25m swimming pool is officially opened on 25 March
The first major production – The Wizard of Oz – is held on 27 and 28 September
Mr Bourquin, Founder College Principal, retires in December
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Dr Paul Turner joins as College Principal in January
First Senior Prep camps are held
The inaugural Founders’ Day celebration is held on 23 September
The Parents’ Association is launched on 3 October, chaired by Lynn Gregory
First National College Golf Champs is hosted at Dainfern Country Club
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The first Matric Dance is held
Head Boy Michael Nash receives the first Red Honours Blazer
The first Grade 12s, the Class of 2001, matriculate
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Philip Parker is appointed Chairman
Concrete seating is installed on the banks of The Oval
Dr Turner leaves at the end of the year
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The first overseas sports tour takes place – a combined Prep and High School swimming and rugby tour to Australia
The new Cultural Centre is opened by Stella Upneck at Founders’ Day on 28 June
Gordon Johnstone is appointed as the Principal of the High School from Term 3
Stella and Russell Upneck relocate to KwaZulu-Natal and are thanked for their immense contribution to Dainfern College
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The Cricket Academy is opened by Dennis Tucker on 31 January 2004
Air conditioning is added to the Auditorium in June, installed by helicopter
Proudly South African day is introduced in to the school calendar
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Mrs Redelinghuys is appointed Head of College on 22 July
The Alumni Association is established
The Grade 2 ‘Dinner for Two’ is introduced on 12 October
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The College celebrates 10 years since its inception
Lipizzaners perform at the Founders’ Day celebration on 16 September
Mr Johnstone resigns
Darrel Webb and Stuart West are appointed heads of the Prep and Highs Schools respectively
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Two High School tours take place – the Space Tour to the USA and the Arts & Culture Tour to New York & London
The inaugural Grade 10 Enyuka Challenge takes place in the Drakensburg
College Principal Mrs Redelinghuys resigns to take a up a post in Cape Town. Mr West becomes the new College Principal
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The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is launched in the High School
The Sports Pavilion is built on the lower fields and officially opened at Founders’ Day
The Dainfern College BluPrints formula is launched on 2 October
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A new sports uniform is introduced
The tuckshop and the paving area around it is upgraded
Dainfern College is accepted as a Regional Member of Round Square and a formal student exchange programme is instituted
The first founder students to have completed 13 years at Dainfern College matriculate as part of the Class of 2009
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AYOBA! South Africa hosts the 2010 Soccer World Cup and school closes midyear for two and a half months to accommodate this.
The College has a World Cup Day and Proudly South Africa days are held every month in support of the Soccer World Cup
The Auditorium is revamped with new chairs and carpeting and the Media Centre is renovated and upgraded
A new Apple Mac lab is installed in the Media Centre and data projectors are installed in all classrooms
The innovative High School Leadership Programme is launched and leaders are appointed for 2010/2011
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A new Senior Prep summer uniform is introduced
The first Alumni Association 10-year reunion dinner is held
There is an incredible aerobatic display at Founders’ Day
The PA establishes a new library at ReShomile Primary in Diepsloot
The innovative High School Leadership Programme is launched and leaders are appointed for 2010/2011
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The Dainfern College Foundation is launched
Mr West resigns and moves back to Cape Town
The new classroom block is officially opened on Founders’ Day
The Parents’ Association funds new paving around the tuckshop area and new classroom block
We host a Junior Round Square Africa Regional Conference and become a Global Member of Round Square
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The ‘Bring your own tablet’ initiative is launched for all students from Grade 6 to Grade 9
Matthew Davies joins Dainfern College as College Principal and Head of the High School
The new Multipurpose Hall is officially opened
Founding member of staff Felicity Gower-Jackson (Principal: Junior Preparatory) retires
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Patti Blackhurst joins the College as the Junior Preparatory Principal
New College branding is launched and instituted across all College marketing and communication
The inaugural International Young Round Square Conference is hosted by Dainfern College
A new covered waiting area, new workshop and new function room are built
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Mr Grant Wolpert joins the College Executive as the new Business Director
A new Junior Prep reception, staffroom and Learning Support Centre are built
A new combined Grade 0-3 staffroom is built
Dainfern College joins the ’67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela’ initiative
Mr Webb resigns to take up a new challenge as the Head of St Peter’s Girls’
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Brendan Quinn is appointed the Senior Preparatory Principal
A permanent school chaplaincy is established at the College, headed up by Pastor Peter Stoffberg
The ‘Integrated day’ is introduced in Grades 0, 1 and 2
The new Hockey Astro facility opens on 30 March
The High School Marimba Band wins the overall silver medal in the NEA
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The 20-year Founders’ Day service takes place on 28 January 2017
Founding Head of Dainfern College, Tom Bourquin, plants a commemorative tree
20-year T-shirts are worn on the 20th day of each month
The 20-year Cultural Celebration showcases talent from across the school
Founder support staff member Thobeka Ndziwa retires after 20 years at the College
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The innovative cross-curricular Xtend-it programme is launched for Grades 8 and 9
Dainfern College becomes a registered Cambridge International Education school ahead of the launch of Cambridge Studies as a parallel offer for Grade 11s, to start in 2019
Mr Quinn resigns to move to head up St Benedict’s Boys’ Preparatory
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Ray van Gass is appointed Principal of the Senior Preparatory
The first Cambridge intake of four students start AS Level in Grade 11
The Alumni Association is relaunched as the Old Lions Association, chaired by Mr Stephen Pettitt, Class of 2014
A new Rain Shelter is built alongside the pool, jointly financed by the Parents’ Association and the Dainfern College Foundation
Mr Sean Browne takes over as Chairman of the Board of Governors
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The High School stages a superb production of The Addams Family Musical
The Coronavirus pandemic causes South Africa to go into lockdown from 27 March
Students return to campus in stages in a hybrid online/on-campus programme and masks must be worn by everyone
Whole College Outreach initiatives such as the ‘In my shoes’ collection of school shoes are generously supported by the community
We join in the worldwide ‘Jerusalema’ dance craze on Heritage Day
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The Class of 2020 produces superb Matric and A-Level results, despite much of the academic year being online
The College staff are thrilled to be able to get the COVID-19 vaccination in July
Mr Grant Wolpert resigns as Business Director to emigrate to the UK
Mrs Patti Blackhurst retires after eight years as Principal of the Junior Preparatory
The end-of-year Carol Concert & Christmas Market is the first ‘whole Campus’ event since March 2020
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2022 is Dainfern College’s Silver Jubilee year, marking 25 years of excellence in independent education
Mrs Nicky Jansen van Vuuren is appointed Principal of the Junior Preparatory
Mrs Nadine Brown takes over as the College Business Director
Mrs Lucretia Khumalo takes over as Chair of the Board of Governors
Mr Matthew Davies moves to KZN after 9 loyal years as College Principal. Mr JC Engelbrecht is appointed Executive Head of College
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The Major Production returns after Covid-19 as the Senior Preparatory put on Annie.
The Imaginarium is opened in the Junior Preparatory to create a stimulating environment space to explore, experiment and learn.
A new makerspace is unveiled called the Garage to provide a cutting edge facility to develop the ‘maker’ philosophy of Design, Make, Test, Iterate and Sell.
‘Ubambiswano’, meaning ‘teamwork’ in isiZulu, launched as a versatile, multi-functional space not only houses the library for both the Senior Preparatory and the High School, but also serves as an exhibition and community space.
Erin Ryan achieves some of the best matric Results in the history of the College with 10 distinctions receiving a certificate from IEB for Outstanding Achievement after ranking in the top 5% of IEB in 6 or more subjects. She was ranked in the top 1% in five of her subjects.
INNOVATION
Our holistic education offering is driven by our passionate, committed and progressive staff. What and how children learn is continually challenged to ensure that your child receives the best, most relevant education to prepare her or him for an unknown future. New teaching methods, constant curriculum review and development, even changes to the look and feel of the traditional classroom, all work towards the development of the next generation of innovators and creative thinkers.
INTERNATIONALISM
A world of education … an education for the world. As a proudly South African school we are also aware of the importance of exposing our students to international experiences, realities and opportunities. Our partnerships with Round Square and Cambridge International extend our local offering to ensure that we deliver a truly well-rounded education.
LEADERSHIP
We believe that every child has unique insight and ability. Our mission is to give our students the skills to unlock this potential and develop young, creative thinkers with the confidence to become leaders. Through our innovative and structured leadership programme we strive to produce confident yet humble leaders who are respectful, have integrity and who embrace challenges with passion and purpose.
ROUND SQUARE
Dainfern College is a global member of Round Square, one of over 200 schools worldwide that take a holistic approach to education and encourage students through experiential learning. Based on the teachings of visionary educator Kurt Hahn, Round Square schools seek to instil in students “an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial and above all, compassion”.
STUDENT WELL-BEING
Our structured emotional wellness, pastoral care and academic support programme works to ensure all our students are happy, engaged, productive and inspired. Our caring staff place a large emphasis on student wellness as we believe that if a student is not in a healthy psycho-social space a student cannot learn.
STANDALONE & NON-PROFIT
Sustainability, strong leadership and transparent governance are key to our school. We cherish our independence as a private, stand-alone, non-profit school where all of our fees and consequently our resources are poured back into the school to maximise the benefits to our students.
OLD LIONS ASSOCIATION
We continue to maintain links with our old boys and girls as we celebrate their successes and share their special life moments.
PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Find out how you can help our Parents’ Association in fundraising for the school and driving special school events.
FOUNDATION
Our Foundation aims to multiply our impact on the world around us by supporting our community, our campus and our continuity.