Type Private, Boarding Established 1921 Number of students 600+ boys Colors White, Maroon | Motto Carpe Diem Locale Suburban Phone +27 31 765 9600 | |
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Grades Forms 2 - 6 (grades 8-12) Similar St Mary's School for Girls, Curro HCA (Hillcrest Christian, Thomas More College, Hillcrest High School, Kloof High School Profiles | ||
Kearsney college carpe diem
Kearsney College is a private boarding school for boys in Botha's Hill, a small town between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Contents
Kearsney college attracts top teachers
History
Kearsney's badge was designed by the then headmaster, R H Matterson, and the chaplain, the Rev. W H Irving, in about 1923. The greyhound is taken from the arms of the Founder, Sir James Liege Hulett. The scallop shells and the dividing chevron are from the arms of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The pheon, or arrowhead, is taken from the badge of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where Matterson studied. The motto "Carpe Diem", traditionally at Kearsney translated "Seize the Day", comes from the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known as Horace, (Odes 1, xi, 8).
Kearsney College is named after Kearsney, Kent and originates from Sir Liege Hulett giving his family home on Natal's North Coast near Stanger to the Christian Church.
The school opened with 12 boarders and two day scholars in August 1921. During the mid-1930s, the Great Depression and threat of malaria on the North Coast caused there to be a search for a more suitable site for the school.
On hearing of this Clement Stott of Botha’s Hill donated 25 acres (10 ha) of land. At the same time J.J. Crookes offered to build a boarding house. The move was completed a month before the beginning of World War II. The new Kearsney College opened with 196 boys.
Some of the college's buildings and facilities have been donated to it.
Headmasters
Boarding Houses
There are five boarding establishments, four senior houses and one junior house. They are Finningley (blue), Gillingham (red), Pembroke (green), Sheffield (yellow)and Haley (the junior house).
Sports
Sports facilities include several rugby fields, several cricket ovals, an artificial turf for field hockey and two swimming pools. Included is the SportZone, an indoor training facility that holds several cricket nets and two basketball courts.