ABOUT US
Welcome Message from Our Executive Head
A very warm welcome to the St Patrick’s CBC website. In the modern world this platform serves as a vital communication link to the entire school community as well as those who are being introduced to St Patrick’s CBC for the first time. Our school is rich in history and the traditions associated with Catholic Education. The Christian ethos and philosophy, that has filtered through the years, has embraced the technological changes coupled with education in the 21st century, and thereby, shaped a school that provides a South African educational experience, of the highest quality.
Our diverse academic, sporting and cultural programmes mirror the diversity of our community. We are a proudly South African school producing young graduates who are broadly equipped to tackle the challenges of our modern society, with passion, vigor and the necessary and appropriate skills.
We enjoy introducing new faces to our campus and also welcome visits from our alumni. We invite everyone to experience the caring and kind spirit that exists in this unique, family school.
Our school
We prepare pupils with diverse backgrounds and aptitudes for a life of learning, leadership, service and personal achievement true to our history and the charitable intentions of our founder, blessed Edmund Rice.
St Patrick’s is a prestigious school with a multicultural and socially diverse pupil population.
Join Our Family
Thank you for considering joining the St Patrick’s CBC family. We cater for families who want the very best for their children.
Our small classes and quality staff allow for a very personal approach to learning.
We believe that education is more than just studies and sport, and have created an environment where every child participates in an array of activities, with a special emphasis on their individual strengths.
Our Core Values
Care
Belonging
Integrity
Faith
Excellence
What we offer
- An inclusive environment
- Excellence in academics
- Leadership opportunities
- Social endevours
- Sporting and Cultural Enrichment
Our Management
Meet our Experienced Leadership Team
Our History
Christian Brothers’ College (“CBC”), the very first Christian Brothers’ College in Africa, was established by the Christian Brothers originating from Ireland in 1897. Over the years, they established schools, not only in Africa, but across the world.
Christian Brothers’ College, Kimberley, opened its doors on the first day of school to a mere 15 pupils, to be joined the next day by a further 22. At that stage, it was still called the Christian Brothers’ High School. The range of subjects was wide and tuition was offered in six languages – Greek, Latin, English, Dutch, French and German.
The school built up an outstanding academic reputation from the outset, attracting boys from both Kimberley and the outlying districts. This created a need for boarding and in 1905 the school opened its own boarding facilities. For many years thereafter, the school was primarily a boarding school for boys, with special focus on Catholics.
The school adopted its saint name, Saint Patrick, at the centenary celebrations in 1997. This change signified a new beginning in the second 100 years of the life of the school. Values like honesty, humility and courage were a vital part of the education from the outset, in a school that was to face the Siege of Kimberley and two World Wars in its first 50 years.
Currently operating from age 1 to Grade 12, St Patrick’s CBC is co-educational and is currently the only school in Kimberley offering the highly credited Independent Examinations Board (IEB) curriculum. Our small classes and quality staff allow for a very personal approach to learning. We believe that education is more than just studies and sport, and have created an environment where every child participates in an array of activities, with a special emphasis on their individual strengths.
