Alexandra High School

For other schools of a similar name, see Alexandra School (disambiguation).

Alexandra High School
Location
Pietermaritzburg , KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
Coordinates	29°37′02″S30°23′18″E / 29.61721°S 30.38836°E / -29.61721; 30.38836
Information
Type	Semi-Private, Co-Educational
Motto	Summa Diligentia Laboro ("I strive to work with diligence")
Established	1960
Locale	Suburban
Principal	A. Pillay
Grades	8–12
Number of students	Approximately 1000 pupils - Girls: 378, Boys: 622
Student to teacher ratio	1:32
Houses	Allison's   Boyds   Downs   Shepstones   Trollips
Color(s)
Sports	Rugby, Netball, Cricket, Hockey, Soccer, Athletics, Swimming
Mascot	Ellie the Elephant
Tuition	School fees: R 21 000 p.a Boarding Fees: Full Time - R 70 000 p.a Weekday - R56 000 p.a
Website	www.alexhigh.org.za

Alexandra High School (AHS) is a semi-private public high school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ^[1] The school offers a co-educational environment and boarding facilities. The principal is Anusha Pilay, the first woman to head the school. ^{[2] [3]}

History

The School opened on 23 February 1960, with the headmaster Mr F. H. Udal, leading the boy's first school assembly under a Jacaranda tree. ^[4] The same month in which Harold Mc Millan delivered his Wind of Change speech in Capetown. ^[5]

The school takes its name from Alexandra of Denmark, Queen Consort and Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901. She was a popular figure from a century prior, when the neighbouring park was laid out in 1860 and named in her honour in 1863, called Alexandra Park. ^[6] She married Albert Edward Prince of Wales in that year, and later became Queen Alexandra with King Edward VII. A portrait of Queen Alexandra sits in the school library.

Founders House

In 1966 the boarding establishment Founders House was opened with 110 boys ^[7] .Today the "BE" (boarding establishment) is also co-educational residence that offers supervised home from home facilities. ^[8]

Though the school and the BE was initially a whites-only, all-boys high school. The first non-white pupil was admitted in June 1991, when race classification was abolished ^[9] Alexandra High School continued to lead change and became co-educational at the beginning of 1992. The school has a mural in its hall. The plaque was designed and built by the late Syliva Baxter. It took months of work to mould, colour and bake the clay. It was fired in forty-six pieces of ceramic clay, measuring 4 metres by 2 metres and its mass is over a ton. Metallic oxides were used to give it colour. The plaque was unveiled by Alfred Ernest Trollip, then Administrator of Natal, when the school was officially opened on 25 September 1964.

Notable Old Alexandrians

• Graeme Pope-Ellis, canoeist, fifteen-time Dusi Canoe Marathon winner
• Kork Ballington, South African former professional motorcycle racer, four-time FIM road racing world champion
• Christopher Duigan, concert pianist and composer

References

1. "Home". Alexandra High School. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
2. "PMB principal scoops excellence award for school leadership". The Witness. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
3. "Alex High appoints first female principal". News24. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
4. "History". Alexandra High School. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
5. Dubow, Saul (2011). "Macmillan, Verwoerd, and the 1960 wind of change speach". The Historical Journal. 54 (4): 1087–1114. doi:10.1017/S0018246X11000409.
6. Chemaly, Frank (24 October 2020). "Then & Now: Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg". IOL. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
7. "Founders House". Alexandra High School. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
8. juanventer (17 August 2023). "Alexandra High School develops learners to their full potential". North Coast Courier. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
9. Myre, Greg (18 June 1991). "South Africa ends racial classifications". Cape Girardeau: Southeast Missourian. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2018.