Windsor High opens new hall

Windsor High School unveiled their newly-built school hall last Thursday, April 24.

The hall cost over R10.7 million, which was largely raised by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and the Archway Foundation and included R250 000 raised by Windsor High.

Last year, the Rondebosch-East based school ran a fundraising campaign to have a hall built for their growing school population which has 950 pupils. Their old school hall was only big enough to accommodate one grade and they held assembly in the school quad to accommodate other pupils  (“Windsor High runs funding drive for new hall,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, May 9, 2024).

Windsor High principal, Dianne Morgan says “freedom” and “dignity” are the two words she expressed at the opening of their new school hall.

 “Primarily, while providing the essential accommodation for all the school’s communal activities, a hall also gives learners and staff a sense of pride and the dignity of gathering in a formal space designed and built specially for them,” she says.

Previously the school was unable to hold matric exams and valedictory ceremonies also had to be held at other venues.

Ms Morgan says they are now able to hold those important school events as well as hosting extra- curricular activities such as talent shows, concerts, community markets and indoor sport competitions.

The Archway Foundation is the social investment arm of the Garden Cities property development non-profit company. 

Garden Cities CEO, John Matthews says their goal remains to help provide equal facilities for the school children of the province. “From the start of the hall project, an improvement has been noticed in the academic performance and morale of the children attending schools where the halls have been built,” he says.