The School was founded in 1965 as the first English Medium High School in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. Mr E T Hobbs was the founding Headmaster and was succeeded in 1970 by Mr Mike Reeler. In 1977 Mr Brian Gilbert took over as Principal, followed by Mr Trevor Webster (1988 to 2005), Richard E Daly (2006 to 2015) and Mrs S Gallie (2016 – 2020). Mrs L Hall is currently the Acting Principal.
The Settlers High School offers a balanced education firmly anchored in the following main pillars: Academic, Pastoral, Physical (Sport) and Culture.
Having originally derived its name from the 1820 Settlers, clearly acknowledging its role of providing English Medium Education, the school has a diverse learner heritage and cohort. This diversity and eclectic heritage has been incorporated into the ethos of the school.
Reflected in the naming of facilities is the legacy of the original Khoi inhabitants of the region (the Cochoqua Forecourt), descendants of communities impacted by slavery and prejudice (the Freedom Bell – unveiled on Women’s Day 2004 by Mr Ahmed Kathrada, former Robben Island prisoner with Nelson Mandela), to mention a few. Every year Africa Day is celebrated prominently in the calendar, the African Union flag is accorded prominence alongside the National and School flags, and various communities and faiths are duly acknowledged at the school (a Prayer facility has been made available to the Muslim community for example). Assemblies feature presentations by a multiplicity of faiths, backgrounds and recognition of cultural ties represented in the student body.
After many years opposing the apartheid policies of the Nationalist government and actively pursuing an open enrolment policy, the school became one of the first public secondary education institutions to open its doors to all races and communities when that was finally permitted in the early 1990s.
The Settlers High School is renowned for its effervescent school “spirit” and the role it has played in promoting culture in the education sphere. It boasts a choir that comprises a quarter of the student enrolment, progressive Music and Drama departments as well as academic subject departments that push the limits of achievement. The Settlers has been acknowledged as a top feeder school for universities in the Western Cape. It has also produced acclaimed sportspeople who have represented provincial and national teams.
