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BUSINESS NEWS - Oakhill School is dedicated to nurturing the potential within each student. From Grade 000 to Grade 12, Oakhill fosters whole-child education, encouraging exploration, creativity, and a genuine “joy of learning” for life.
This commitment is evident in Oakhill's consistent 100% Independent Examination Board (IEB) pass rate since its inception in 1992 and recent 2024 Matric results surpassing national averages across subjects.
Oakhill is proudly an IEB school with a long tradition of academic excellence and students flourishing in all areas of life beyond school.
Head of School, Mr. Graham Howarth, emphasizes that “The IEB is a rigorous and exacting assessment body that enables students, who are progressing to tertiary education with the necessary skills and competencies, to succeed in the next stage of their academic journey. Oakhill matriculants bear testimony to this by achieving significant success at universities and higher learning institutions both in South Africa and abroad."
Over the decades, Oakhill graduates have successfully pursued diverse fields at prestigious tertiary institutions, locally and internationally, across disciplines from Actuarial Science, Medicine, Engineering, Commerce to various Humanities and Creative Arts disciplines. Many Old Oaks have continued on to postgraduate studies in their chosen fields. With a large number of past students currently studying in countries such as Germany, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, UK and the USA to name a few, Oakhill has truly offered these students a passport to their future.
Catching Up with Some Old Oaks Internationally
A few of the 2024 Matriculants are intending on studying in Europe and the United States of America next year and we look forward to catching up with them. Old Oaks currently in the USA are Alodie Gould-Wagenaar (Matric 2021) studying International Relations and Alex Leiar (Matric 2023), who is studying Business Management on an academic and swimming scholarship at the University of Arizona.
Amongst the many past Oakhillians studying in Europe, is Viggo Platt (Class of 2020). Studying a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communications & Digital Media at the University of Lund, Viggo says “It has been an enthralling experience so far. The university’s outstanding overall quality and diverse student body, coupled with the freedom of living in Sweden, have provided me with an ideal academic environment. I encourage everyone to try new things and embrace the countless opportunities life brings’’.
Closer to Home
Having graduated with a BBusSc in Actuarial Science, from the University of Cape Town, Shannon Amoils (Class of 2020) has been selected as Discovery’s Adrian Gore Fellow for 2025 amongst the top 20 Actuarial Science graduates around the country. Not only did Shannon have to show intellectual prowess to win this coveted title, she demonstrated leadership potential, believed in the company’s purpose to make people healthier, and showed evidence of living these values. A well deserved and exceptional accolade.
With a love of learning, there are amongst others, several past Oakhillians extending their intellectual pursuits as postgraduates students reading for their Masters at Stellenbosch University - Catherine Donnell (Matric 2020) is studying a MA in General Linguistics, Jessica van Strijp (Matric 2019) is studying a MSc in Physiological Sciences and Sophia Trollip (Matric 2020) is studying a MSc in Human Genetics at the Biomedical Research Institute at Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg Campus.
Daniel van Zyl (Matric 2019), completing his MSc in Computer Science at Stellenbosch University is set to pursue a PhD at an esteemed university in the UK next year. Recently, Daniel, alongside Caleb Anderson-de Waal, won the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge at the Rhodes Forum on Technology and Society. Their forwarding thinking project, "Huddle," is a mobile-first app featuring an AI assistant designed to enhance community engagement by bringing towns and rural communities closer together in the digital age.
Oakhill Scholarship Opportunities
Oakhill invites top Grade 7 students at all schools, with an eye on their future, to apply for Oakhill’s Grade 8, 2025 Scholarship - a merit-based program recognizing academic excellence, with consideration for cultural and sporting achievements.
The scholarship examinations are highly competitive, attracting candidates widely across all schools. Being awarded a scholarship for outstanding performance is a significant honour, granting access to top-tier secondary education and a wealth of opportunities.
Applications for the Grade 8, 2026 Scholarship close on Wednesday, 19 February 2025. The scholarship exams are scheduled for Friday, 8 March, and Saturday, 9 March 2025. Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply promptly to seize this exceptional opportunity.
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