Introduction to Fish Hoek

Fish Hoek High School is a relatively large co-educational English-medium school. It caters for pupils from grade 8 to 12. There are, on average, seven register classes per grade and every effort is made to ensure that numbers do not exceed 33 per class. Senior and many subject classes are usually smaller than that maximum.

As it serves a suburban area of Cape Town, Fish Hoek High School has no boarding facilities.

Fish Hoek and its neighbouring communities include people from many different backgrounds. The ambitions of our parents and children therefore vary, with important implications:

1. An exceptionally wide subject choice is offered by the School to cater for as many interests and is practical.
2. Pupils will disperse to a variety of career paths after grade 12, such as the universities, art and advertising schools, the armed services and the hospitality industry.  Pupils, with their families, have to take responsibility for their education. Families must select the post-school destination for the pupil, ensure that suitable subjects are taken and that the pupil achieves the necessary results.  Teachers (many highly experienced) will do all they can for the pupils who are clearly goal-directed and working hard but the drive must come form the scholar.

The School has seven lessons per day of 45 or 50 minutes each. There are three lessons before first break, then two lessons, second break and tow more lessons.  Assemblies are held twice a week, after 5^th lesson. Monday's assembly is usually conducted by the Headmaster and Friday's by the Student Representative Council (a group of grade 12s elected by the school and led by a Head and a Deputy Head Student).

The School runs on ten-day timetable in the form of week 1 and week 2.  In those ten days pupils have most FET subjects ten times and the languages and Mathematics more often.

Pupils are expected to participate in the extramural programme of the School.  These activities help pupils to establish a base in the school, make friends, acquire important skills and provide some relief from the academic pressure.  Pupils and teachers get to understand each other outside the classroom too. Inter class and Inter House competitions are used to ensure wide participation in as many activities as is practical.  In addition, there are a number of leadership structures, like the SRC, designed to develop their leadership skills and to encourage as many pupils as possible to help ensure that the school is a clean, cheerful and functional environment.

About half of the teaching staff and most of the support staff are employed by the parents through the Board of Governors.  The cash contribution made by the state to the School's budget would not cover the School's phone bill.  School fee payment by parents is thus essential for the maintenance of the present standards by the School.

The School is proud of the academic results achieved over the last decade.  In the final examinations all pupils have done well. In addition, many have gone on to make their marks in the wider community and excelled at the best universities in the country.