Established in 1888, St Mary’s School, Waverley, is Johannesburg’s oldest school. It is an independent school with a proud tradition of developing impressive young women who make their mark in the arts, sciences, business, politics, the media and sport, and the St Mary’s Foundation works hard to ensure that St Mary’s girls have everything they need to enjoy a first-class education.
But St Mary’s does not exist in isolation from the community in which it is situated, and the Foundation is also actively committed to providing critical resources and opportunities to those who need them most.
The Foundation has created an endowment which aims to build a capital base. The return on investment of this capital will support education for girls, training and developing teachers, and funding of community affairs programmes.
Educating girls
St Mary’s School will open its doors to, and embrace, girls who are academically talented and have the ability to be leaders in their communities one day, but who are excluded from a top-class education owing to their financial circumstances.
Teacher development
Teachers have a profound influence on the youth of our country. It is vital, therefore, not only to attract the right candidates to the profession but to ensure that teachers are well educated and trained.
Communities in need
The High Schools’ Programme has existed and run successfully since 1990. The programme has provided support to around 3 000 learners from the five high schools in Alexandra, and has now been extended to other areas.
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Reaching beyond our borders
Foundation auction evening
During St Mary’s School’s history, spanning more than a century, many generous donors who have contributed to the wellbeing of the school by supporting various fundraising initiatives for facilities, and for teachers and pupils.
It is thanks to these donors that St Mary’s remains a leader and a beacon in girls’ education. St Mary’s continues to appeal to the generosity of those who support the school in its endeavours to remain a top-class educator of girls.