CAPE TOWN, 20 August 2026: More than 1 200 learners from Grade 1 to Grade 12 came together yesterday as Camps Bay Schools celebrated 120 years of history, education and community at its Founder’s Day celebration.
The occasion marked 120 years since the original Camps Bay School opened its doors in 1906, when just seven children began their education in an Anglican church hall in Argyle Road. Today, those seven learners have become generations of Camps Bay children, with Camps Bay Primary, Preparatory and High School forming one interconnected school family.
The celebration brought learners, staff, parents, past pupils and special guests together at Camps Bay High School to honour the past, celebrate the present and consider the responsibility of ensuring a strong future for the next generation.
In his address, Camps Bay High School Principal Mr Louis Mostert traced the extraordinary journey of the school from its humble beginnings to the thriving schools it has become today.
The original school
The original school grew rapidly from seven learners in 1906 to 42 by 1912, when the beautiful sandstone building in The Drive was constructed. That building remains a place of learning today as the home of Camps Bay Preparatory School.
By 1953, learner numbers had reached approximately 300 and, as the children of Camps Bay grew older, the need for a high school became increasingly clear. Through the tireless efforts of Mr Gush, the school was granted High School status in 1955. After seven years of negotiations, construction of the present Camps Bay High School began in 1967, with the new school officially opening its doors on 7 October 1969.
Today, Camps Bay High School has approximately 780 learners and receives more than 1,200 applications for only 150 Grade 8 places.
“On 28 May 1906, they didn’t just start school. They started a story,” said Mr Mostert. “And in 2026, 120 years later, that story is still being written.”
More than academic results
A central message of the Founder’s Day celebration came from Camps Bay Primary School Principal Mr Chris Storey, who spoke powerfully about what makes a school truly great – and why the significance of a school cannot simply be measured by pass rates, distinctions or academic statistics.
Mr Storey described Founder’s Day as being about three things: honouring the past, celebrating the present and ensuring the future.
Reflecting on the courage and vision of those who started a tiny school of seven children in 1906, he said that vision determines far more than the physical buildings of a school. It shapes what kind of place a school becomes, how children learn and play, how they relate to one another and, importantly, what a child feels when they walk through the school gates.
The quality of a school can be defined simply by statistics.
He challenged the idea that the quality of a school can be defined simply by statistics.
“I think great schools look different,” he said. “I think great schools are schools that are there for everyone.”
He spoke of schools that make room for difference and individuality – for the learner who loves to dance, the child who creates and imagines, the student who excels in sport, the learner who feels music deeply and the young person whose calling is to serve others.
A great school, he said, embraces diversity in every sense: intellectual ability, social background, race, religious belief, culture, identity, orientation and nationality. It is a place where learners are accepted for who they are and where every child has the opportunity to discover and develop their potential.
Most importantly, Mr Storey emphasised that success should not be reserved only for the highest achievers.
“A great school is one where every child is given the opportunity to achieve as close to their potential as possible,” he said. “A great school is where the struggling learner achieving a pass is celebrated with as much pride as the student achieving seven distinctions.”
“That is what makes a school great. That is what makes a school significant.”
His words captured the spirit of the Camps Bay Schools community: a belief that education is about more than results. It is about opportunity, belonging, personal growth and making space for every learner to shine.
The vision is now in our hands
Looking to the future, Mr Storey spoke about the responsibility of custodianship.
One hundred and twenty years after seven children first entered a small school in Camps Bay, the vision of those who founded the school has endured through generations of learners, teachers, parents and community members.
“Now, 120 years later, that vision is in our hands,” he said. “Our job is not simply to celebrate what was built before us. Our job is to make sure that it is even stronger when we hand it to those who come after us.”
He described this responsibility as ensuring that the Camps Bay Schools family continues to be a beacon of hope for education in South Africa.
A past pupil’s message: stay curious and embrace your path
The Founder’s Day Assembly also featured special guest speaker and Camps Bay High School past pupil Mr Dexter Tangocci, Class of 2009, who attended Camps Bay Schools from Grade 1 through to Grade 12.
Now the co-founder and Director of Integrated Aerial Systems, a company specialising in commercial drone operations and aerial intelligence, Tangocci shared his journey from learner to entrepreneur and reminded learners that they do not need to have their entire futures mapped out.
“When I was sitting where you are, running a commercial drone company was not a career that existed,” he said.
His message was one of curiosity, resilience and openness to unexpected opportunities. He encouraged learners to learn widely, try different things, take opportunities seriously and not be afraid if their path looks different from that of the person sitting next to them.
“You do not need to have the whole journey figured out today,” he told learners. “Stay curious. Take opportunities seriously. Learn from your mistakes. And don’t be afraid if your path looks different.”
A historic celebration
The morning began with Camps Bay Primary School learners walking to the High School Campus, symbolising the connection between the schools and the generations of learners who have shared in the Camps Bay story.
The Founder’s Day Assembly included the National Anthem, performances by the school choirs, a reflection on the history of Kudu Park, the School Oath of Allegiance and the school song.
After the assembly, the entire Camps Bay Schools community gathered on the school field for a historic 120-year photograph and video. The celebration concluded with learners singing the perennial favourite, “Oh When the Bay”, led by the Prefect Team, before ice lollies were handed out to all learners.
For Camps Bay Schools, Founder’s Day was not simply a birthday celebration. It was an opportunity to recognise the people and the vision behind 120 years of education — and to celebrate what makes the school community special.
From seven learners in a church hall in 1906 to a diverse and thriving family of schools today, the Camps Bay story continues to be written by every learner, teacher, parent, staff member and friend who walks alongside it.
As Mr Storey told the school community: “Happy 120th birthday to an incredibly special place of life, learning, belonging and possibility.”
