Our History

The Beginning

During the 1950s, the province purchased a two-storey house at 53 Alexandra Road in Pietermaritzburg. This property would become the birthplace of what we now know as Alexandra High School.

First Assembly — 23 February 1960

The first assembly took place on 23 February 1960 under a jacaranda tree. Present were Director L. Beibuyck, Inspector R. Steer, Headmaster F.H. Udal, Vice-Principal B. Butler, and 53 pupils. It was a modest but significant beginning for the school.

Early Growth

Construction continued through 1960. In January 1961, second formers occupied the south wing of the new building. The school hall was completed in 1962, providing a proper venue for assemblies and events.

The first athletic sports day was held on 9 September 1961, with Boyd's House claiming victory with 121 points against Shepstone's 15 points.

The first speech day was held at the end of 1961. From 1962 onwards, speech days were conducted in the newly completed school hall.

Successive Headmasters

Mr F.H. Udal, the founding headmaster, retired at the end of 1969. He was succeeded by Richard Hurworth, who continued to build on the school's foundations. Roy Beaumont followed, and then Andrew Layman took up the position in the early 1990s.

A New Era of Inclusion

In June 1991, Wiseman Khumalo became the first non-white pupil to enrol at Alexandra High School, entering in Standard VII. He went on to become Deputy Head Prefect in 1994 — a testament to both his character and the school's evolving ethos.

From 1992, the school became co-educational, reflecting the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist society. These changes marked a pivotal chapter in the school's history.

Into the 21st Century

Cilliers Haymans became headmaster in 1998, guiding the school into the new millennium.

In 2008, Andrew Graaf — himself a matriculant of the class of 1980 — became principal. Under his leadership, the school established community outreach programmes and embraced the eco-schools initiative.

In 2017, Mrs Anusha Pillay made history as the first Lady Principal of Alexandra High School, continuing the tradition of strong and transformative leadership.