From the SACS website
THE SOUTH AFRICAN COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (SACS): ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW PRINCIPAL
The 188 year history of SACS is a proud and illustrious one. Nine Headmasters have led the school, each guiding the school to new levels of excellence, sometimes through challenging periods of history.
On his retirement, Mr Ken Ball will be leaving a legacy of academic, sporting and cultural excellence of which we are all proud. The School Governing Body (SGB) recognised the importance of ensuring that the best, most suitably qualified candidate be recruited to build on this legacy. The SGB therefore commenced preparatory work in 2015, reviewing the job specifications and characteristics necessary for the successful candidate. These included inter alia; an excellent track record in a leadership role in a successful and high-achieving school of academic, sporting and cultural excellence; excellent strategic, institutional and people leadership; being able to foster a culture and climate of learning aligned with the values of SACS and a commitment to cultural and religious diversity. This 18 month process culminated in a comprehensive recruitment process that led to interviews being held in November 2016.
This process has now been completed, and I am pleased to announce that Mr Brendan Grant has been appointed as the new Headmaster of SACS. Mr Grant is currently the Headmaster of Queen’s College in the Eastern Cape, having previously been Deputy Headmaster at Graeme College. He has great respect for SACS, and shares the values and ethos inherent in an education at SACS.
Mr Grant is married to Diana and they have two sons, Sean and Daniel. We look forward to welcoming the Grant Family to SACS. I have assured him of the support of the SGB, staff, learners, parents, Old Boys and greater SACS community as he charts the next chapter in the history of our great school.
A.C. BREETZKE
SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY CHAIRMAN
From the Queen’s College website
It is with great regret that we have learnt that Mr Brendan Grant has been appointed to and accepted the position of Headmaster of the South African College High School (SACS) in Cape Town. We want to congratulate him and thank him for the valuable contribution he has made to the Queen’s College family as Headmaster as well as to the greater Queenstown community. He will leave some big shoes to fill and our best wishes accompany him and his family on their new journey. Mr Grant’s departure will be at a time to be negotiated and which suits the convenience of both schools. We, as an SGB, are confident that the current school management team and staff will manage a smooth transition during this time. We shall dedicate all our resources to the appointment of a suitable successor.
Cobus Pieterse
SGB Chairman
“I would like to thank our SGB and the community of Queen’s College for the faith you have placed in me as Headmaster, over the past five years. For my family and I, Queen’s College has been our life during this time and we shall miss it greatly. I have full confidence that the school possesses both the resources and more importantly the people, to ensure a successful transition and an elevation to the next level. This in the vital role we play as an Educational Institution of Excellence in our land. You can be assured of my absolute and full support in that process. There are exceptional people in this community whom I have had the privilege of getting to know and work with and in so doing, play a small role in the history of this great school. I will fulfil unreservedly in my duties as Headmaster and shall continue to foster the values that I hold dear for the remainder of my time at Queen’s College.”
Brendan Grant
Headmaster
@Playa: agreed!
Interestingly,the outgoing SACS headmaster Ken Ball used to teach at Dale and coached the 1st XV in 1987&1988.Looks like we breed them well in the EC
@beet: Don’t hold your breath on the DHS appointment!
Luman and Pinhero were apparently shortlisted for the SACS position. Brendan Grant is in a different league and congratulations to SACS on picking a great guy for their top position. Congratulations and all the best to Brendan.
@Queenian: fennel was there in my time, was a junior as far as I could tell. During his stint he ended up playing for Border as well as a another teacher. Perhaps the second was Chris Luman I think as a prop. But yes QC is a nursery for prominent teachers.
@Far Meadows: There were five Pearson brothers Clive(70) then Guy/Lindsay(73) twins then Jeremy(80) and the youngest Bobby(85) who did grade 12 at Dale.
25 years difference in age between oldest to youngest.
@Far Meadows: That’s correct.
@Queenian: I had forgotten about Guy’s stint at Woodridge, Lindsay was also the headmaster of Union High before he went to Grey.
Don’t be surprised if you see the current Headmaster of Union High I think he’s surname is Pringle I think land up at Queens or Grey PE.
He is young and dynamic.
@Far Meadows: Guy Pearson was first Headmaster at Woodridge before going to Michaelhouse. His twin brother Linsey is Headmaster of Grey PE Junior and there elder brother Clive is Headmaster of Port Alfred think he was deputy of Maritzburg College before that.
Big loss for Queens this it becomes difficult for schools like Queens to keep Headmasters for along time and they become stepping stones. The Gov now uses a grading systems based on the number’s of boys in a school. And QC now with only 570 odd boys the Headmaster post is now graded as a 3 were that was a 4 till about 5 years ago. A 4 is now a school with 650/750 learners and a 5 is schools with 750+. So a person like Brendan Grant will land up leaving for a better package and retirement. Gone are the days of QC having 750+ boys due to them having 450 boarders and that will have a effect on who they can attract.
So a Deputy at SACS will be the same grade as a Headmaster at say QC or Dale which leaves these schools attracting a younger type person (like Brendan)who will use it as a stepping stone or a older person who say wants to see his time out till retirement.
Simply put why be a Headmaster at a school when you can be Deputy at another and get paid the same or even more and have half the responsibility.
Hopefully for QC they can get somebody good as the school is in a good place and being run extremely well, has facilities that a very few schools have and history.
So good luck to them finding a good Headmaster.
Fennel was never Headmaster at QC but he did spend sometime there I think.
What will be fun is the Grey PE Head finishes off in Sept and the Dale Head in November so they will all have new Heads soon and this just after Selborne have a new head. So a new era here dawning on the Eastern Cape. And take into account in the last year or so we have new heads at Graeme/Muir/Brandwag and Pearson looking for someone after there Head has gone to Paul Roos.
interesting to see which school produced the most headmasters or something like that! Hennie was there when I was there a charming teacher and very gifted family.
Guy Pearson , previous rector of Michaelhouse and current head of Bishops is also a QC old boy.
I was asked to mention Hennie van der Mescht, a Queen’s deputy head who went on to become head at Kimberley BHS
@Hustle: No Fennell no longer at DHS and I don’t think he was head at Queen’s either. He was CEO of the DHS Foundation for a 3 year contract which has ended a while back.
@beet: is Fennell not there? or is that in a fundraising role? – so true – certainly queens produces – its fare share in the leadership side.
This SACS appointment might in some way determine what happens at Durban High School where the headmaster’s post is also up for grabs.
@Hustle: And Queen’s deputy headmasters have gone on to become Selborne headmasters as well. Gunn and now Dewar.
would be curious to see how many headmasters Queens has developed – over the years – Can think of Lovatt / Fennel / Luman / Marias / Crawford – some escape me…. QC can be considered a nursery for other schools! Grant is outstanding educator.