Herschel Girls' School
| Herschel Girls School | |
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| Location | |
 Herschel Girls School
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Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa 
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| Coordinates | 33°59′15″S 18°27′59″E / 33.98750°S 18.46639°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Single-sex, Day & Boarding |
| Motto |
Latin: Ad Dei Gloriam ("To the Glory of God") |
| Established | 1922 |
| Locale | Suburban |
| Headmaster | Mr Stuart West |
| Exam board | WCED |
| Grades | 0 - 12 |
| Number of students | 927 girls |
| School color(s) | Blue & Light Pink |
| Mascot | Hippo, Rabbit and Reindeer |
| Fees | R 107 760 p.a. (Boarding) R 54 950 p.a. (Tuition) |
| Website | www |
Herschel Girls' School is a private, boarding and day school for girls, located in Claremont, a southern suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
Herschel was established in February 1922, on land which had been settled since the late 17th century. The property on which it stands belonged to V.A. Schonnberg who, when he sold the main estate in 1834 to Sir John Herschel, the astronomer, retained this portion and named it after his illustrious neighbour.
In July 1921, the estate was bought by The English Church Schools Association, with the aid of a generous loan from the Hon. John Jagger, MP, to provide for the needs of the many girls living in the southern suburbs who wished to attend a private school. The first headmistress was Miss Morley Ralph Armitage, and the school opened on Wednesday, 1 February 1922, when the first seven boarders arrived.
On the following day, the rollcall was taken and the first school day began with prayers led by the Most Revd William Carter, Archbishop of Cape Town. There were twenty-nine girls on the roll and seven staff members. The formal opening was held two weeks later, on Thursday, 16 February 1922. Dean Rolt conducted a brief service, John X. Merriman, the Minister of Education, performed the official opening and Jagger delivered the vote of thanks.
At this time the school comprised only what is now the administration section, but it grew rapidly - the Mary Jagger Hall (named after Jagger's wife) was added in 1926 and in 1930 extensions to the Hall - with the famous open sleeping balconies which were popular at the time, though not with the unfortunate girls who endured them until 1971. Sports facilities were built - the first tennis court in December 1922, though the school did not get its own swimming pool until 1939.
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Wikipedia