Dear Parents and Guardians

The term is coming to an end, and a much-needed period of holiday awaits our boys and staff. This is one of the holidays where I usually advise boys to spend time relaxing after a frenetic first term. Yes, there may be a need to catch up with some work, particularly those boys who have spent a lot of time away on sports commitments, but they do need a rest as well.

The transition between summer and winter has happened and many of our teams have played games and are preparing for tours and festivals. Our soccer boys are heading overseas, and we wish them safe travels for this exciting opportunity. Also going out of the country are those going to Everest Base Camp and we also wish them a safe and special experience.

I have just had the privilege of watching Footloose, our annual dramatic production which played to packed and appreciative audiences for a week. I was blown away, once again, at the skill, energy and enthusiasm of our boys, staff and their peers from various girls’ schools. This was indeed a special production and Mr Wayne Tucker and his team are to be sincerely congratulated for their hard work!

Reminder re social occasions

I have had discussions with the Chairs of those sports that have parent supporters groups about socialising during and after school sport. We will be returning to the arrangement we always had in place regarding the serving of alcohol to spectators and staff after winter fixtures. This will be limited to two hours after the final whistle of the last game, usually the first team.

As I shared with the Chairs, we are a school and while we enjoy our time after a fixture to socialise and chat, we have a responsibility to our boys to model the kind of behaviour that is appropriate in this situation. I have had conversations with the Heads of our fellow boys schools and they will be implementing this same rule so that our respective campuses can close 2 hours after the last game and our staff can clean up. This is nothing new, and I ask that parents and friends of the school respect this ruling.

Staff

We thank and bid farewell to Toni Harding for her wonderful support during Clea Schultz-Mofokeng’s maternity leave and warmly welcome Clea back in Term II.

Our Prep Acting Headmaster, Mr Chris Groom, steps down again at the end of this term and we thank him for the wonderful job he has done leading our Prep and for his contribution to the Executive of the school.

Inspiring Individuals; Growing Good Men

We are almost ready for the official launch of our Strategic Plan which will take place in the second week of the new term. We are very excited about progress made thus far as this change in culture fits in so well with the plans we drew up as a result of the Council-commissioned independent panel of 2025 and the OISEA evaluation that was done in 2023.

At the time of writing, I had just finished observing a session with the Grades 8 & 9 boys on authentic relationships and one thing that stood out for me was a number of videos the facilitator showed where he asked Bishops mothers what they thought makes a good man!

Further information will be sent out to parents next term along with an update on progress made in the plan that was shared as a result of the panel report.

Final thoughts

I would like to wish our Muslim families a blessed Eid coming up this weekend and our Christian families a blessed Easter, the holiest time in our calendar. May the lessons of this time be taken in to our hearts as we go forward.

Enjoy holiday time with your son(s) and see you again at the start of Term II – Monday 13 April

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

Reading

I have shared before that our Executive team subscribes to an online journal called the Marshall Memo which comes out every week and has short summaries of articles written about education and teenagers in particular. This piece below caught my eye and I share it with you for your interest. I reproduce this article in full, in place of my customary assembly message, with the hyperlink to the full article at the end.

Raising Boys with Limits, at home and in School

“Are today’s schools anti-boy?” asks Elizabeth Grace Matthew, the mother of four boys, in this Education Gadfly article. Do schools require too much sitting and passive listening for boys to be successful? It’s true, she says, that young boys are, on average, more physically restless and competitive and less verbal and mature than girls of the same age. Should schools be doing more to meet boys where they are? Without that, will present trends continue, with girls doing better academically and boys disproportionately disciplined or diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and ODD?

Looking at the current situation in schools, says Matthew, there are two possible conclusions: there is something fundamentally wrong with boys, or the standards schools are holding them to are unreasonable. “But maybe there’s nothing wrong with boys who struggle to meet schools’ behavioural standards,” she says, “and there’s nothing wrong with the standards themselves. Maybe what’s wrong is our failure to recognize that males have always needed and continue to need relentless training to mature into the capacity to meet appropriate standards. What if school comes more easily to girls because civilization itself does, too?”

“There is a common misapprehension,” …… “that discipline tempers vibrance and personality. Actually, it’s the opposite. Kids who know where the boundaries are, and that adults expect them to bump into those boundaries but will hold them, without discussion, regardless, are kids who are free and independent within an age-appropriate sphere. By contrast, kids who bump a perceived boundary only to find that it folds (or who perceive none in the first place) become jaded and restless, unable to focus enough for their own optimal achievement or even enjoyment because the world around them has no reliable shape.”

“We Need to Prepare Boys for Schools, Not Schools for Boys” by Elizabeth Grace Matthew in  Education Gadfly, February 23, 2026

Music Colours and Ensemble Ties

Congratulations to the following boys on their music achievements.
Half Colours:

• Jasper Magrath
• Matthew Couves
• Tommy Winfield

Ensemble Tie:

• Matthew De Jager
• Daniel Bursey

National Debating League – Round 2 Results

On Thursday 12 March, our debating teams competed in Round 2 of the National Debating League, hosted at Edgemead High School. We are very proud to report excellent results.

The junior team, consisting of Sahil Khalfey, Joshua Fried and Isaac Frankel, debated the motion: “This House would ban beauty contests like Miss South Africa.” Bishops argued on the Proposition side against Tygerberg High School and secured a strong win. Congratulations to Sahil Khalfey, who was awarded Best Speaker.

The senior Ironman team, Hamaad Badroodien and Cruz Sun, debated the motion: “This House believes that sporting leagues should ban foreign government ownership of teams.” They also argued on the Proposition side against Tygerberg High School and delivered an excellent performance, winning their round. Hamaad Badroodien was named Best Speaker.

We congratulate all our debaters on representing the school so well and look forward to the next round.

Rugby

Captains of Rugby

After careful consideration of all candidates, we are pleased to announce the student rugby leadership for the 2026 season:

• Captain of Rugby: Alex Vintcent
• First Team Vice-Captain: Boytjie Fyfer

We extend our warmest congratulations to these two young men and wish them every success for the season and the matches to come.

We are excited to welcome St Andrew’s to Bishops for our annual mini tournament on 26 March!
All matches played on the Piley will be live-streamed on the official Bishops YouTube channel, allowing families and supporters to follow the action from anywhere. We strongly encourage parents, students, and Old Boys to join us in person for the home games and cheer on the boys from the sidelines, your support makes all the difference.

Watch live: Bishops @diocesancollege on YouTube
Follow us on our YouTube Channel: Bishops @diocesancollege

South African Schools Rowing Championships – Results

Bishops Rowing recently competed at the 48th Annual South African Schools Rowing Championships at Roodeplaat Dam. This major regatta brings together top school rowers from across the country, with athletes competing from U14 to U19 in all boat classes.

Despite limited water training time during the 2026 season, the squad produced determined performances, earning several fourth-place finishes across different age groups. Bishops placed 5th overall, finishing as the top coastal school and only 12 points behind St Stithians College in 4th place. These results reflect the strengthening culture and growth of the Bishops Rowing programme.

Looking ahead, the club aims to convert close finishes into medals and establish Bishops among the top three rowing schools nationally in the coming years.

Overall Points Summary:

1. St Benedict’s College – 402
2. King Edward VII School – 287
3. St John’s College – 232
4. St Stithians Boys College – 199
5. Diocesan College (Bishops) – 187
6. St Alban’s College – 180
7. St Andrew’s College – 139
8. Jeppe High School for Boys – 130
9. Rondebosch Boys’ High School – 123
10. South African College School – 111
11. Selborne College – 73
12. Hilton College – 44
13. Parktown Boys’ High School – 39
14. Grey High School – 34

Results By Age Group

U19
8th – U19 1st 1x: Benjamin Redfern
7th – U19 1st 4x+: Angus Bromley, Jock Estcourt, Max Marshall-Smith, Jordan Planting, Yazeed Lalkhen (cox)
4th – U19 1st 4–: Kai Bacher, Adam Carter, Ben Redfern, Luke Traut
7th – U19 1st 4+: Finn Moran, Edward Potgieter, David Traill, Roman Waltman, Max Petersen (cox)
6th – U19 1st 8+: Kai Bacher, Adam Carter, Finn Moran, Edward Potgieter, Ben Redfern, David Traill, Luke Traut, Roman Waltman, Max Petersen (cox)
2nd – U19 2nd 8+: Angus Bromley, Ben Davidson, Jock Estcourt, Theo Forsyth, Max Marshall-Smith, Jordan Planting, Luke Ratcliffe, Oscar Weldon, Yazeed Lalkhen (cox)

U16
9th – U16B 2–: Nicholas Brits, Nicholas Young
6th – U16A 4–: Nicolas Dike, Michael Logan, James Myhill, Dominic Planting
2nd – U16A 4+: Nicholas Brits, Finn Polley, Charlie Pye, Nicholas Young, Sango Kunene (cox)
6th – U16A 8+: Nicholas Brits, Nicolas Dike, Michael Logan, James Myhill, Dominic Planting, Finn Polley, Charlie Pye, Nicholas Young, Sango Kunene (cox)

U15
8th – U15 4x+: Wazir Amanjee, Jan Harm Coffee, Konstantin Gräwe, Storm Silander, Umar Saloojee (cox)
4th – U15 8x+: Wazir Amanjee, Gert Coffee, Jan Harm Coffee, Konstantin Gräwe, Joshua Loos, Howard Sidaki, Storm Silander, Charles Traill, Umar Saloojee (cox)

U14
4th – U14 8x+: Xander Chu, Luke Eedes, Lukho Kunene, William Lunn, Fred Martin, Joshua Musgrave, Daniel Redfern, Jason Xu, Seth Lunn (cox)
4th – U14 4x+: Xander Chu, Luke Eedes, Fred Martin, Daniel Redfern, Seth Lunn (cox)

Climbing

Congratulations to Naethan Mol (12K), who competed at the South African Climbing Finals from 6–8 March and has been selected to represent South Africa at the IFSC Youth World Championships in Italy from 18–25 July.

This prestigious international event brings together more than 650 of the world’s top young climbers from around 60 countries. We applaud Naethan on this exceptional achievement and wish him every success as he prepares for the competition ahead.

VUSA News

At the end of another busy term, we invite you to have a look at what VUSA has been up to in 2026. As always, thank you to the Bishops community for your continued support. Wishing you all a safe, happy, and well-deserved holiday.  To view the VUSA newsletter please click HERE .

Save the date for an unforgettable evening with VUSA. Guests can look forward to a warm and vibrant event in support of our programmes that empower children in Langa through education and sport. More information coming soon.