About
of outstanding young boys and girls who, benefiting from a well-rounded and balanced education, are able to make a meaningful contribution to society.
About Us
St Ursula’s School
A Legacy of Faith, Excellence & Service
St Ursula’s School, an independent Catholic school founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1904, is located in the heart of Krugersdorp and caters to boys and girls from Grade RRR to Grade 12.
Staying true to the vision of its foundress, the school welcomes learners of all denominations and encourages exploration of various aspects of religion and spirituality. With a strong academic tradition, St Ursula’s celebrates a continued 100% IEB Matric pass rate in 2024, proudly upholding its motto: SERVIAM – ‘I will serve’.
Our History
A Proud Heritage Rooted in Faith, Growth and Community
Read the full story
St Ursula’s School has a rich history of service in our community and still proudly accommodates learners from Grade RRR to Grade 12 in which year they complete the IEB matric examinations.
The vibrant history of this beautiful school and its buildings can be traced back to the old Transvaal Republic with its dust trodden tracks and open veld teeming with wild animals and small tin towns dotting the Rand.
The year was 1895 when the first group of six Ursuline sisters, left the Dutch town of Sittard on 27 November 1895 to start an Ursuline Catholic School in the new mining boom town of Barberton in the lowveld of the Transvaal. They were accompanied by Father Schock, who helped them to build the first Ursuline house and school in town.
They arrived in Lorenzo Marques (Maputo) by ship on 31 December 1895, and it took them another week to reach Barberton. Their luggage, which consisted of some wicker trunks filled with their possessions, only arrived six weeks later by ox wagon.
The school flourished in Barberton with many of the mainly English residents attending. But the culmination of a devastating storm destroying the Ursuline house, and the death of Father Schock in late 1898 made it impossible for the sisters to stay in Barberton.
The sisters decided to move to the new golden city of Johannesburg to start a much-needed English school and arrived here in Braamfontein, in September 1899, just less than three weeks before the outbreak of the Second Anglo Boer War. The sisters were advised to return to Europe as soon as possible and the British Government offered to pay for their passage. Three of the sisters decided to stay and became nurses during the war.
A second group of nuns, also from Sittard returned as soon as peace was restored in 1902 and reopened the school in Braamfontein. As soon as this group arrived back in South Africa, the parish priest of a small town called
Krugersdorp requested that the sisters open an Ursuline Boarding School in his parish. The town already boasted an English School, Town School, founded in 1902, but he thought that the catholic ethos was much needed in educating young ladies.
The sisters agreed to his request and under the leadership of Mother Mary Overbeck, purchased part of a farm consisting of thirteen acres of land in Krugersdorp North for £7 500 in 1903. The property consisted of an old double story farmhouse and its outbuilding including a large stable block (which still survives today as the swimming pool changing rooms) standing alone in open uncultivated veld. The school opened on 9 February 1904 with five boarders and twelve day scholars.
Mother Mary Overbeck is one of the best-known foundresses of St Ursula’s and it is mainly thanks to her that the school survived and flourished. She is remembered as a woman of strong character wrapped in a coating of kindness and fun.
Sister Gerhard van Elst established a lasting memorial to the hard work and diligence of those very first pioneering sisters when she beautified the grounds in the early days by planting pine, oak and fruit trees. Some of which can still be seen on the grounds today.
When the old farmhouse became too small for the growing school, it was added onto in early 1906.
In 1910 the school buildings were again found to be inadequate for the growing numbers of learners and the first corrugated iron buildings were constructed including a chapel, dormitories and other services.
The last big additions to the old farmhouse happened in 1915 when the first chapel was replaced by the second chapel built of brick and mortar. These additions can still clearly be seen, as they form part of the present preschool.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 along with the outbreak of the Spanish Flu at the end of the war in 1918 had dire consequences for not only the town, but also for the school. The parish priest was also a casualty of the flu, along with many of the school’s pupils and parents.
By 1928, the buildings were again found to be inadequate. This time, however, it was decided to start with a completely new building on the site. The corner stone was laid on 1 April 1928 and the new school building was completed by mid 1929.
The building was designed much in the style of Sir Herbert Baker and his associates, by the firm of architects Cowin, Power and Ellis. It was built by Mr G Beckett, being two stories high and having a rather plane, long facade pierced by different windows, gables and a central tower. Over the front door a statue of St Angela, the foundress of the Ursuline Sisters, stands guard. The former emblem of the Roman Union of Ursulines with the motto “One Heart and One Spirit” can be seen.
At this time the guardian angel statue, brought out to South Africa by some sisters in 1902, was installed in the garden in front of the new building.
The school grounds were very different then to the way they are today. The building was surrounded by orchards and other trees. The building was reached by the long driveway lined with pine trees.
In 1949, Bernadette Peter became the school’s first Head Girl.
A new Science wing complete with staff accommodation and new laboratories for Science and Plant and Animal Studies was constructed in 1958 on the north side of the building.
The school entered a new phase of its life in the 1960’s starting with the very important visit of Cardinal Montini, who later became Pope Paul VI in 1962.
The school purchased further property across the road facing onto Dam Street, which became Premier Street in 1963, for the purpose of building a new Primary School. Building progressed rapidly, and the new Primary School opened its doors on 24 January 1966.
The school celebrated its 100th birthday in 2004 with great festivities. Boys were enrolled into the High School for the first time in 2013 and the school saw them matriculate in 2017.
The school looks forward to the future with the same confidence and enthusiasm that brought it into existence in 1904.
St Ursula’s School has a rich history of service in our community and still proudly accommodates learners from Grade RRR to Grade 12 in which year they complete the IEB matric examinations.
The vibrant history of this beautiful school and its buildings can be traced back to the old Transvaal Republic with its dust trodden tracks and open veld teeming with wild animals and small tin towns dotting the Rand.
The year was 1895 when the first group of six Ursuline sisters, left the Dutch town of Sittard on 27 November 1895 to start an Ursuline Catholic School in the new mining boom town of Barberton in the lowveld of the Transvaal. They were accompanied by Father Schock, who helped them to build the first Ursuline house and school in town.
They arrived in Lorenzo Marques (Maputo) by ship on 31 December 1895, and it took them another week to reach Barberton. Their luggage, which consisted of some wicker trunks filled with their possessions, only arrived six weeks later by ox wagon.
The school flourished in Barberton with many of the mainly English residents attending. But the culmination of a devastating storm destroying the Ursuline house, and the death of Father Schock in late 1898 made it impossible for the sisters to stay in Barberton.
The sisters decided to move to the new golden city of Johannesburg to start a much-needed English school and arrived here in Braamfontein, in September 1899, just less than three weeks before the outbreak of the Second Anglo Boer War. The sisters were advised to return to Europe as soon as possible and the British Government offered to pay for their passage. Three of the sisters decided to stay and became nurses during the war.
A second group of nuns, also from Sittard returned as soon as peace was restored in 1902 and reopened the school in Braamfontein. As soon as this group arrived back in South Africa, the parish priest of a small town called
Krugersdorp requested that the sisters open an Ursuline Boarding School in his parish. The town already boasted an English School, Town School, founded in 1902, but he thought that the catholic ethos was much needed in educating young ladies.
The sisters agreed to his request and under the leadership of Mother Mary Overbeck, purchased part of a farm consisting of thirteen acres of land in Krugersdorp North for £7 500 in 1903. The property consisted of an old double story farmhouse and its outbuilding including a large stable block (which still survives today as the swimming pool changing rooms) standing alone in open uncultivated veld. The school opened on 9 February 1904 with five boarders and twelve day scholars.
Mother Mary Overbeck is one of the best-known foundresses of St Ursula’s and it is mainly thanks to her that the school survived and flourished. She is remembered as a woman of strong character wrapped in a coating of kindness and fun.
Sister Gerhard van Elst established a lasting memorial to the hard work and diligence of those very first pioneering sisters when she beautified the grounds in the early days by planting pine, oak and fruit trees. Some of which can still be seen on the grounds today.
When the old farmhouse became too small for the growing school, it was added onto in early 1906.
In 1910 the school buildings were again found to be inadequate for the growing numbers of learners and the first corrugated iron buildings were constructed including a chapel, dormitories and other services.
The last big additions to the old farmhouse happened in 1915 when the first chapel was replaced by the second chapel built of brick and mortar. These additions can still clearly be seen, as they form part of the present preschool.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 along with the outbreak of the Spanish Flu at the end of the war in 1918 had dire consequences for not only the town, but also for the school. The parish priest was also a casualty of the flu, along with many of the school’s pupils and parents.
By 1928, the buildings were again found to be inadequate. This time, however, it was decided to start with a completely new building on the site. The corner stone was laid on 1 April 1928 and the new school building was completed by mid 1929.
The building was designed much in the style of Sir Herbert Baker and his associates, by the firm of architects Cowin, Power and Ellis. It was built by Mr G Beckett, being two stories high and having a rather plane, long facade pierced by different windows, gables and a central tower. Over the front door a statue of St Angela, the foundress of the Ursuline Sisters, stands guard. The former emblem of the Roman Union of Ursulines with the motto “One Heart and One Spirit” can be seen.
At this time the guardian angel statue, brought out to South Africa by some sisters in 1902, was installed in the garden in front of the new building.
The school grounds were very different then to the way they are today. The building was surrounded by orchards and other trees. The building was reached by the long driveway lined with pine trees.
In 1949, Bernadette Peter became the school’s first Head Girl.
A new Science wing complete with staff accommodation and new laboratories for Science and Plant and Animal Studies was constructed in 1958 on the north side of the building.
The school entered a new phase of its life in the 1960’s starting with the very important visit of Cardinal Montini, who later became Pope Paul VI in 1962.
The school purchased further property across the road facing onto Dam Street, which became Premier Street in 1963, for the purpose of building a new Primary School. Building progressed rapidly, and the new Primary School opened its doors on 24 January 1966.
The school celebrated its 100th birthday in 2004 with great festivities. Boys were enrolled into the High School for the first time in 2013 and the school saw them matriculate in 2017.
The school looks forward to the future with the same confidence and enthusiasm that brought it into existence in 1904.
Our Vision
Ursuline education is rooted in a tradition of formation and innovation which dates back to 1535 when St Angela Merici founded the Ursuline Sisters in Brescia, Italy. Inspired by the call of the Gospel and challenged by the needs around her, St Angela reached out in service and love to rich and poor alike. A true educator, she sought to ‘draw out’ the giftedness and potential in each person. Her writings offer a philosophy of formation and education which is personal, attuned to the needs and situation of each individual, and committed to equity and to the promotion of self-discipline through encouragement rather than compulsion, and all of this in an atmosphere of unity, mutual love, and respect. Ursuline Sisters and their collaborators in ministry continue today the approach to Christian education and formation which draws its life and vision from St Angela’s spirit and philosophy.
Ursuline education is rooted in the following core values:
– Education for excellence
– Respect for the Uniqueness of the Individual
– Development of the Whole Person
– Development of Community/Family Spirit
SERVIAM: ‘I WILL SERVE’.
Our Mission
St Ursula’s School believes:
In creating a Christian atmosphere in which principles of truth, love, justice and reverence become the criteria for life’s decisions
In working to achieve academic excellence and the development of the whole person in all facets of his/her potential
In high standards of behaviour and discipline
In the importance of the individual and in his/her creative self expression
In the dignity of all persons and in respecting the rights of others
In an open environment where all persons of our richly diverse society may grow in mutual understanding and acceptance.
SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
SAINT ANGELA MERICI: FOUNDRESS OF THE URSULINE SISTERS
SAINT ANGELA MERICI: FOUNDRESS OF THE URSULINE SISTERS
Angela Merici was born during the Renaissance in 1474 in Desenzano in Italy. She was a woman of prayer, who was inspired by Christ’s love, generously open to other people’s needs, and sensitive to the critical social and spiritual needs of her time. She and her first companions dedicated their lives to God and his work. St Ursula’s School was founded by Ursuline Sisters, who have poured their resources and skills into developing the school, and continue to do so for the benefit of all Ursuline Sisters and all laypeople around the world who share the conviction that Angela Merici’s educational vision is a living and proven model that satisfies the deepest needs of our time.
With Angela’s writings, we are left with a deep heritage of Christian principles of education that have been developed and enriched in Ursuline schools worldwide for the past four centuries and continue to be the living legacy of this rich educational network. Unity comes about through the quality of our network of colleagues, in our manner of relating to one another, and in maintaining occasions for rejoicing and celebrating together. At the centre of true unity lies prayer and worship. We emphasise that this unity and harmony does not exist solely for our benefit; instead, it creates the strength to reach out to all those who need our help and care, including the poor and needy in any way, including everyone, with a broad understanding of the common good.
SAINT URSULA: PATRONESS OF ST URSULA’S SCHOOL
Angela Merici chose St Ursula as the patron saint of her group of dedicated women when she established her company in 1535. Ursula, a young woman who loved God more than death, presented herself as a model and a challenge for faithful and unstinting service to God and his people. Thus, the ‘Company of St Ursula’ later known as the ‘Order of St Ursula’ set out on their long pilgrimage of love through history.
Who was this young woman who so inspired Angela Merici and whose name has been made so widely known throughout the world by thousands upon thousands of Ursuline Sisters, their collaborators and their pupils? The full historical facts about Ursula have been lost in time and history. However, the legend of Princess Ursula and her eleven thousand companions, thought to be a product of popular devotion and lively imagination, contains a kernel of truth. Archaeologists and historians are satisfied that a group of virgins as far back as the third century were indeed martyred at Cologne in Germany thus offering their radiant witness of faith in and love of Christ. A basilica was certainly built in their honour at an early date on the very spot where the Church of St Ursula stands today. According to legend, Ursula, a beautiful Christian British princess betrothed to a pagan Frankish prince, decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome before her marriage. She arrived in Rome with her attendants, where she met the Pope. Sailing down the Rhine, Ursula’s boats stopped at Mainz, where she was met by Aetherius, whom the Bishop of Mainz baptized. As Ursula and her companions arrived in Cologne, they were killed by the Huns, a tribe of fierce warriors who had invaded the area. According to all versions of the Legend, Ursula and her eleven thousand companions were all martyred. In the present day, historians believe that this number is due to an early error. A stone found in the Church of St Ursula has engraved in Latin the words ‘eleven virgin martyrs’.
Since Angela Merici founded her Company of St Ursula in 1635, countless numbers of Ursuline sisters, their collaborators, and the children they have educated through the centuries have claimed St Ursula as their model and helper.
Read the full story
SAINT ANGELA MERICI: FOUNDRESS OF THE URSULINE SISTERS
Angela Merici was born during the Renaissance in 1474 in Desenzano in Italy. She was a woman of prayer, who was inspired by Christ’s love, generously open to other people’s needs, and sensitive to the critical social and spiritual needs of her time. She and her first companions dedicated their lives to God and his work. St Ursula’s School was founded by Ursuline Sisters, who have poured their resources and skills into developing the school, and continue to do so for the benefit of all Ursuline Sisters and all laypeople around the world who share the conviction that Angela Merici’s educational vision is a living and proven model that satisfies the deepest needs of our time.
With Angela’s writings, we are left with a deep heritage of Christian principles of education that have been developed and enriched in Ursuline schools worldwide for the past four centuries and continue to be the living legacy of this rich educational network. Unity comes about through the quality of our network of colleagues, in our manner of relating to one another, and in maintaining occasions for rejoicing and celebrating together. At the centre of true unity lies prayer and worship. We emphasise that this unity and harmony does not exist solely for our benefit; instead, it creates the strength to reach out to all those who need our help and care, including the poor and needy in any way, including everyone, with a broad understanding of the common good.
SAINT URSULA: PATRONESS OF ST URSULA’S SCHOOL
Angela Merici chose St Ursula as the patron saint of her group of dedicated women when she established her company in 1535. Ursula, a young woman who loved God more than death, presented herself as a model and a challenge for faithful and unstinting service to God and his people. Thus, the ‘Company of St Ursula’ later known as the ‘Order of St Ursula’ set out on their long pilgrimage of love through history.
Who was this young woman who so inspired Angela Merici and whose name has been made so widely known throughout the world by thousands upon thousands of Ursuline Sisters, their collaborators and their pupils? The full historical facts about Ursula have been lost in time and history. However, the legend of Princess Ursula and her eleven thousand companions, thought to be a product of popular devotion and lively imagination, contains a kernel of truth. Archaeologists and historians are satisfied that a group of virgins as far back as the third century were indeed martyred at Cologne in Germany thus offering their radiant witness of faith in and love of Christ. A basilica was certainly built in their honour at an early date on the very spot where the Church of St Ursula stands today. According to legend, Ursula, a beautiful Christian British princess betrothed to a pagan Frankish prince, decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome before her marriage. She arrived in Rome with her attendants, where she met the Pope. Sailing down the Rhine, Ursula’s boats stopped at Mainz, where she was met by Aetherius, whom the Bishop of Mainz baptized. As Ursula and her companions arrived in Cologne, they were killed by the Huns, a tribe of fierce warriors who had invaded the area. According to all versions of the Legend, Ursula and her eleven thousand companions were all martyred. In the present day, historians believe that this number is due to an early error. A stone found in the Church of St Ursula has engraved in Latin the words ‘eleven virgin martyrs’.
Since Angela Merici founded her Company of St Ursula in 1635, countless numbers of Ursuline sisters, their collaborators, and the children they have educated through the centuries have claimed St Ursula as their model and helper.
