RESPONSIBLE
Governance at
Somerset College
Governance, Leadership & School Policies
Somerset College and its Board of Directors are committed to maintaining the highest corporate governance standards in all business areas. Our governance framework is built on transparency, accountability, integrity, and inclusivity, ensuring we serve our mission with dedication and effectiveness.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Somerset College is a non-profit, independent school cherished by those who envisioned and established it as a place to launch meaningful journeys for the students who come to learn in this beautiful place. We encourage our students to be global citizens, innovative, inventive and curious individuals. Our College is founded on Christian principles and our Board believes that these values create a solid foundation from which to navigate the ever-changing, challenging and exciting world in which we live.
We acknowledge that we cannot be everything to everyone, and it is this strong sense of what we stand for that guides us. PIETAS, the school’s enduring motto, is the principle that informs our decision-making. The core values guiding our Board of Governors set the framework for an exceptional educational environment that builds futures for our students whose educational needs are central to our thinking. Offering two curricula, the IEB and Cambridge, is but one example of extending choice to those in our care.
Governors devote their time gratuitously. Indeed, all profits are ploughed back into the school for the benefit of the students. Apart from providing a framework and a sounding board to school management, the main task of the Board of Governors is to appoint the executives and oversee policies through which the school is governed.
We invite you to join us on the Somerset College journey!
GOVERNORS
Johan Holtzhausen CHAIR
Kelly Chennells CHAIR / AUDIT & RISK SUB-COMMITTEE
Meg Fargher INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
Kevin Harris CHAIR / BUILDING & GROUNDS SUB-COMMITTEE
Adam Pyle INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
Walter Rauch INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
Michael Taberer OLD OAKS REPRESENTATIVE
EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS
Jacques Nel EXECUTIVE HEAD
Craig Verdal-Austin PREP SCHOOL HEAD
Heine Matthee BUSINESS MANAGER
CHAPLAINCY
Somerset College was founded with a strong Christian ethos, which remains central to the life of the College. The College forms an association with the member churches of the Church Unity Commission (CUC), which comprises the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Methodist Church in Southern Africa, the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa and the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.
St Matthew’s Chapel lies at the heart of Somerset College, both geographically and spiritually. Although it is widely used for a range of activities, it remains a place of stillness, reflection and prayer.
The work of the Social Responsibility Portfolio is a crucial outworking of the Christian ethos of the College, and students are encouraged to get involved, not only to help those who are in need, but also to expose them to the society with which they will be interacting in the future.
FOSTERING SPIRITUAL GROWTH
The Chaplain and Assistant Chaplain provide spiritual guidance, counselling, prayer, and support to students, staff, parents, and Old Oaks. They oversee a range of activities to nurture spiritual growth within the school community, including Friday morning Chapel services for the Prep and Senior Schools, termly Chapel services for the Pre-Prep, and fortnightly Bible Education lessons for Grades 1 to 7.
Weekly Chaplain’s lessons are offered to Grade 8 and 9 students, while Grades 10 to 12 can participate in the annual Youth Alpha course. In the Pre-Preparatory School, time for Bible teaching and prayer is incorporated into the classroom routine. The Chaplaincy also supports Christian groups such as Crossfire in the Senior School, weekly Bible studies in the boarding houses led by Boarding House Assistants, and fosters a spiritual community across Somerset College.