Building Strong School Partnerships

In 1984, Bishop Alfred Mkhize, the Bishop Suffragan of KwaZulu-Natal, envisioned a church school that would provide affordable and private education to the communities in Pietermaritzburg most negatively affected by the Bantu Education Act. This dream was the beginning of our beautiful St Nicholas Diocesan School.

As a sheer act of faith, the Diocesan Trustees purchased the old Wykeham School and St Nicholas opened its doors to 150 learners and nine staff members in 1990. St Nicholas has experienced incredible growth over the last few decades, and it now has 580 happy learners and a full staff cohort of 80 dedicated, passionate, loving and caring individuals.

The pivotal players in school partnerships

Parents are currently experiencing a harsh economic climate in South Africa. Most families, if they are fortunate to have both parents present, have both of them working full time jobs. Many parents are struggling to earn sufficient income to provide their children with the independent school education they themselves never had. But this comes with a sacrifice, being quality family time.

Parents, teachers and the community play a pivotal role in educating a child. When teachers marry their ability to inspire thought and creativity with the foundational support parents provide, students are better prepared to have a positive school experience.

Communities, including institutions such as churches, need to provide much needed support to both parents and schools. In schools such as St Nicholas, we are fortunate to have spiritual guidance and support from the church and onsite chaplain. Children are increasingly needing reassurance and support as anxiety levels and mental health issues have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school chaplain and counsellor provide this safe haven for them.

School partnerships at key at St Nicholas DIocesan School

Building school partnerships

We would like to share, based on our experience, what parents can do to build relationships with the school.

1. Read and respond to school correspondence

Teachers often send letters to parents to keep them informed. Reviewing and responding to teacher communication can ensure that parents stay updated with regard to issues like classroom goals and student progress, especially in between report card cycles.

2. Attend school meetings

Many schools establish special events that help parents and teachers talk about classroom procedures and topics. Throughout the year, schools may have parent-teacher meetings where both parties can connect about student progress. Additionally, school events, such as award ceremonies and end-of-year celebrations, are great times for parents and teachers to celebrate the success students are having throughout the year.

3. Determine boundaries

Determine when parent involvement is over-reaching and amounting to interference in the professional service offered by the school. Each stakeholder should understand the role and responsibility of each party in this educational partnership.

At St Nicholas we strive to be a ‘one stop shop’ school that provides for the needs of the students in our care, the staff (who give selflessly) and the wider community. A healthy school community leads to a healthy and prosperous local community which then grows into a vibrant South African society.

St Nicholas Diocesan School was founded by Bishop Alfred Mkhize, Bishop Suffragan of Natal. He approached the Diocese of Natal in 1984 and asked that they establish a Church school for black students. In late 1988, the Natal Witness in Pietermaritzburg announced that the Wykeham School in Loop Street was for sale. In July 1989, the Diocesan Trustees bought the property with the help of generous donations. The school was officially opened on 22 March 1990.