Bishops, like most independent schools, is asking parents, friends and community members to support the school to contribute unrestricted (tax-deductible) financial donations to the Bishops Trust.

No. The school runs on a break-even basis each year with the income received by way of fees just covering the school’s operating costs. The largest expense of operating the school is the cost of employing staff. That is to be expected from any school, but in order to be a leading school producing excellent well-rounded graduates, Bishops has a higher staff complement than many other schools of comparative size, and endeavours to pay salaries above the average. The remainder of the income is used for operations and there is very little, if anything, left to allocate to free reserves to spend on upgrades and infrastructure.

It would result in an approximate 40% fee increase to repay the loans to cover the costs of the required projects which would put a number of parents under severe financial stress.

This appeal raises funds for infrastructural support – part of the necessary cost of educating each child. Unlike tuition payments, however, gifts to this appeal are tax-deductible.

Bishops aims to be an inclusive centre of excellence. From the onset, outreach is an important aspect of a Bishops education. Bishops staff and students work closely with disadvantaged communities, providing tutoring, entertainment, sharing facilities and fundraising. It is our hope that a Bishops education will result in some of our fine men graduating to be leaders of tomorrow. It is our expectation that ALL of our graduates will leave as meaningful contributors to society; Thus: A contribution to Bishops today = a contribution to South Africa tomorrow.

To ensure inclusivity and diversity at Bishops, a big part of this campaign collects funds for bursaries; specifically towards the Extra Term Initiative which provides financial assistance to students who would otherwise not be able to afford to come to the School. This programme is directly aimed at helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Donating is a very personal affair, and how people donate is at their discretion. We are not suggesting to donors that they should donate to Bishops exclusively.

We are appealing to a wide group of donors including offshore donors who may otherwise not donate anything to SA.

The Masterplan for the 175 Campaign developed from a need for Life Science classrooms. The number of boys selecting Life Science (Biology) as a subject has nearly doubled in the past decade. A study of the campus revealed there was no space in the academic block to incorporate additional classrooms and therefore, under the leadership of OD and Past Parent, Derick Henstra, Bishops commissioned the services of DHK Urban Planners. An in-depth needs analysis was performed, and the proposed Masterplan is one of the most cost-effective scenarios which resolved all issues of space and provides long term planning, catering not only for Bishops today but also for the future.

In 1926, the War Memorial Chapel was constructed to commemorate the Bishops boys who were killed in World War 1. The school comprised of only 350 boys and, although there was heavy criticism about the size of the new chapel, it was built to a much bigger size than was required at that time. It is because of that forward thinking that the chapel is able to accommodate more than 800 Students and members of staff today and it continues to be the heart of the school.

We are hoping to incorporate a culture of giving at Bishops. As an independent school, Bishops’ ONLY source of income is through fees and donations. We therefore encourage all members of the Bishops community to support wherever they can.

Please think about how your family can contribute toward this campaign. Parent and OD participation is important to Bishops and we would value your contribution greatly.

No amount is too small. We only ask that you give what you can afford. If every person contributed even a small amount, the additional revenue would go a long way in providing financial stability for the future of Bishops.

No, through online banking you are able to set up a stop order. In this way you determine the amount and the time frame of your donation which you are able to stop at any time.

No. When equated to comparable schools, Bishops’ endowment is pitifully small. We hope to incorporate a culture of giving at Bishops to ensure financial security for Bishops’ future and in order to achieve this, we need the ongoing support of the entire Bishops Community.

In order to make a donation, kindly click here.

Yes, in South Africa, bona fide donations are recognized with a Section 18A tax exemption certificate. For more information, please see here.

There are Charitable Trusts currently set up in the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada. Tax benefits are subject to the tax laws of each of these countries. Please see here for more information.