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A Short History of the Cambridge Schools 1 October 1879, a “Third Class undenominational Public School” was opened in the German Village (Cambridge) about 5 miles from Panmure in a little Baptist Church. (In 1873 three villages, East Bank, West Bank and Panmure amalgamated to from the Municipality of East London. Cambridge refused to joint but was later granted its own Village Management Board.) In 1896 the school was upgraded to a “second class undenominational public school” and housed in a wood-and-iron Village Hall, in Cambridge with about 50 pupils. The school was housed in these premises up to 1904 and grew from strength to strength. The suburb of Cambridge become an independent municipality in 1902, and the “three-gabled school” which currently accommodates the junior primary phase of the Cambridge Primary School was built and opened towards the end of 1904. Enrolment increased so much that use was made of the Town Hall. In 1916 the school’s status was raised to a High School. At this time black and green became the school colours and also about this time a Mr Rosseinsky found the school’s motto, Non Vobis, in Virgil’s “Not for yourselves do you make honey, O bees.” A Miss Phyl Kayser designed the the school’s badge which incorporates the motto with the C of Cambridge becoming a horseshoe (of the Horseshoe Valley). In 1962 a schoolmaster, Mr Neville Whaites, composed and wrote the school song. The most momentous year from this period was 1929 when Cambridge Junior and Cambridge High Schools separated. Pupils from Sub A to Std IV moved to the newly-built Cambridge Junior School, with the High School still being accommodated in the 1904 “three-gabled” building. Under the Headmastership of Mr T B Scott, the school grew to such an extent that two Std VI classes moved to the Cambridge Town Hall. In 1957 the foundation stone of the present High School in Garcia Street was laid, and this building was opened in 1959. At this time, the Cambridge Preparatory School became a separate entity occupying the original High School building. This was the time when many of the present traditions were started, one of which was the awarding of colours for academic achievement in the form of an aloe (known as an Aloe Award) which was incorporated in the horseshoe on the school badge. Sport flourished and the First Teams played in the First Leagues. The Past Pupils’ Association was restarted, and has grown tremendously since. In 1976, with over 900 pupils on the roll, Cambridge High School became the biggest English-medium High School in the Cape Province. At about this time the swimming pool was built and within a year Cambridge sported three SA Schools Swimming Champions. Gradually many clubs and societies were started offering pupils a wide variety of cultural activities. The School’s Interact Club is one of the oldest in the country and numerous pupils have either gone on Rotary Exchange Programmes, or the school has hosted students from overseas.
In 1977 a massive building project was started which included additional classrooms, laboratories, a new library and staff room, a Great Hall (now known as the Centenary Hall) as well as additions and improvements to the playing fields. This mammoth undertaking was completed in 1979 and was officially opened on 17 September, during the Centenary Celebrations. The 125 Celebrations of the Cambridge Schools was celebrated in many and various ways in 2004 as a special celebratory year including a massive three-school production of Oliver! in the Guild Theatre. 2009 was another momentous year in the life of the Cambridge Schools when the Junior and Preparatory Schools amalgamated into one, large primary school, Cambridge Primary School. Moves are afoot to consolidate the two campuses of the new Primary School into one large campus.
It is a record to fill all with pride – in 1879 Cambridge School began in a little Baptist Church with 25 pupils! It now consists of two large schools with one heritage and the same grand motto – Non Vobis – that loud, clear call to the service of others.
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