Westville Boys’ High School warmly welcomes new headmaster
Following the retirement of Trevor Hall (right), Graham Steele (left) assumes duty on July 1 as WBHS’s 10th headmaster. Formerly headmaster of Kimberley Boys’ High, Steele says this historic school has had a profound role in moulding him into the person he is today. “I attended KHS as a scholar and then came back to teach 22 years ago. As with any institution with such a rich heritage and ethos, the teachers impart more than academics, culture and sport. They teach you something that puts you a cut above your peers from other schools,” says Steele.
With a B Ed (Honours) degree, Steele has forged a fine reputation through his career during times of significant change in education in South Africa, which will be of great benefit to WBHS. “Over the years I have carved out a niche for myself as a Physical Sciences teacher, believing that if you show students where and how the science is used in their everyday lives, it becomes useful to them,” says Steele – who firmly believes in the value of holistic education. “I am extremely encouraged by the President’s current trend towards accountability, and can only hope that school management teams will be included in this trend. In doing so schools will become the safe, nurturing environment that they should be – so that children can start to get an inkling of the holistic education approach and not only the current curriculum-driven education.”
Westville Boys’ High is a school with a proud academic, cultural, student leadership and sport ethos up there with the best of the best in KZN. “My main priority when I start will be getting to know the school ethos, the boys, the staff, the community and old boy alumni. Only then will I be able to look at further innovations,” says a clearly excited Steele – who is married to Carin, a teacher, and has a daughter in high school and a son at university.
“As headmaster the primary role is that of leadership. Trevor Hall, the school management team and school governing body have set in place a well-structured staff of teachers, admin, coaches and estate staff. The vast number of relationships between the extensive role players in a school community needs to be serviced and managed. My role will be to ensure that this is done, and then to continue to provide strategic leadership in planning for the future of the school in a rapidly changing educational environment.” *