Leadership & service

Perhaps more than any others, these three words from the St David’s Marist Inanda vision encapsulate the journey every College boy takes to become a man – one who has developed his mind, body and soul, to become the kind of man to whom other men and boys look up.

“Gentleman” speaks to the mark of the person: someone of strong character, integrity and compassion; who leads courageously and by example, and has an innate sense of justice and fairness; who is aware of his social responsibilities to the wider community, and embraces service; who is respectful and modest; who is a gentle man.

The St David’s motto, Confortare esto vir, means “take courage and be a man”. It guides us to produce confident, balanced young men who will continue their personal growth journey long after they have left our school, and make a positive impact on the world around them.

“Scholar” goes far beyond simply academic achievement. While academic excellence is important – St David’s boys routinely place in the top percentile in matric subject examinations and achieve multiple distinctions – we believe in producing well-rounded young men who have a love of learning, and are immersed in arts and culture.

Every boy who undertakes the St David’s journey is equipped to continue with it long after he leaves our school: as a leader, a servant, a citizen, a gentleman.

“Sportsman” illustrates the emphasis we place on sport at St David’s. But while we are a competitive school, sport is about more than physical health; it offers life lessons around leadership, teamwork and sportsmanship. We believe that how a boy plays is more important than the level at which he plays.

A St David’s College boy’s journey begins with his admission to the school – and, ideally, it should continue long after he has matriculated. Each year of his high school journey has a specific focus, imbuing him with the principles of leadership, service and outreach:

• Grade 8: To Belong: in this orientation year, we accept him into the St David’s community. We integrate him into our academic, extramural and behavioural codes of conduct, and we emphasise responsibility and organisation
• Grade 9: To Journey: this year is about building identity, forging friendships, understanding acceptance within the St David’s community and learning respect for others. The boy is encouraged to discover his voice and passions through learning a skill outside of sport, and undergoing a Toastmasters public speaking course
• Grade 10: To Serve: this is the boy’s year of citizenship and service – of looking outward toward others. We emphasise selflessness and service in this year
• Grade 11: To Lead: in this year, the boy develops his leadership skills and learns to grasp the impact he can have. Grade 11 boys also manage and lead service portfolios within the school, and complete their Silver and Gold award entries in the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, a self-development programme affiliated to The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
• Grade 12: To Impact: the final year of the boy’s journey through the College is one of significance, camaraderie and impact. He develops perspective on where he fits in the world, he acts as a role model to the rest of the school and is a custodian of St David’s traditions, he makes an impact through leading portfolios and student bodies, and he celebrates the camaraderie built up over his high school career with his classmates

Every boy who undertakes the St David’s journey is equipped to continue with it long after he leaves our school: as a leader, a servant, a citizen, a gentleman. A man of courage.

Leadership roles in matric include the prefect and portfolio systems, which involve a range of responsibilities.

Boys also have the opportunity to participate in the President’s Award, which has a strong focus on youth self-development, service and leadership.