The Grey Schools are situated on Port Elizabeth, South Africa and were established in 1856. Both the Junior School and High School are situated on a single campus.  Boarding facilities are provided for out of town students and the total enrolment for both schools is approximately 1500.

Grey had built up a reputation as being one of the leading Schools in South Africa and had achieved highly impressive results in academic, cultural and sporting activities on a consistent basis.  The facilities and quality of teaching are one of the highest standards and a deeply entrenched sense of tradition prevails throughout the two schools.

The schools were, and still are, very much aware of the challenge that lies ahead in terms of the funding required to ensure they remain at the leading edge of technology. It is increasingly difficult to source funds from school fees and State subsidies, and a major effort to raise funds from external sources is needed to avoid the deterioration of educational standards.

The conditions of the original Act regulating Public Schools at the time of the foundation clearly spelt out that the institution should be “for the education of youth, without distinction of class, creed or colour.”

With the advent of the 1990’s the way was opened for this to become a reality with enrolment opened to students of all races. During the intervening years, our school had built up a reputation for providing the type of excellence that many students would aspire to but which would have remain inaccessible to them unless certain financial considerations were waived. Events were set in motion to create opportunities to make these services accessible to students from less privileged sectors of the community, irrespective of the financial status of their parents. Consultation with community leaders, Department of Education and Training officials and Heads of schools assured their support and gave us clear direction as to the needs to be addressed.

Vision 2000
The implementation of the Vision 2000 project in 1994 and 1995.

Aim:
To provide bursaries to allow students from the disadvantaged community to commence schooling in Grade 7 at Grey Junior School in order to allow them a year of tuition specially aimed at helping them to cope with and make the most of the challenges and opportunities of a Grey High School education.

Admission Criteria:
That the pupil came from a previously disadvantaged background.
That the pupil showed the potential to adapt to the Grey curriculum.
That the pupil should be willing to participate fully in the School’s programmes.
That the pupil should have a reasonable grasp of the language of instruction, ie. English

 The first Night Classes project was implemented in 1994.

Facilities and staff of the Grey High School were offered to provide Night Classes in the areas of Mathematics and Physical Science to disadvantaged students.
Computer Classes were introduced in the year 2000 which, up until the end of year 2001, catered for the training of 140 teachers from previously disadvantaged schools on Saturday mornings.

Beyond Vision 2000
We are aware of the need to become more involved in programs aimed at uplifting the educational standards of the previously disadvantaged communities. The schools are committed to sharing their facilities and expertise in this initiative. As the Grey celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006, it was decided that a major initiative in this area would be launched and implemented over a 5 year period (commenced 2001) leading up to the event.

The Mission of the Schools is to be one of the leading schools in South Africa and it has set the following goals and focus areas in order to fulfil its mission:

To educate students within a climate of accepted Christian values and awareness of and respect for other creeds.
To provide a dynamic curriculum with the emphasis on scholastic excellence and one which would include the teaching of life skills, skills in leadership, problem solving and entrepreneurship, and the development of self-confidence and self-discipline to enable students to realize their full potential.
To continue to provide the best possible facilities: academic, sporting, cultural and boarding, in order to enrich the lives of our students, the Grey family and the wider community.
To offer a nurturing hostel environment to cater for the needs of students from outside the immediate residential area.
To attract and retain staff of the highest calibre by providing an attractive and stimulating working environment which nurtures the professional growth of the individual.
To encourage open communication and close interaction with our parents.
To ensure a school community that accepts the responsibility for the financial needs of the school.
To foster the Old Greys’ network to ensure their continued interest, loyalty and financial support.
To ensure the financial well-being of the schools and to uphold our standards of excellence by fund raising.