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About Us

Inspiring a Life of Significance

Roedean School’s progressive cross-curricular approach aims to nurture socially responsible young women who go on to lead lives of significance.

Roedean School (SA) was founded in 1903 as a sister school to the esteemed Roedean in Brighton, England. Armed with “the most modern ideals for the education of girls”, Theresa Lawrence and Katherine Margaret Earle set sail for South Africa at the turn of the last century and began their school, complete with 22 pupils, in a small house in Johannesburg.

Today, over 750 pupils from Grade 0 to Matric, wear the Roedean uniform with pride: pupils drawn from a richly diverse range of cultures. When the school’s centenary was celebrated in 2003, the flags of 47 countries were displayed, representing the different nationalities of pupils attending the school that year. They would leave the school with one thing in common: the hallmark of Roedean.

Message from the Executive Director

Welcome to Roedean School (SA)

Mrs. Lindi Dlamini
Executive Director

History

Roedean’s Story

In 1903, just a year after the end of the Anglo-Boer War, Theresa Lawrence and Katherine Margaret Earle set sail for South Africa, inspired by a vision. Their mission was to create a world-class sister school to the esteemed Roedean School (Brighton, England).

Founded by the Lawrence family in 1885, Roedean Brighton prided itself on its core ethos: to provide young girls with the kind of academic education that would enable them to meet the challenges they faced at the time in their struggle for gender equality.

Together, these resourceful pioneers of the teaching profession built Roedean School (SA) and so began its great history of academic excellence, civic duty, and cultural diversity.

Their vision within the framework of a nurturing and caring environment was brought to life with stunning gardens and Sir Herbert Baker architecture.

More than 120 years on, Roedean School (SA) upholds the values of Truth, Honour, Freedom, and Courtesy, and the founding ethos of Theresa Lawrence and Katherine Margaret Earle remain the guiding principles of Roedean School (SA).

Roedean is committed to providing opportunities for young women to make career choices that will enable them to be successful and globally competitive
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Unique Character

We are guided by a strong set of values and principles.

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Governance

Meet the Roedean
Board

The Board of Directors of Roedean School (SA) provides strategic guidance to assist the leadership of Roedean in the running of the school. Board members are all leaders in their respective fields with a wealth of experience across key sectors of society. Their passion for education is essential to maintaining the progressive educational environment at Roedean.

Meet Our Board

Unique Character

We are proud of the attributes of our school that set us apart

Our core values, heritage, academic excellence and holistic approach are our cornerstone and create an exceptional and nurturing environment for learning and the development of our modern Roedean heroines and future leaders.

Innovative Curriculum

Roedean is committed to a number of strategic initiatives that place the school at the forefront of academic excellence. We are determined to create new horizons and exciting challenges for both pupils and staff members that will equip them to lead lives of significance.
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Thinking School

Roedean’s Thinking School journey was initiated in 2009, and in 2017 the school became the first whole school (from Grade 0 to Grade 12) in South Africa to be accredited as a Thinking School by the University of Exeter (UK).

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Leadership Programme

Our mission remains the same as when the school was founded in 1903, which is to empower young women for their roles in the world. Roedean’s motto, ‘Inspiring a life of significance’, instils in our pupils an understanding of the socio-economic realities of the world and encourages the pupils to use their education for the common good of others. In this way, we pay homage to the example of our Founders.

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Round Square

Roedean School (SA) is a proud member of Round Square, a world-wide association of more than 200 schools, in 50 countries, which focuses on the development of character.

Students attending Round Square Schools make a strong commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and personal responsibility.

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Social Responsibility

Roedean’s innovative cross-curricular approach aims to build socially conscious and responsible young women. Proactive social responsibility projects, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, are fundamental to the school’s ethos.

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Our Campus

Historic buildings, stunning gardens and 21st Century resources form the perfect backdrop to support and enhance our offering.

Our Campus

Our pupils enjoy a wide range of facilities

From world-class sports facilities to cutting-edge academic resources and more, Roedean’s state-of-the-art facilities provide the perfect environment for our pupils to experience a truly holistic education. 

Explore Our Campus

Overview

Social Responsibility is one of our core tenets

Our Social Responsibility Programme is based on putting Roedean’s core principles into practice. The community in which Roedean is located is diverse and dynamic, creating unique opportunities for pupils to engage with a variety of community-based organisations.

Social Responsibility

See what we’re doing

At the heart of Roedean School is a strong sense of community.

Guided by our principles, we strive to make a difference in the community and world around us through various Social Responsibility projects that focus on sustainable social development and social justice.

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Transformation, Diversity and Inclusion

Roedean School (SA) must play a role in contributing to transformation of education and achieving a more equal society.

Overview

Our Ongoing Journey

Inspired by the example of our Founders, Roedean School (SA) acknowledges its role in ensuring more have access to the quality education that Roedean offers.

Transformation at Roedean means we aspire to:

  • Create an internal environment where everyone experiences belonging and the dignity of all is upheld;
  • Be a school that is reflective and affirming of the various forms of diversity that exist in the South African Constitution and our society; and
  • Prepare our students to be effective global citizens through exposure to different perspectives, experiences and identities at a young age where they can learn the creative and thinking skills needed to embrace the complexities of life.
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SAORA

Old Roedeanians

The South African Old Roedeanian Association (SAORA) is made up of Roedean’s past matriculants, known as Old Roedeanians. The Association has a rich history and continues to play an active role in the school to ensure that its history and traditions are preserved. It also fosters a close community of alumnae across the various years.

SAORA

PTA

Parent Teacher Association

We are fortunate to work side by side with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) which contributes significantly to the school.

The Parent Teacher Association comprises parents and guardians of all current pupils at Roedean as well as all currently employed teachers. The PTA plays an active role in the school’s development and growth through fundraising, organising events and assisting wherever needed.

 

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Thabiso Madiba

Thabiso Madiba qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006 after completing his articles at Ernst & Young in the Mining and Manufacturing division. In 2007, he spent three months on secondment at Ernst & Young LLP in New York, where he focused primarily on auditing hedge funds.

In April 2008, he joined the University of Johannesburg as a lecturer, teaching the Finance 3 module to undergraduate students in the Chartered Accounting stream. During this time, he also supervised Master’s students in Taxation. He went on to complete his M.Com in International and South African Taxation at North-West University in 2010.

In addition to his academic and professional work, Thabiso provides financial and tax consulting services to small and medium enterprises. He also serves in various board and committee roles, including:

  • Sasol Khanyisa – Chairman
  • UJ Provident Fund – Chairman
  • Trevor Noah Foundation – Board Member
  • Peermont Global East Free State – Board Member
  • King Edward VII School Governing Body – Deputy Chairman and Chair of the Finance Committee
  • Old Edwardian Society – Executive Committee Treasurer
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Gontse Zuma

Gontse Zuma is a very proud old Roedeanian, a Roedean mother and a member of the SAORA Committee. Gontse holds a BSc in Property Studies and has a corporate background in retail developments leasing, corporate real estate, and lease agreement negotiation. Her background also includes experience in social media content curation marketing and brand communication.

Currently, Gontse freelances to various global organisations that deliver online education at scale, in the areas of transformational education and property development and investment.

Gontse is an avid writer and scholar on the topic of the mind, body and spirit as it relates to energy, nature, life and transformation.

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Monde Nkosi

Monde is an Investment Director of Value Capital Partners (VCP). He is also an experienced director who has served on the boards of five public companies listed on the JSE and Nasdaq in sectors including financial services, education, staffing, hospitality, and quick-service restaurants. Prior to joining VCP in 2017, Monde was a Senior Associate on the investment team of FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, and a management consultant at Bain & Company, where he focused on financial services and telecommunications clients across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Monde serves on the advisory board of the Centre for Development and Enterprise and is an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Associate. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science with Honours in Finance from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

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Yusuf Noorbhai

Yusuf Noorbhai is a Senior Executive at Standard Bank, heading up the Corporate Finance Division. He also serves on the Executive Committee for Investment Banking.

He has over 18 years of global corporate experience, with a strong track record in building businesses, managing teams, client relationships, and operating effectively at a senior stakeholder level across a variety of cultures and markets throughout the world.

He has represented Standard Bank in various capacities, and has served on external boards of companies and investment funds in which the bank has strategic shareholdings. He has been integral to the development and execution of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for Standard Bank, which has afforded him insight and knowledge into the subject matter, coupled with an important appreciation for the challenges faced by any institution in navigating this complex yet crucial initiative.

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Sipho Maseko

Sipho Nkosinathi Maseko is Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at Telkom SA and Principal at Kleoss Capital. He also serves on the boards of Afrox Healthcare, the Centre for Development and Enterprise, and the Gyro Group.

Previously, he held the positions of Chairman of Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries; Chief Executive Officer of BP Southern Africa; Chairman of the Business Connexion Group; Managing Director and Group Chief Operating Officer of Vodacom SA; Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Vodacom Group; and Managing Director of Vodacom (Pty) Ltd.

He holds a graduate degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an undergraduate degree from the University of the Witwatersrand

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Dominique Laroque

Dominique Laroque is a third generation Roedeanian. She matriculated with distinction and was awarded the prestigious white honours blazer for colours across four sport disciplines. In tertiary she graduated at the top of her class with a BSc QS and a BCom (Law).

Dominique enjoyed a very successful career path in construction and mining before moving into investment banking. As an analyst at JP Morgan she achieved ratings in various sectors locally and abroad and gained extensive corporate finance experience as a member of JP Morgan’s global aerospace advisory team. She then spent years in research management at Credit Suisse and Nedbank before starting her own stockbroking company in 2017 as an empowerment initiative.

It has been an upward trajectory for Dominique and her team who have developed a mathematical model which evaluates an organisation’s ability to generate long-term value for investors. They are currently ranked no. 3 in South Africa in this field.

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Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko

Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko serves as the Chief People Officer at Pick n Pay, where she leads the overall People function across PnP retail stores, serving a workforce of over 33,000 employees. A career spanning close to two decades in the retail and communication sectors, Thembi possesses qualifications in finance and information systems.

Throughout her career, Thembi has held various leadership positions, at PnP, Unilever and Woolworths. She has held diverse roles across Marketing, Strategy, Commercial/Buying, ESG, and currently, People/HR. In her current role, she assumes responsibility for directing the strategy and implementation of the complete employee value proposition, which spans recruitment, training, reward, change management, and industrial relations. Thembi’s commitment lies in cultivating a customer-focused, values-led, diverse, and inclusive team within the organisation.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Thembi finds great fulfilment in her role as a family-oriented individual. She has two young children, who attend Roedean and St Johns College. Furthermore, she embodies optimism regarding the future of her country and wholeheartedly believes in actively engaging as a social citizen.

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Dale Quaker

Dale Quaker is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Cupric Africa, a private equity owned mining company which through its Botswana sister company Khoemacau Copper recently completed the building of its copper silver project.

He was previously the CFO of the Khoemacau Group leading the finance function as the Group transitioned from an exploration company, through the fundraising of a $650m debt, streaming and equity funding package through to completion of construction..

Prior to joining Cupric, he was an independent consultant to the mining and construction industries. In his last corporate role, he headed up the marketing and logistics function for Xstrata Coal South Africa, after having fulfilled a senior finance role in the company previously..

Dale held roles at BHPBillition subsidiary, Samancor Chrome, both at the operations and corporate office in Johannesburg. Dale is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Management Accountant.

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Claudia Bickford-Smith

Claudia Bickford-Smith is an old Roedeanian who began her career as a teacher in South Africa. She has extensive P&L and Board-level experience in education: learning design, edtech, qualification and assessment development and school management, working with senior executives, Heads of schools and their leadership teams, investors, Ministries of Education, Regulators and Awarding Bodies. Over the last 15 years Claudia has worked as a Global Director for both Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and Oxford University Press (OUP), based in the UK.

As CEO of Aldates Global Education, headquartered in Oxford, UK, Claudia is leading on the diversification of Aldates Global Education’s portfolio, focusing on global expansion of best educational practices, while developing a sustainable growth strategy for schools, working with partners to deliver this: technology platforms, school operational services, research partners and sales and distribution.

Claudia holds a degree in History from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge, as well as Master’s Modules in Education & Technology from University College London’s Institute of Education. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.), and a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Professional Community.

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Lindi Dlamini

Mrs. Lindi Dlamini has been at the helm of Roedean as Executive Director of Roedean since January 2023 and is the first black woman to be in this role in the 120 years history of Roedean. She has a wealth of leadership experience with 20 years executive leadership experience. She serves as an Independent Non-Executive for a bank and wealth management firm.

Prior to her tenure at Roedean School (SA), Lindi was the CEO of the President’s GBVF Response Fund1 which was set up in 2020 to resource the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as part of South Africa’s commitment to SDG5 (Gender Equality) and the country’s National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF. She was previously a CEO of Safrican Insurance Company, Group Executive of PPS Human Capital, MD of Alexander Forbes Retail and Group Executive for Emerging Consumer Markets and Retail Operations in South Africa at Liberty Holdings. She has over twenty-five years of financial services experience. She is a fellow of the sixth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALISA) and the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).

She holds BA (LAW); LLB and LLM degrees.