Welcome
On behalf of our school community, we welcome you to Somerset College. Somerset College offers an exciting and impressive educational experience, located on a beautiful campus close to Somerset West.
We are proud to lead the Preparatory and Senior Schools as educational communities which are professional, friendly, well-organised, happy and stimulating places of learning.
The strongest asset of the school is the quality of those who work and study here. In all that we do, we strive to discover, nurture and celebrate the potential of every student in our care.
If you would like to visit either of the schools, please feel free to contact our Admissions Officer, who will gladly take you on a tour of the schools. You are also very welcome to make a time to see either of us.
Head: Preparatory School
Mr Jan de Waal
"The value of independent, faith based schooling is the focus on educating and nurturing the whole child, offering learning experiences that reach beyond core academic areas. Not being dictated to in terms of pace and content, schools have the flexibility to adapt to the individual needs of young children in a smaller class environment."
Mr Jan de Waal, Head of the Preparatory School, was appointed as of January 2008, prior to which he was Head at Sweet Valley Primary.
He began his career as a high school teacher, worked in the corporate sector for a time, and also ran a school spanning Grades 1 - 12, where he discovered his affinity for the primary school environment.
His qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts degree (History major) and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Cape Town.
Passionate about teaching, he is committed to the school's intent of 'celebrating potential'. He feels each and every child in the school should have a caring, nurturing environment which will assist in the building of self confidence and esteem needed to pass onto the next phase of the child's school career.
Head: Senior School
Dr Tim Nuttall
"Independent schools provide space and opportunity for choice, creativity, adaptability and pride of ownership among governors, teachers, parents and students. Independent schools contribute to educational biodiversity in South Africa and are a national asset."
Dr Tim Nuttall is the third Head to take over the helm of Somerset College Senior School. He is passionate about ensuring excellent teaching and learning, in a nurturing and fulfilling environment.
An Oxford graduate - he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship while studying at the University of Natal - his career in education spans 21 years, and includes working as a History lecturer and associate professor at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg and as Senior Deputy Headmaster at St Andrew's College in Grahamstown.
During 2009 and 2010 he was in Nairobi and Berlin, working on an international school initiative, and in South Africa with the Historic Schools Restoration Project.
As Head in a fast paced, ever changing world, Dr Nuttall is excited by innovation, creativity and sharing of best practice in teaching.
He feels that critical to effective learning is the way in which students take ownership of what they know, do and value in the classroom, in the chapel, and in sport and cultural activities, outdoor education and community engagement. In his role-modelling as a lifelong learner, as a Christian, and through living out a vision of schooling excellence, Dr Nuttall promotes the growth and development of the whole person.
