School Name
St Anne's Diocesan College
Category
Rest of the World Schools
Types
Senior school
Pupil type
Girls only
Boarding-Day
Day
Boarding
Curriculums
South African curriculum
IEB
Pupil age range
13-18
Location
KwaZulu Natal
St Anne's Diocesan College
Focus
A values-driven education
Day fees 2026
$11,300
Boarding fees 2026
$20,900
Term dates
- Term 1: 13 January to 27 March 2026
- Term 2: 20 April to 26 June 2026
- Term 3: 20 July to 23 September 2026
- Term 4: 6 October to 27 November 2026
Ages
13-18
Pupil count
460
Spear’s Review
St Anne’s Diocesan College is a day and boarding school for girls between the ages of 13 and 18. Since its foundation in 1877, St Anne’s has been nurturing girls to make positive impacts on others through the values of humility, respect, compassion and empathy.
The St Anne’s curriculum encourages girls to ‘possess an intellectual curiosity and a love of learning for its own sake’. St Anne’s offers a range of core subjects as well as subjects such as consumer studies, visual arts, life orientation and economics. Outside of the classroom, girls can participate in the many sports on offer within the college’s extensive grounds: swimming in the heated pool, playing tennis, netball, hockey and football, or enjoying outdoor pursuits such as horse riding, canoeing and cross-country running. Also on offer is the ‘outdoor education’ programme, in which girls experience the natural world via activities such as abseiling, rock climbing and hiking in Africa’s national parks, or by embarking on cultural excursions.
Every girl at St Anne’s is allocated a boarding house, even if they are a day pupil, building ‘a sense of belonging’ within the college. Day girls are actively encouraged to spend most of their school day at St Anne’s, studying and living alongside their weekly or termly boarding counterparts.
Academics
According to the school, St Anne's girls achieve consistently high IEB exam results, with 248 distinctions awarded across the cohort in 2025 and a 100 per cent pass rate.
Head teacher
Debbie Martin, head of St Anne’s Diocesan College, was born in Durban and attended St Anne’s as a pupil; she is the first Old Girl to become head of the college. Having studied English and dramatic arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Martin completed her higher diploma in higher education and Bachelor of Education degree. She has taught at and served as deputy head at Maritzburg College and was deputy head of pastoral care at St Anne’s before taking on the head role in 2021.
University and college destinations
In 2025, 100 per cent of girls gained the qualifications needed to progress to further study, and many girls attend top universities around the world after St Anne’s.
Admissions
The admissions process varies depending on year of entry. For those wishing to join the school in Grade 8, parents and guardians register their children in Grade 6 and complete an application form in Grade 7. Each girl is invited to an experience day and must complete tests and attend a formal interview before being considered for admission.
Entry to Grades 9 to 11 includes submitting a girl’s documentation for consideration on the waiting list.
Accessibility
King Shaka International Airport: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Location
Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.
Rank: Top 100
Top 100 Spear’s Schools Index 2026, Rest of the World Schools