Jeppe High School for Boys has received a trophy for being the top public school in the Johannesburg East District in the 2025 matric examinations at a ceremony last week. There are about 86 secondary schools in the district which, although it is called Johannesburg East, stretches as far North as Midrand High School. It includes schools like Jeppe High School for Girls, King Edward VII, Parktown Boys’ High and Bryanston High School.
This is the first time that Jeppe has received this honour and it comes on top of a steady improvement across all metrics in the academic programme. “For example,” said Mrs Collette Rattray, deputy principal in charge of academics. “Our bachelor pass rate, overall learner average, number of distinctions and subject averages keep improving.”
Jeppe can count itself among the top academic institutions in Gauteng. “Our results confirm that our academic offering allows more of our top students to have their pick of tertiary institutions and courses,” she said. “In addition, having achieved a 100% pass rate three times in the last five years indicates that our support structures are helping all our boys achieve their potential.”
Mrs Rattray thanked the Gauteng Department of Education at the district office for their support in the last year. “Mr Klaas Macheke, the Acting District Director, Mrs Irene Mashapa, the leader of our circuit, as well as all the subject advisors, have always been on hand to help when we needed them,” she said.
The headmaster, Mr Brendan Gittins, added that, on a national level, it is pleasing to note that Jeppe was one of just six schools in the Association of Principals of Public Boys Schools of South Africa to achieve a 100% pass rate in 2025. “I acknowledge and thank my predecessor, Mr Dale Jackson, for the role he played in all of these achievements,” he said.