18 January 2024
A record average of 2.8 distinctions per boy is but one of the eye-catching achievements recorded by Hilton College‘s matric class of 2023 which, it was revealed on Thursday, also achieved a 100 percent pass rate.
Headmaster George Harris commented: “An average of 2.8 A symbols per candidate is an excellent achievement in and of itself, but it is even more remarkable considering our school is not academically selective.
“We are delighted with our matric results, which are a testimony to our exceptional academic staff and learner support programme, and an excellent effort on the part of our boys. Almost every matriculant from the class of 2023 did himself proud in these final exams,” he added.
Hilton College Scholar of the Year, 2023 Deputy Head Boy, Khanya Mhlongo (feature photo), averaged 91 percent while logging seven distinctions. His excellence has already been recognised by one of the world’s leading tertiary institutions, Yale University, which has offered him an opportunity to study economics there.
Three Hilton boys – Luke Hancock, Guy Harcourt and Matthew Stewart – appear on the IEB List for Commendable Achievement for placing within the top five percent in five subjects and achieving a rating level of 7 in Life Orientation nationally.
Stewart, the Head of School and Proxime Accessit, recorded seven distinctions and averaged 89 percent. He will attend Stellenbosch University to read Accounting Sciences.
Nine Hilton boys were among the top one percent of candidates in individual subjects. They included Khanya Mhlongo (Economics, English, History, Life Orientation), Guy Harcourt (Economics, Geography, History), Zimele Khumalo (Mathematics), Jason Sasse (Economics), Jehan Thipanyane-Said (History), Benjamin Guimaraens (Life Orientation), Brian Thomson (Life Orientation), Matthew Peters (Life Orientation), and Caleb Venter (Life Orientation).
All of Hilton’s IEB students who have applied to top South African universities have been accepted. Those who have applied abroad are awaiting acceptances.
Sixteen boys wrote A-Level exams with two of them, Gabriel Njonjo and Connor Woods, receiving three As. Just shy of 90 percent of the symbols achieved by Hilton students were from an A to a C. An A level is recognised as being the equivalent of 90 percent in the same subject in the IEB.
Reflecting on those results, the Director of International Learning at Hilton College, James Webb, said: “All of Hilton’s A-Level boys have achieved results that would enable access to a tertiary institution of their choice.”
Gabriel Njonjo plans to pursue a degree in psychology and economics to focus on behavioural economics and has been accepted at the University of Leeds. He has also applied to Imperial College London. Connor Woods has been accepted at Bond University in Gold Coast, Queensland, and he has lodged applications with the University of St Andrews and the University of Bath, too.
Overall, three candidates – Ben Kok, Nkululeko Ngcobo and Nic Thorburn – achieved eight distinctions; four – Khanya Mhlongo, Bandile Shabala, Luke Hancock, Matthew Stewart – received seven distinctions; seven – Jonathan Braithwaite, Michael Capes, Guy Harcourt, Benjamin McGuigan, Jason Sasse, Stefan Swart (SA Schools water polo), Jehan Thipanyane-Said – six distinctions.
Twelve boys – Ross Boast (SA Colts cricket), Jonathan Bregman-Frangos, Matthew Hayes, Daniel Holtzhauzen, Oliver Joyner, Zimele Khumalo, Joel Kitshoff, Ruben Marx, Teboho Pakkie, Thomas Peattie, Caleb Venter, Mathubamahle Xaba – received five; and another 12 – Joshua Black, Murray Brink, Benjamin Guimaraens, Kearabetswe Khoele (SA Schools hockey), Tawanda Kugotsi, Molebogeng Legodi, Nicholas McLeod, Matthew Peters, Michael Sara, PJ van der Walt, Christopher Wanless, Luke Watt – four each.
Among those boys who wrote the IEB exams, 96 percent received Bachelor Degree passes.
Hanlie Dry, the Hilton College Director of Academics, lauded the achievements of the class of 2023. “Our boys are to be commended for their hard work and our staff for their dedication and excellence,” she said.
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