The Western Cape Matric Awards for 2025 are out! But these awards are about more than just celebrating the achievements of the matrics from the previous year. They also serve as an incredible resource for parents looking ahead, wanting to learn about the best high schools in Cape Town to find out which one might best suit their child.
This is particularly important for parents with children soon entering Grade 8, with the high school they choose having a major impact on their child’s academic journey and school experience. But while academics are important, finding the right fit for your child involves looking at the whole picture.
This guide will count down the top 10 performing high schools in Cape Town based on 2025 matric results, while providing a breakdown of each school, including sports, arts, language, culture, fees, and location. (And find out which high school has reclaimed the top spot after 5 years!)
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Springfield Convent School stands out for its 150+ year legacy of academic excellence, combined with a values-driven and inclusive environment. It promotes a real sisterhood and honours an holistic approach to education, focusing on spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social growth.
Beyond academics, Springfield is renowned for its exceptional music, art, and drama departments, offering girls diverse opportunities from Jazz to Marimba bands.
Gender: Girls-only
Type: Private Catholic school (welcomes girls of all faiths)
Language: English
Annual school fees: R107 623.60 for tuition + R15 000 placement fee
Location: Wynberg
Nearby suburbs: Kenilworth, Claremont, Plumstead, Constantia, Bergvliet
Application deadline: 6 February 2026 for Grade 8
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Paul Roos is a dual-medium Afrikaans boys’ school in Stellenbosch, famous for high-performance sport (especially rugby) and a strong academic track record. It offers boarding options and a classic “school tradition” culture.
As the 12th-oldest school in the country, Paul Roos has produced many of South Africa's top politicians, businessmen, and sportsmen over the decades. It also holds close ties with Stellenbosch University and even possesses its own annual Oxford scholarship.
Gender: Boys-only
Type: Public school
Language: Dual-medium
Annual school fees: R55 000 for tuition; R73 800 for boarding
Location: Stellenbosch
Nearby suburbs: Jamestown, Somerset West, Paarl, Franschhoek
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
Part of the United Herzlia Schools, Herzlia High is an independent co-ed school with a Jewish ethos. This includes mandatory Jewish Studies and Hebrew until Grade 9, though it is open to students of all backgrounds.
Known for its 100% rates and high rankings in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Economics, and Accounting. It is known for its smaller classrooms, providing individual students with more specialised attention.
Gender: Co-ed
Type: Private Jewish school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R124 716 - R183 432 for tuition (depending on grade and number of children)
Location: Vredehoek
Nearby suburbs: Gardens, Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof, Sea Point, Woodstock
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Celebrating 150 years in 2026, Paarl Girls’ is a prestigious Winelands girls’ school offering dual-medium education, brilliantly striking the balance between academics, arts, and sport.
One reason for its 100% pass rate may be its "whole-school" approach to student wellbeing, mental health, and leadership development, ensuring students feel safe to reach their potential. Paarl Girls’ possess what it calls “Girls’ High Magic,” which celebrates “non-cognitive skills,” such as perseverance, good study habits, and conscientiousness.
Gender: Girls-only
Type: Public school
Language: Dual-medium school in English and Afrikaans
Annual school fees: R51 030 for tuition; R64 560 for boarding
Location: Paarl
Nearby suburbs: Wellington, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Bishops is one of the most well-known private boys’ schools in the country, revered for its all-rounder high school experience.
Though its rugby culture sits at the heart of the school, it’s one of the best sports schools in South Africa across the board, ranking top in water polo, while being very competitive in cricket, hockey, and rowing.
While Bishops may be the most expensive private school in the province, it does offer scholarship opportunities to incoming students who excel in academics, sports, or music.
Gender: Boys-only
Type: Private Anglican school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R225 900 for tuition; R160 400 for boarding
Location: Rondebosch
Nearby suburbs: Rosebank, Rondebosch, Newlands, Mowbray, Claremont, Observatory, Kenilworth
Application deadline: 31 January 2026 for Grade 8
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Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof is a leading Afrikaans-medium girls’ school in Stellenbosch with a reputation for academic excellence and a high-performance sport programme. It consistently competes on a national level for athletics, tennis, swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, hockey and netball.
Rooted in traditional Christian values, Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof is popular with families who want a traditional Afrikaans school environment for their daughters that strives for excellence.
Gender: Girls-only
Type: Public school
Language: Afrikaans
Annual school fees: R55 440 for tuition; R51 720 for boarding
Location: Stellenbosch
Nearby suburbs: Jamestown, Paarl, Somerset West, Franschhoek
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Rhenish Girls’ High School is the oldest girls’ school in South Africa, providing girls with an excellent secondary education since 1860. It consistently excels academically, boasting a 100% pass rate and bachelor’s rate in 2025. Renowned for its swimming programme, it has been recognized as the top girls' swimming school in the Western Cape for many consecutive years.
Whether you’re a Winelands family or are looking for an excellent boarding school, Rhenish Girls’ is a great fit for those who want exceptional academics plus a traditional school experience.
Gender: Girls-only
Type: Public school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R56 100 for tuition; R62 110 for boarding
Location: Stellenbosch
Nearby suburbs: Jamestown, Paarl, Somerset West, Franschhoek
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Rustenburg Girls’ is an academically elite public girls’ school with a long tradition of high achievement and a strong extracurricular culture. In 2025, it earned an average aggregate of 75.93%, getting the province’s top prize for English, Consumer Studies, and Visual Arts/Design/Photography.
Rustenburg Girls’ stunning campus, rigorous academics, thriving arts departments, and competitive sports programme create the perfect environment for an all-rounder "Rustybugs" to flourish.
Gender: Girls-only
Type: Public school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R66 840 - R75 675 (depending on grade); R81 050 for boarding
Location: Rondebosch
Nearby suburbs: Rosebank, Rondebosch, Newlands, Mowbray, Claremont, Observatory, Kenilworth
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Despite only opening in 2011, Claremont High School has very quickly made a name for itself as a top-performing school in the Western Cape. It also stands out as the most affordable in the top 10, outperforming private schools that are ten times the tuition.
It has an outstanding reputation for maths and science, consistently winning the award for excellence in both Mathematics and Physical Sciences based on matric results.
Gender: Co-ed
Type: Public school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R15 800
Location: Claremont
Nearby suburbs: Harfield Village, Kenilworth, Newlands, Rondebosch, Wynberg.
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
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Last clinching the prize in 2021, Westerford is one of Cape Town’s most consistently top-performing public schools, known for its strong academics and consistent 100% pass rate. It prides itself on being a “pupil-centred” school and cultivates a thriving student culture with over 50 clubs and societies and a particularly strong MADD (Music, Arts, Dance, Drama) programme.
It’s a popular option for families in the Southern Suburbs who want top results without private-school fees.
Gender: Co-ed
Type: Public school
Language: English
Annual school fees: R62 800 for tuition
Location: Rondebosch
Nearby suburbs: Newlands, Claremont, Bishopscourt, Kenilworth, Mowbray.
Application deadline: 10 March - 14 April 2026 for Grade 8
If you want to better understand how high schools in South Africa work, read our full guide to South Africa’s education system here.
If the school you choose changes your commute (or your suburb shortlist), you’re not alone. Many Cape Town families move specifically to be closer to the right school, with many taking location into account in the application process.
If you’re looking to start the next chapter with ease and peace of mind, Wise Move makes it easy to book affordable and professional moving companies to streamline the moving process.
Use Wise Move to plan your move to Cape Town near your chosen high school, so you can focus on applications and getting your child ready for high school, not logistics.
