Choosing a high school is not something parents take lightly, with the decision shaping your entire family life. And in Pretoria, where the options include some of the best high schools in the country, it’s often about more than just the matric results or the badge on the blazer.
The right school needs to fit your child’s language, personality, strengths, confidence, subject choices, and future plans. Some learners thrive in a highly competitive, tradition-heavy environment while others need strong pastoral support, a more creative space, or a smaller community. So how do you know which Pretoria high school is best for your child?
This guide is here to help by breaking down some of the top high schools in Pretoria, looking at what makes each one stand out and the key facts parents need to know to make an educated decision.
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Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria is one of Pretoria’s strongest academic girls’ schools and a major name in Afrikaans education. Part of the wider Affies tradition, Meisieskool offers a well-structured environment with strong academic support, a proud school culture, and more than a century of Afrikaans school tradition.
Its 2025 matric results say a lot: a 100% pass rate, 814 distinctions, and a 98% bachelor’s pass rate. Beyond academics, AHMP offers boarding for around 270 girls, state-of-the-art science and computer labs, consumer studies centres, the Affie Artes art festival, and the Stroom-op school newspaper. On the sports field, girls can choose unique options, from chess and golf to equestrian and mountain biking.
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Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool is one of the country’s best-known Afrikaans boys’ schools, with a reputation for discipline, faith-based tradition, school pride and a strong old-boy culture.
Founded in 1920, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool is known for academics, sport, culture and a values-driven approach built around service, honour, self-discipline, humility and loyalty. Its 2025 results were strong, with a 100% pass rate and a 96.3% university admission rate. With hostel space for around 350 boys, it’s also a serious option for families looking beyond the immediate Clydesdale area.
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Hoërskool Waterkloof, better known as Klofies, is one of Pretoria East’s big Afrikaans high schools. It’s a strong all-rounder for families who want academics, sport, school spirit and a large co-ed environment.
Sport is one of Klofies’ biggest drawcards. Alongside rugby, netball, hockey, cricket, and athletics, learners can also choose from options like archery, mountain biking, e-sports, golf, fishing, bowls, equestrian, chess, and table tennis. Its rugby programme is nationally recognised, with old boys including Faf de Klerk, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, and Stedman Gans.
Academically, it achieved a 100% pass rate from 393 matric candidates in 2025.
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Hoërskool Menlopark is a high-demand Afrikaans co-ed school in the heart of Pretoria East. Founded in 1963, it has a polished reputation and tends to appeal to families looking for a balance of academics, sport, culture, facilities, and a caring school environment.
Menlopark also has a broader subject offering, including Hospitality Studies, Engineering Graphics and Design, Tourism, Alpha Maths, Computer Applications Technology, robotics, sports science, and entrepreneurial sciences. The “Parkie identity is part of the culture too, with former Menloparkers forming a wider mentorship and alumni network.
In 2025, the school achieved a 100% pass rate from 330 candidates.
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Hoërskool Garsfontein, or Garsies, is another strong Pretoria East Afrikaans co-ed option. It has the big-school energy, but with a surprisingly varied academic and cultural offering. In Garsiesland, they believe education is a catalyst for change and choices are the building block of a successful future.
Its subject mix includes AP Maths, IT, Hospitality Studies, Tourism, Visual Arts, Design, and Dramatic Arts, with robotics available as an extramural. Its hostel, opened in 2016, makes it an option for families outside the immediate Garsfontein area too.
Garsies achieved a 99.44% pass rate from 354 candidates in 2025, with previous years reaching 100%.
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Pretoria High School for Girls is one of the city’s historic English girls’ schools, founded in 1902. There’s a major focus on supporting each learner academically, socially and emotionally so that every girl has the opportunity to thrive. This includes the peer tutoring programme, which underpins the values of the school: respect, kindness, integrity, resilience and servant leadership.
For parents comparing English girls’ schools, PHSG offers strong academics, weekly boarding, sport, culture and a wide club programme. Facilities include a Music Centre, Art Centre, Library, IT Centre, and major sports facilities. Learners can take part in a variety of sports, like bootcamp, equestrian, basketball, and volleyball. Their unique club options include art club, catering committee, social responsibility club, first aid, museum club, newspaper club, photography club, pottery club, robotics, and wellness fusion.
In 2025, PHSG achieved a 98.93% pass rate from 280 candidates.
Check out PHSG’s Feeder Zone map to find out which areas are given priority for admissions.
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Pretoria Boys High School is considered a flagship English public boys’ school as the biggest boys’ school in the country. With its sandstone buildings, 85-acre campus below Waterkloof Kop, state-of-the-art facilities, and long-standing old-boy network, it has the kind of public-school prestige that still matters to many families.
It’s also extremely competitive. PBHS receives more than 1,500 applications for about 200 Grade 8 places each year. The school offers strong academics, boarding, sport, culture, and a huge club programme, from aeronautics and archery to creative writing, sailing, and wildlife. Top academic learners can write IEB Further Studies Programme exams, and subjects include Coding and Robotics, Engineering Graphics and Design, and Tourism.
In 2025, the school achieved a 99.3% pass rate with an 84% bachelor’s pass rate.
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St Mary’s DSG Pretoria is one of Pretoria’s leading private girls’ schools, with Anglican faith foundations, IEB academics, and a history dating back to 1879. It’s a premium choice, but the appeal is not only the marks; parents often look at St Mary’s for its more intimate, supportive environment.
The school focuses on academics, boarding, sport, arts, leadership, wellness and confidence-building. Its Centre for Growth and Wellness offers counselling and well-being support, which is a practical plus for families who care about pastoral care as much as performance. Facilities include an astroturf, hockey fields, squash courts, tennis courts, netball and basketball courts, volleyball courts and a gymnasium springboard.
In 2025, St Mary’s achieved a 100% pass rate and 100% bachelor’s pass rate.
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St Alban’s College is Pretoria’s premium private boys’ school option. It’s independent, Anglican-rooted, and very established, with a strong focus on boarding, academics, sport, culture, and values-led education. Its school identity is built around the T.E.A.C.H values: Truth, Excellence, Authenticity, Compassion and Humility.
But what makes St Alban’s stand out is that it does not rely only on academics or sport. Its cultural offering includes band, choir, Barbershop Boys, Drum Circle, Visual Arts and a Naledi Award-nominated Drama Department. It’s also recognised as one of South Africa’s top sporting schools, with its boys going on to become Olympic medallists, World Champions, Springboks, and International athletes.
In 2025, it achieved a 100% IEB pass rate, a 96.4% bachelor’s pass rate and 2.31 distinctions per candidate.
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Pro Arte Alphen Park is the specialist choice on this list. While many Pretoria schools compete on tradition, sport and matric results, Pro Arte is built for creative, artistic, and practically minded learners who need something more specific.
The school offers six focus areas: Dance, Art, Music, Drama, Hospitality, and Enterprise Management. Learners still work towards an academic matric, but with a much stronger creative or practical direction than they would get at a standard high school. Pro Arte also offers boarding through Pro Arte Villa Nova, and its in-house restaurant, Andante, gives culinary learners real experience cooking, plating, serving and managing events.
Admission includes auditions, so parents need to plan earlier than they would for a normal public-school application.
A school can look perfect on paper until you realise the morning drop-off means crawling down Atterbury, crossing half of Pretoria East, or trying to get to Arcadia before the first bell. Feeder zones, early drop-offs, school traffic and after-school pickups can make location just as important as academics.
If moving closer to your chosen school would make the routine easier, Wise Move can help. Book the top moving teams in Pretoria for home moves for a smooth and stress-free moving experience. With a trusted and professional helping hand, you can focus on helping your child settle in and start their high school journey.
Pretoria has plenty of strong high schools, and no shortlist can capture every great option. If you believe your school should be included, feel free to contact us, and we'd be happy to update the list.
