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The Bishops Family: Once a Bishops boy, always a Bishops boy
Diocesan College (Bishops) is an independent boys’ school in Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa, made up of the Pre-preparatory school, the Preparatory school and the College. Established in 1849, there are currently 110 academic staff and 1,350 pupils from Grade N (4+ years) to Grade 12 (18 years).
At the heart of what Bishops offers is a commitment to a values-driven education that prepares the boys for life beyond school, and inspires them to realise their dreams.
The school has a long tradition of striving for excellence in all areas. Academic, sporting, pastoral, cultural and spiritual activities contribute to the richness and diversity of life at all three schools.
While the school values its independence, it recognises that it has an important role to play in South Africa. Bishops is committed to a transformational path towards becoming more representative of South African society.
Bishops is For Life.
The Old Diocesans’ Union
When boys leave Bishops they become Old Diocesans (ODs) and join a vibrant alumni association, which has been connecting ODs across the globe for the last 125 years.
The ODU has 29 active branches both in South Africa and overseas. Today, nearly a third of ODs live outside South Africa. The OD network enables ODs to keep in touch and connect with each other around mentorship, guidance and support wherever they may be.
The Invest in Our Future Foundation (IIOFF)
While the ODU has a symbiotic relationship with the Bishops Trust and contributes towards the various Bursary funds, our challenge is to support boys when they have left school.
Leaving the protective environment of the school campus, and going out into the world is a daunting prospect for any young man, but more so if you do not have the necessary financial and emotional support.
The Old Diocesan INVEST IN OUR FUTURE FOUNDATION (IIOFF) has been established in partnership with Citadel and, with the support of the broader Bishops community, will provide financial and mentorship support to school leavers. It is positioned as an extension of the school’s existing mentorship programme which supports numerous boys throughout their high school careers. The current vibrant OD Mentorship programme dovetails with the objectives of the IIOFF.
The IIOFF website can be accessed at: www.odunion.com/iioff
Our first bursary student
The Trustees are proud to announce that the very first IIOFF Bursary was awarded in November 2021.
Nassar de Kock is the worthy recipient and was one of the 2021 Grade 12 class. His IIOFF bursary is to study actuarial science at the University of Cape Town, sponsored by Citadel.
“To think he came from the gutter, it never stopped him, he has done us proud”, with these emotional and heart rending words Nassar de Kock’s beloved grandmother Galiema Jacobs summed up the first recipient of the Citadel and Old Diocesan Invest in Our Future Foundation (IIOFF) scholarship.
Nassar has just passed his Matriculation with flying colours (six distinctions) and after a rigorous interview process, been accepted for an Actuarial Science degree.
Watch Video Interview
Watch the video below that shares the story of how Nassar de Kock
became the first recipient of the Invest In Our Future Foundation (IIOFF) bursary.
