The theme for the 2022 AISA-GISS summit hosted by AISCT is Ukutsiba Phambili, a Xhosa phrase for “leaping forward”, which is particularly pertinent during this time of recovery from the pandemic.
The pandemic has been a journey, to say the least, and we believe we have to keep going with resilience, moving mindsets onward.
History of AISCT
The history of the campus at 42 Soetvlei Avenue in Constantia goes back decades when the Sisters of Notre Dame from France were granted permission in November 1948 by the Vatican to start a training school in the area. In 1949, they chose the current property on which to build a convent. This land was originally part of the Sweet Valley Farm.
The French nuns started classes in the nearby suburb of Bergvliet, commencing with 30 students on April 26, 1949. In the meantime, construction of the convent and junior school had started on the property at 42 Soetvlei Avenue. On February 2, 1952, the convent and school were blessed by the Archbishop. The nuns ran their primary school for 25 years until they ran out of funding from the Vatican. At that point, they handed over the keys of the property to the South African government. Shortly thereafter, the government turned the campus into a reformatory school for girls. The boys reformatory school was further down Firgrove Avenue towards the mountain. In time, the reformatory schools were closed and the grounds left to decay.
In the meantime, the American International School of Cape Town (AISCT) was established in January 1997. The first academic school year began on September 1, 1997 in a two-storey home on Campground Road in Rondebosch. The grades offered to the 18 students at the time were Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8. The school was originally accredited by the European Council of International Schools in the UK. As the enrollment grew, the need for a larger space became evident, and the owners investigated the property at 42 Soetvlei Avenue in Constantia. They obtained a lease from the South African government in 2001, totally renovated the former convent and school campus, and opened their doors to students in January 2002.
Student learning is at the core of everything we do, and we believe that everyone can learn. AISCT provides a rigorous, university-prep program using research-based standards and benchmarks out of the United States that are aligned to meet our school curricular needs. The curriculum used at AISCT is similar to thousands of other prestigious public and private schools in the United States and around the world. Student learning is at the core of everything we do.
When you find yourself in Cape Town, stop by and see all that we do when we ‘leap forward’ together.
Head of School: Dr. Daniel Jubert
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