Our students have excelled in ancillary academic research, which is recognised within the school’s Academia Award system. This covers Olympiads (English, Maths, Science, Life Sciences), research projects, Music and Art Eisteddfodau and similar opportunities. Particular national successes recently have come from –
2023 - Marie-Isabelle Chaput - Honours cum laude for Academics.
2022 & 2023 - Brayden Kilroe passed his Grade 8 Trinity Piano exam in 2021 with Distinction and in 2022 reached the semi-finals of the Makhanda National Music Competition, participated in the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium and Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, and was selected for the Atterbury National Piano Competition as one of the top eight in his age group in the country.
2022 - Daniel Farrell came 1st in South Africa in the Grade 11 National Accounting Olympiad & 1st in the Eastern Cape in the senior section of the national Maths Olympiad.
2022 - Adri Clark - Honours cum laude for Academics & Academia (2020 - Radikale Redenaars)
2018-2022 - Marlo Kirsten was placed in the top three in South Africa in assorted categories in the Radikale Redenaars national competition for the past 11 years, receiving Honours cum laude each year in high school.
2021 Mari-Juan Machin - Honours cum laude for Academics
There is a decades-long tradition of excellence in Maths Olympiads, with numerous Stirling students selected to represent Border and even South Africa in Maths Olympiad teams. Stirling has been recognised as one of the top Maths schools in the country and receives regular funding from the Epoch and Optima Trusts (founded by Anglo American) specifically for the enhancement of Maths education.
Life Science and Natural Science students are very active in extra research and activities, including the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, Olympiads and the Science Festival. Regular academic tours and excursions in subjects like Geography, English, Business Studies, History and Music are also on offer. We encourage as much international exposure and experience as possible and foreign tours are also available.
The 21 Club is a prestigious society consisting of the top 10 academic pupils from Grades 11 and 12, along with the teacher in charge. Members are chosen based on their academic ranking from the previous year (the November examination results). The Chairperson, a Grade 12 learner, and the secretary, a Grade 11 learner, are elected annually, and regular seminars take place where students present the findings of research they have undertaken.