About Us

"FULFILLING THE PURPOSES OF GOD AND REFLECTING CHRIST'S LOVE"

A child spends many hours at school each day, often spending more time at school than the contact time with his / her parents. It is therefore very important that parents carefully consider the school that they send their child to. Does the school embody the values and beliefs that the parents desire for their children?

Heritage Academy believes strongly that "all education, whether secular or Christian, is essentially religious, in this sense: Both by what it says, teaches or does, and by what it does not say, teach or do, it promotes allegiance to a god or kingdom, and promotes a way of thinking and living. There is no such thing as neutrality. Education is always the education of some kingdom, by that kingdom, for that kingdom."

At Heritage Academy, we believe in excellence in all areas. We endeavour to provide the kind of education that will develop your child holistically to become a person that God intended him/her to be, equipped to face the challenges that this world brings, and to be leaders in every sphere of society.

We believe in education that is relevant and in providing children with opportunities to impact communities and nations. In a world that is crying out for strong, accountable leaders, Heritage Academy is training young leaders in servant leadership. Our Prefects are expected to set an example by assisting others. They gladly take on the responsibility of caring for others.

If you want your child to be educated with excellence in a school that is rooted in the Word of God, then Heritage Academy is the school to choose.

Heritage Academy has a vision of young South Africans with passion in their eyes being educated at the highest standards and released to bring about change that has eternal value in the real world.

Our purpose is to provide an educational programme permeated with Biblical truth, to foster vital Christian living and to promote the highest of academic standards, such as our consistent excellent matric pass rate over the past few years.

Heritage Academy is in the people business and can make a significant contribution to the future of our country by training the leaders of tomorrow in excellence in all things. We envision our learners to leave Heritage Academy as adventurous, spirited people who:
are strong in their faith
are sure-footed,
take initiative,
go the extra mile,
are servant leaders,
have a passion for life.

Our unfaltering mission can be summed up in the simple phrase:

"To grow children big on the inside"

In our nurturing and inspiring school environment, we aim to:

1. Grow children big on the inside through encouragement.Be excellent in teaching, motivating, equipping, and releasing children into every sphere of society.
2. Present children with the love, claims, and expectations of Jesus to bring them into a saving relationship with Him.
3. Spark a missions vision in the heart of every child.
4. Prepare children for confident, proactive ministry, thereby enabling them to occupy territory in partnership with the Holy Spirit, to have as large an impact on earth as possible.
5. Give children a quality of academic education that far exceeds that of the world, giving both knowledge and purpose, based on revelation received from a relationship with God.

WHY THE NAME "HERITAGE ACADEMY"?

The very meaning of "academy" gives the school's purpose - a place of special training and learning, and learning the greater lessons of life and of God - (more than just academics). We walk in the inheritance that God has given those who walk by faith. To inherit the earth for the Kingdom! The idea of a heritage or an inheritance is a rich and recurring theme in Scripture, such as:

1. Children are said in Psalm 127:4 to be a "heritage from the Lord". Through Heritage Academy, we want to make both parents and children aware of just how precious a heritage our children are.
2. God said that He would give the nations to His people as their inheritance. We want to set before the students of Heritage Academy a long-term vision and goal for their lives: that of maturing in Christ and becoming Christian leaders who will take the nations for Him.
3. The great doctrines of the Protestant and evangelical faith, which ultimately come together in the Gospel itself, form a heritage which we have from the past, which influences and directs us in the present, and on which we build for the future. Jude (verse 4) urged Christians in the first century to "contend for the faith once and for all delivered unto the saints". Â It was that faith, rediscovered by Luther, Calvin, and others, which gave impetus to the Reformation, which has triggered and driven the great missionary thrusts through the decades and centuries, and which needs to be passed on to our children for the building of the Church of Jesus Christ for the future.

Heritage Academy is more than just your average school; our desire is for the children to grow up strong, and acknowledge Jesus as King!

In November 1989, a few parents whose children had been attending a Christian primary school in town felt very strongly that they wanted to see their children's education continue in a Christian high school with a similar ethos and methodology. So with energy and determination fired by an unwavering conviction that this was what God wanted them to do, they set the wheels in motion to establish an independent evangelical high school to serve the Christian community in Pietermaritzburg and beyond. It was to be an adventure in faith!

Vision became reality in a few short weeks, as at the beginning of 1990 - an exciting, historic year in our country - the fledgling HERITAGE ACADEMY opened its doors with 14 pioneering pupils and teachers on January 29, just less than a month before Nelson Mandela walked out of prison.

Our first premises were situated at 82 Boom Street, Pietermaritzburg. Later that year it moved to premises at St Nicholas Diocesan School, and then to the premises it now occupies at 8 Stott Road, Prestbury, at the beginning of 1992.

From its small beginnings, the school has grown, evidence that parents are still eager to have their children educated with an emphasis on moral absolutes, by teachers who are personally committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, who can encourage and lead them into realising their dreams under God.

Heritage Academy is grounded on sound Christian principles. Aiming to break away from the idea that Christianity is boring and irrelevant, the school aims to impact the lives of the learners, allowing each learner to believe that he/she is important, and can make a difference â€" in their own lives, their homes, their communities and the world. Heritage Academy stands for both academic excellence and a concern for all people.

During our missions, learners have been seen to grow and develop spiritually and emotionally as they broaden their perspective and experience of other cultures and communities.

Heritage Academy embraces the major tenets of the historical Christian faith, which include:

1. The unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the triune Godhead.
2. The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption, and final judgement.
3. The divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of the Bible, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.
4. The universal sinfulness and guilt of all people since the Fall, making them subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty, dominion and pollution of sin solely through the sacrificial death, as our Representative and Substitute, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
6. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as a fact of history, and His ascension to the right hand of God the Father.
7. The expectation of the personal return of Jesus Christ.
8. The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone.
9.  The presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration.
10. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
11. The reality of the one universal Church, which is the Body of Christ and to which all true believers belong.

Staff
Our policy is to appoint Christian teachers who can testify to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and who believe they are at the school out of obedience to God's call on their lives. Our staff aim to create nurturing, creative, and stable environments for the learners within which to learn and to develop in areas other than just academics. Ongoing training of staff takes place through regular staff development sessions.

Parental responsibility
The responsibility for a child's education rests primarily with parents and guardians - the school is merely an extension of the home in that respect, an institution to which parents have entrusted part of the responsibility for that education. Our desire is to see increased parental interest and involvement, and to move towards providing appropriate enrichment seminars and workshops for them.

The Board
Heritage Academy was founded by people with strong convictions, a spirit of adventure, and a big vision of what is possible in God's strength when motivation comes from Him. These qualities have been present in our Board members throughout the years of the school's existence. The Board still comprises decision-makers with vision who are constantly thinking ahead, maintain a close, hands-on relationship with the school and work in close collaboration with the principal and his management team.

Our Approach

The school has always strived to make its learners aware of the needs of people around them. Learners are encouraged to get involved in local community projects such as collecting food, clothes and gifts for orphanages and disadvantaged preschools, as well as visits to old-age homes, and collections for local charities. As an expression of their passion for sharing their faith, many learners have taken a message of reconciliation of man with God across the world with their Dumisani Ma-afrika dance and song production. In the past years, in addition to South African tours, teams of learners from the school have visited Madagascar, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, Indonesia, Singapore, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. This kind of exposure results in major transformation within the lives of the learners and impacts their lives forever.

Projects that the school are involved in include working with an organisation called "Love Mercy" in Harare, Zimbabwe. Food and clothing is donated by various organizations and individuals to help feed and clothe needy people and children in orphanages.

The school is also involved with the "Classrooms for Africa" project in conjunction with Dunamis Education Society, Canada. Classrooms are being built in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, as well as Chidobe (close to Victoria Falls) and Harare.

Since there is no basic medication in many of the areas that we visit in Zimbabwe, it is planned that the Chidobe facility will also be used as a clinic and for the provision of some basic medication.

Local outreaches and community service

These include visits to old age homes, assisting disadvantaged preschools, participating in feeding schemes, and supporting needy people in other ways etc. Each class is encouraged to adopt a local mission for the year.