Our mission is to: Live up to our school's credo. Promote and practise a culture of participatory learning and teaching. Prepare learners so that they can pursue their school career with assertiveness, confidence and necessary skills. Develop a sense of social responsibility in our learners and to equip them to face the challenges of life in the evolving South African Society. Admit all learners regardless of race, language or cultural differences.

Marian High was founded by three Dominican Sisters in 1931 and classes were initially held in a tent and in the church to accommodate the growing number of students. The Sisters financed the school entirely and it was only later on in the school’s history that parents were asked to contribute financially. In the 1950’s / 1960’s the school began to accommodate more students from the surrounding areas and operated as a private school where parents were required to pay fees. The school continued to grow in numbers and in the 1970’s Marian was one of the first schools to open its doors and accept isiXhosa speaking learners. In 1976, the school became a state-aided school with financial support from the government. As the sisters moved out of the convent, more of the convent buildings could be used for classrooms and the chapel was converted into a school hall. Today, Marian School hosts 510 learners from Elsies River, Delft, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Langa, Bishop Lavis, Gugulethu...

The Holy Cross Sisters arrived in South Africa as a missionary order in 1883. Their first school was established in Umtata, providing education for the disadvantaged. Their work extended further into the local community with them not only founding schools all over South Africa, but also establishing and building orphanages, hospitals and homes for the elderly where the need for these facilities existed. Many of the Sisters are also nurses and social workers who are closely involved in working in and with communities. The Sisters opened different schools in Cape Town as well as an orphanage and Teacher Training College (St. Augustine’s) . Many of these are now classified as state schools on church property. The Teacher Training College had to close in 1974 due to the enforcement of the Group Areas Act and its orphanage moved into the Cape Flats. In 1910 the Sisters decided to open a school in Maitland, starting their work in old farm buildings and developing the property over ...