Chelsea Preparatory School 2023
On January 25, 1932, Durban North Government School (as it was known then) opened with an enrolment of 93 pupils and five teachers. The school stood alone amongst the dusty streets of Durban North, the new suburb, which was still too far from the city centre to be popular.
As the suburb grew, so the school become the centre of life for most Durban North children. By 1944 the records show that enrolment was between 430 and 435 pupils. Towards the end 1949, pupils in Std 4 to Std 6 were transferred to a new secondary school (known today as Northlands Girls’ High School) as the school could not accommodate all the pupils.
Along with the increase in enrolment, the school’s facilities expanded to include the swimming pool, tennis courts and hall which were rare at the time. The school was known to be the best equipped school in Natal during the 1950s and 1960s.
The suburb of Durban North continued to grow with young families moving into the area. To accommodate the growth, a new government school, Northway Government Infants’ School, was opened on Northway on January 29, 1962, with 343 pupils on the register. It accommodated pupils from Class 1 to Std 1.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s the school and our country adjusted to meet the political change and climate. The school, Durban North Government School, changed its name to Chelsea Drive Senior Primary in 1987.
It was a great historical significance when Chelsea Drive Senior Primary School and Northway merged in 2000. The merger set Chelsea upon a new path as one school catering for pupils from Grade R to Grade 7.
Chelsea has continued to grow and meet the needs of the Durban North community and currently a caters for 1050 pupils. Today Chelsea is a dynamic school, ever-changing and evaluating the needs of the community whilst striving to be at the forefront of innovation and change.
Building on rich traditions and strong family values, Chelsea offer excellent education whilst allowing opportunities for children to grow in their respective areas of strength in the classroom, on the sports field and in the performing arts. The extended curriculum, coupled with highly committed and experienced staff and fully supportive School Governing Body, ensures that academic excellence remains the primary objective, whilst each and every pupil feels valued and inspired to excel through diverse thinking and embracing the challenges of our ever-changing society.
“We pay tribute to all those who have gone before us and those who have contributed to the management and establishment of our School, and look to our centenary year in 2032 with conviction that we will continue to play a leading and influential role within our community,” said Grant Maartens, Chelsea Preparatory School Principal.
