By STAFF REPORTER
St Andrew’s College’s (SAC) twentieth headmaster, Tom Hamilton, is well-known in the community, having served as Deputy Headmaster of SAC for four years between 1997 and 2001. He maintained close relationships with many members of the Andrean community in the intervening time.
Hamilton is married to Rentia, and they have three children, sons Adam and Conor in London and daughter Lauren in Johannesburg.
His career in education is long and impressive.
Hamilton is a scholar at heart and a Mathematics teacher by training. He has co-authored three Mathematics textbooks and was the Director of Studies at St Alban’s College in the early nineties. He has also co-authored Derby Day, a book on schoolboy rugby in SA.
Hamilton left St Andrew’s College to take Headmastership of St Alban’s College, Pretoria, where he had previously been a housemaster and Director of Academics. During his headship at St Alban’s, the school enjoyed a period of strong growth, including a significant increase in pupil numbers. Through his exemplary leadership, he firmly put St Alban’s College on the map of top South African schools and left his mark on the school.
From 2017 to 2020, Hamilton was the CEO of the Royal Bafokeng Institute, a company of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, which aims to set rural children on the path to achieving their full potential. After that, he had two successful years as CEO of the Kyalami Schools Group, where he was responsible for the executive oversight of five schools.
However, he said the chance to serve St Andrew’s College as Headmaster was an opportunity that could not be ignored.
His experience has given him a deep understanding of the educational realities in South Africa. It has instilled an enduring personal commitment to building partnerships with schools serving underprivileged community members.
Hamilton has extensive experience in governance, staff development, strategic leadership, and diversity and transformation imperatives. He places significant emphasis on academic excellence and has a deep understanding of the educational realities in South Africa.
After two weeks in his new office, Tom remarked: “Returning to College as Headmaster is an immense privilege for me and, in many respects, it is as if I have come back home. I take up this role fully aware of the magnitude of the history and tradition here and the scale of the challenges we face within the school and the city. I am realistically optimistic that we can tackle and resolve every challenge with the support of Council, Staff, Boys, Parents and Old Andreans.”
