To: The Bishops Community

The appointment of the Principal at Bishops is arguably the most important task of any Bishops College Council and its Chairman.  The person who leads Bishops has a profound influence on the school and it is no surprise that when we look back over the history of our great school, we define the different eras in terms of the man leading the school at that time.  The process of identifying and appointing a new Principal is not a simple one as we task ourselves with finding the very best man or woman for the role, someone who will understand the good traditions that are an important part of Bishops’ heritage, but also someone with the vision and leadership skills to drive Bishops forward, ready to face the challenges and responsibilities of being a world-class South African boys’ school. It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Bishops College Council has appointed Mr. Antony Reeler as the next Principal of Bishops.
 
Tony will take over the reins from Guy Pearson in July 2020.
 
Tony is a passionate educator and a born leader.  He comes from a family of teachers and school heads.  Tony’s father, Mike, was the Headmaster at Rondebosch Boys High School and his late mother, Lesley, was Deputy Principal at Rustenburg Girls High School.  His grandmother was a teacher and both his sisters are also teachers.  Tony is married to Rose, a trained primary school teacher. Tony and Rose have two children, Michael-John (22) and Lexie (19), who is currently studying to be a teacher.
 
Tony attended RBHS, where he was Deputy Head Boy, matriculating at age 16. Following school Tony read for a BSc degree in Mathematics at the University of Cape Town, followed by an HDE in Mathematics and Science, also at UCT. Later he added an Advanced Certificate in Education, Leadership and Management, from UCT.  While at university Tony played for the UCT U20 rugby team for three years, captaining the team in his final year.
 
After completing his national service, Tony started his teaching career at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, where he spent eleven years teaching Mathematics and Physical Science, going on to head up the Mathematics Department.  He returned to Cape Town in 1999 to take up the position of Deputy Head Principal at his alma mater, Rondebosch Boys High School.  He became the Senior Deputy and head of sport while still teaching Mathematics. During this time, he also coached the 1st XV rugby, 1st XI cricket and the school’s golf teams.  He left Rondebosch after four years to become Principal of Pinelands High School, a position he held for over seven years.
 
Since July 2010, Tony has been the Headmaster at Pretoria Boys High School, a position that he has filled with great distinction. He is a strong believer in the benefits of single-sex education, particularly for boys in their teenage years.  His aim is that each boy should be the best version of himself that he can be. The academic programme of a school should always take priority and boys must be encouraged to reach their full potential and beyond, if possible, being stretched by teachers who take them beyond the constraints of the curriculum.  Both sport and cultural activities also have important roles to play in boys’ development, through the development of the body and the feeding of the soul.
 
Tony is a trustee of the International Boys School Coalition, a position he took over from Guy Pearson. He is a proud South African and is committed to education and to promoting transformation within traditional schools, keeping that which is good from the past but adapting to become relevant for the future.
 
It is my great pleasure to welcome Tony and Rose to Bishops. I am sure that the Bishops community will welcome them both with open arms and that they will be very happy at Bishops.


Simon Peile
Chairman of Council