Welcome from the Housemistress of Cornwallis

In Cornwallis House we pride ourselves on being a happy, friendly and welcoming house, and we strive to create a caring and supportive atmosphere in which every girl can grow into a confident, polite and well-rounded young woman. We encourage all our girls to develop themselves to their full potential, both as individuals and as valued members of the house, school and society.

All girls are expected to contribute in a positive manner to house and school activities, in order to experience the satisfaction of camaraderie and achieving together for a greater good. Over the years, Cornwallis has produced many high flyers in academic, sporting and cultural activities and we are very proud of the girls’ achievements. However, we value all our girls very highly and recognise that, whilst not one of us is the same, we are all meant to shine in our own unique and individual way.

We live life to the full with all its ups and downs: we laugh together, we cry together and sometimes we do both at the same time! We all make a few mistakes; we get up, dust ourselves off, learn from them and move on again. I hope that by the time the girls leave Cornwallis they will have discovered that the happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything they have!

Fourteen years ago, my husband Piet and I came to England from South Africa where we grew up. After completing university there, I did a year of adult education and then started my own textiles business and lectured at university for short periods. This was followed by my most important (but lowest paying) job, motherhood!

I started teaching Food and Textiles Technology at RHS in 2008 and was a tutor in Cornwallis for three years before becoming Housemistress. Piet is head of the ICT department at RHS and we have two lively and often barefoot boys, PC (at RHS) and Basson (at the local primary school). I have been a keen sportswoman all my life and especially enjoy running; interior design and architecture are some of my other interests. As a family we love travelling and exploring new parts of the world, although we can’t resist going back home to South Africa every year to the beach, farm and game parks.

I am fortunate to be supported by an excellent team and together we warmly welcome prospective parents and pupils to our very special house in the near future.

Jacomien Du Toit - Housemistress
Contact +44 (0)1473 326241
e: cornwallis@royalhospitalschool.org