The school was born of the desire to cater for the large number of children on Ruzawi's waiting list which grew to 'epic proportions' in 1945.

The board included the likes of the Rt Rev Edward Paget, Winston Field, Howard Smetham, Colonel Ralston and Maurice Carver, with the chairman being Sir Robert Hudson.

Previously, he was an employee of Jim Blake, running the vegetable growing and beef production arm of Springvale Farm.

[6] The 1960s saw major infrastructural developments at Springvale School with new tennis courts, a games room, playing fields, staff flats and a reference library being added, as well as the conversion of the old Form I classroom into a science laboratory.

We look forward to a future full of exciting new opportunities for development [and] I am confident that we shall meet an ever increasing need in the Africa of tomorrow."

In January 1973, owing to the increasingly unstable political and security situation in Rhodesia, the border was closed and Express Motorways, a coach company, was forbidden to operate in Zambia thus making it difficult to transport Zambian pupils to the school.

Mike Hammond was absorbed into the Peterhouse teaching staff across the road, and Headmaster Brian Johnson retired in 1977 and went to England.

Before his departure, Mr Johnson welcomed John Stansbury as the new headmaster of Springvale (he was the head of Whitestone School before its closure in 1975).

Boys from Zambia and Malawi were being withdrawn as a result of the security situation and by 1979, economic sanctions meant that parents were not permitted to transfer money to pay the school fees.

Despite his dedicated efforts to recruit new pupils, the head was in the unenviable position of having to reduce staff numbers as the school scaled down.

This school, run by the Anglican Diocese, was set in the heart of one of the most troubled areas during the war years and the buildings were burned down during a raid.

Peter Bradshaw, who had been a teacher at Springvale School, became the liaison link between the remaining Board and Patrick Gosho, paying the ground staff and assisting whenever he could with maintenance and problem solving.

Eventually, the Anglican diocese decided to help by building new boarding facilities at Daramombe, a mission school that, like St Philip's, had been closed down during the war.

Plans to enlarge the Chapel of St Francis (made as early as 1997, spearheaded by Jon Calderwood) came to fruition in 2001 when two wings were added, thus creating the shape of a crucifix.

It also brings to mind the four Gospel writers whose work extracts are buried in the original Springvale buildings (now Peterhouse Girls' School).

[6] The plain Jerusalem cross was the emblem of Ruzawi and Springvale adopted it in its adapted form because the school was originally known as 'Ruzawi's younger brother'.

These include: Athletics, cricket, cross country, football, hockey, netball, rugby, swimming, tennis.

[8] The clubs and activities at Springvale House include: animal care, arts & craft, ballet, boardgames, chess, Christian Club, Connecting Classrooms, dancing, golf, guitar, gymnastics, hockey skills, horse riding, indoor hockey, marimbas, modelling, needlework, orchestra, rowing, squash, table tennis, taekwondo and triathlon.

[8] The chapel was built in the early 1950s and is dedicated to Saint Francis, who so inspired Springvale School’s first headmaster, Canon Robert Grinham.

It is built of brick, rough plastered and white painted; its internal pillars are gum poles, as are the beams which support the thatched roof.