Just imagine an consistently equal and integrated South Africa; it’s not pipe dream but a future reality, which we believe begins with a socio-economically diverse group of children, parent-carers and teachers choosing to co-learn how to live together in a quality, diverse and affordable micro society, that starts with a school…
Starting with 3-year olds, we are in the process of establishing a ‘game-changing’ school where children from a whole range of cultural, racial and socio-economic backgrounds gather together to fulfil their whole potential.
Quality ∵ Diversity ∵ Accessible
With a child-centred inquiry-based approach – which encourages children to apply the ‘foundation literacies’ of language, numeracy, IT, science, finance, and cultural / civic awareness to everyday tasks – the intercultural nature of our school means its even more conducive to developing ‘competencies’ like critical thinking / problem solving, creativity, communication and collaboration, alongside the ‘character qualities’ of curiosity, initiative, persistence / grit, adaptability, leadership and cultural / social awareness. In its ‘New Vision for Education’ the World Economic Forum (2017) highlights these 21st-Century skills as the building blocks of a democratic society.
To ensure quality education is accessible to children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, our school fees are calculated on a sliding scale, according to each family’s household income.
Firm Foundations
In 2018, our co-founders, Phil and Rachel Bowyer, returned from a fact-finding tour of child-centred inquiry-based education in Italy, the US, UK, Israel, New Zealand and Australia, ready to contextualize what they learnt from what the world has to offer to South Africa’s education system.
About our co-founders:
Rachel and Phil Bowyer have been involved in inter-cultural community work, education and leadership development for over 20 years.
For the last 11 years, they have focused on addressing inequality and segregation in South Africa, establishing from scratch a network that would consist of 100s of business, church, education and non-profit leaders, gathered from within 100km of Durban, KwaZulu Natal.
The Power of Partnership
As a school, leadership and staff team, we are committed to the inspiration of a unified, dynamically social, and relational God. A Godhead whose divine nature receives, values, honours, collaborates, and makes room for the other, whilst revealing and giving self (McLaren, 2012:130). To be made in this image – individually and as a school body – means following God’s example as an ‘agent of change’: provoking, agitating, innovating, re-imagining, and co-constructing new possibilities that bring justice and peace to society’s structures (Bosch 1991:179; Tennent 2010:479).
We are looking to form partnerships with businesses, charities, churches and / or individuals who are willing to add their expertise, finances and practical support to positively transform South Africa for all, for good.
