Quality

Informed by global research, and locally contextualised practice, our child-centred, inquiry-based, Reggio-inspired approach to teaching and learning enables children to discover for themselves in authentic situations, and to construct knowledge with others.

Children develop knowledge, understanding and skills which are necessary to fulfill their aspirations and relevant for today’s society; knowledge and understanding in the foundational literacies alongside skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and innovation.[i]

We are therefore committed to being a school where the capabilities, creativity, curiosity, and intelligence of every child is recognized, encouraged and stretched, as they actively participate in their education and development; voicing, shaping, forming and creating their future.[ii]

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As chair of Soul Action, I see quality education as nurturing, unlocking, and releasing children to be the agitators, innovators, and re-definers of the status quo; the heralds of a new kind of world who erect signs of justice and peace in the here and how. Among other things, I believe South Africa is crying out for greater equality and integration, and I believe it will be birthed in quality, affordable and diverse schools.[iii]

Philip Bowyer, 2019.

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Diversity

As a school, we are committed to a culture that makes room for, embraces, and celebrates diverse thinking, disciplines / subjects, and backgrounds. We welcome staff and families who long to develop deeper appreciation, respect, and understanding, through the mutual exchange of ideas about the past, present and future.[v] Diverse experiences, skills, and viewpoints – where there is freedom to voice, test, and (re)form them – stimulate the levels of creative problem solving and critical thinking your child requires in the 21st Century; where the facts are often unclear and the future is unwritten.

Where is the future? Where does the “new” reside? We will find the future in places where new forms of human coexistence, participation, and co-participation are tried out….It is necessary for us to learn this unity in diversity, and this diversity in unity’

Cagliari P., 2012. One city, many children: Reggio Emilia, a history of the present, p. 45.

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Affordability

As one of the top 10 countries in the world, in terms of cultural and ethnic diversity, at the tip of the most linguistically diverse continent on the planet, we believe South Africa has the potential to offer one of the best education systems in the world. This is why we are committed to providing an opportunity for your child to learn how to live with others together.

To ensure quality and diversity, our fee structure intentionally reflects each family’s household income. Assessing school fees on a sliding scale allows us to increase socio-economic diversity within the classroom, and, with that, increase access to the type of education children require in the 21st Century.[vi]

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[i] World Economic Forum, 2015. A New Vision for Education [online] Available from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_NewVisionforEducation_Report2015.pdf [Accessed October 2019]. To thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-mediated world, students must not only possess strong skills in areas such as language arts, mathematics and science, but they must also be adept at skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, persistence, collaboration and curiosity.

[ii] Cagliari P., 2012. One city, many children: Reggio Emilia, a history of the present, p.195.

[iii]Tennent, T.C., 2010. Invitation to World Missions: A Trinitarian Missiology for the Twenty-first Century. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2010, p. 471. Bosch, D.J., 2011. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books, p. 179.

[iii] World Economic Forum, 2015. A New Vision for Education.

[iv] World Economic Forum, 2015.

[v] The Spring Institute. 2016. What’s the difference between multicultural, intercultural, and cross-cultural communication? [online] Available from https://springinstitute.org/whats-difference-multicultural-intercultural-cross-cultural-communication/ [Accessed September 2019]

[vi] World Economic Forum, 2015. A New Vision for Education