British International Preparatory School

The British International Preparatory School (BI Preparatory) offers children in South Africa the very best of international primary education. There is a careful balance between traditional values and modern approaches to education.

We offer the pure Cambridge curriculum as it is meant to be taught, and do not dilute the curriculum by also running other curricula simultaneously. The Cambridge International Primary Curriculum has a proven reputation for providing an excellent foundation for secondary education, college, university, employment and life in the 21st Century.

As a truly international school, we have additional elements taken from Scottish, Canadian, and Australian schools. These include Club Activities (fun additional activities to develop strategic thinking, fine and gross motor development, creativity and social competence); Study and Prep (formalised assistance to ensure that no homework is required in Keystage 1 (year one and two) or Keystage 2 (year three and four)); and SQUIRT (Supervised Quiet Uninterrupted Individual Reading Time to promote reading and a love for books).

The British International Preparatory school is fully accredited by the local education authority; Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). Our GDE registration number is JN700400675. It is a legal requirement to operate a school in South Africa to be registered with the local education authority.

Sport is essential to all-round development of the preparatory school pupil. Healthy competition leads to determination to strive for excellence. Sport and physical education forms an integral part of our curriculum.Music, dance, drama and visual arts teach children to express themselves and develops communication and artistic skills. Pupils participate in an annual production which forms part of the expressive arts curriculum.ICT is a tool to enhance and accelerate learning. We follow the Cambridge ICT Programme and expose our children to a variety of devices.

Our code of conduct is a set of rules outlining practices where each pupil’s interactions with fellow pupils, staff and parents are to be based on courtesy and respect. Each pupil is expected to uphold high values and norms and we encourage our pupils to be global thinkers, work hard, walk tall and develop skills and attributes they will need if they are to flourish in life and learning, now and in the future.We expect our pupils to be honest, reliable and self-controlled young people and to be examples to others in their words, actions and knowledge as is set out in our Golden Rules.

Pupils in the Early Years Programme are assessed continuously. This assessment tracks all aspects of the developmental progress of the pupil.

Primary Start, Stage 1 and 2 children write year end tests set by our teachers under test conditions appropriate to their age. These tests assess the year’s work.

Stages 3 to 7 write Cambridge Progression Tests in English, Mathematics and Science. Integrated Studies, ICT and Expressive Arts Progression Tests are set by our teachers. Active Education is assessed via practical exam. French has a listening and speaking test and Stages 4- 7 also have a written test. All tests assess the year’s work and are conducted according to Cambridge regulations for examinations.

Apart from these examinations, progress in all Stages, including Nursery and Reception is recorded and communicated to children and to parents in four Records of Achievement, put listed during the course of the year. The final Record of Achievement indicates the results of the year end examinations and/or Progression Tests.

A few months later, our temporary premises were set up. Within hours of opening registrations, the Preparatory School was full. To accommodate the quality educators and quality families we were now serving, we had the finest prefabricated classrooms installed - equipped with air-conditioning, AppleTV, WiFi and the greatest Cambridge Preparatory teachers we could source from right around the world.

Our beautiful permanent Preparatory School campus is modelled after the very latest in international school design. Construction was completed at the end of 2018.

At the end of Year 6, our pupils write Cambridge Primary Checkpoint exams, in which they consistently prove themselves to be in the top third of children examined at their age worldwide.

Our temporary premises were set up. Within hours of opening registrations, the Preparatory School was full. To accommodate the quality educators and quality families we were now serving, we had the finest prefabricated classrooms installed - equipped with air-conditioning, AppleTV, WiFi and the greatest Cambridge Preparatory teachers we could source from right around the world.

Our beautiful permanent Preparatory School campus is modelled after the very latest in international school design. Construction was completed at the end of 2018.

At the end of Year 6, our pupils write Cambridge Primary Checkpoint exams, in which they consistently prove themselves to be in the top third of children examined at their age worldwide.

Pupils in the Early Years Programme are assessed continuously. This assessment tracks all aspects of the developmental progress of the pupil. Primary Start, Stage 1 and 2 children write year end tests set by our teachers under test conditions appropriate to their age. These tests assess the year’s work.

Stages 3 to 7 write Cambridge Progression Tests in English, Mathematics and Science. Integrated Studies, ICT and Expressive Arts Progression Tests are set by our teachers. Active Education is assessed via practical exam. French has a listening and speaking test and Stages 4- 7 also have a written test. All tests assess the year’s work and are conducted according to Cambridge regulations for examinations.

Apart from these examinations, progress in all Stages, including Nursery and Reception is recorded and communicated to children and to parents in four Records of Achievement, put listed during the course of the year. The final Record of Achievement indicates the results of the year end examinations and/or Progression Tests.