Kyalami Preparatory School

Kyalami Preparatory School was established in 1998, with the Nursery School (KPNS) having opened its doors in 2016. We are registered with the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) and are accredited by Umalusi. We adhere to the highest standards of security, safety, cleanliness and teaching.

We believe that true education is not the mere learning of specific knowledge and skills, it is the development of children’s learning abilities – that is their capability to think creatively, plan and implement their plans and communicate their understanding in a variety of ways. That is what we at KPNS would like to instill within our Pre-Prep children – the ability to problem solve successfully on a social, emotional and academic level.

Here are no formal reports in Term 1 (January-April). However, “Get to know the teacher/child” meetings are held in February and Parent Interviews in April and September. Reports are issued at the end of Semester 1 (January-June) and again at the end of Semester 2 (July-December).

The Kyalami Schools Group consists of three high-performing independent (private) schools, namely, Beaulieu Preparatory, Kyalami Preparatory and Beaulieu College.

The Junior Preparatory Overview (Grade 1 - 3) Our dynamic young children enter the world of ‘Big School’ with some sense of excitement and apprehension. We have the opportunity to create well-rounded, resilient and independent young people who are able to apply their skills to a world that is forever changing. Our teachers aim to encourage and instil: Independence – to encourage routines and carry out age-appropriate chores at home and school Responsibility – to encourage punctuality, care for one’s belongings, accept consequences for misdemeanours and foster intrinsic motivation to succeed Problem-solving abilities – to learn to ‘make a plan’ in all areas of life Relationships/empathy – to learn to listen to others, co-operate in team work activities, listen to and respect others feelings and opinions A positive EQ – to feel confident, have realistic expectations and learn from mistakes Our academic programmes foster and develop auditory and visual perceptual skills, as well as gross and fine motor skills within our children. We believe that once we have set these solid foundations, our little ones will be equipped with the necessary the skills to develop sound Literacy (communicate, read, write and comprehend) and Mathematics abilities (understand number patterns and concepts, and problem-solve).

These in turn, will provide them with the adeptness they require to make sense of their learning, apply their knowledge and have an informed opinion on topics of interest in the Senior Preparatory Phase.We are aware that not all children develop and learn at the same pace. We thus encourage each child to learn in a way that best suits him or her, whether it be using flexible seating in the classroom, additional visual and auditory cues in the classroom, or with the help of external support structures to facilitate and support areas of difficulty. At Kyalami Preparatory School, we endeavour to create an environment for our children where they can learn through play and practical experiences, without fear and be encouraged to discover and collaborate with friends.

In the Senior Preparatory Phase, we offer a dynamic academic programme under the framework of the CAPS Curriculum. We do, however, have the flexibility within our programme to develop creative and critical thinking skills, as we believe these to be key to our pupils’ development. As our pupils enter this Phase in Grade Four they encounter a more formalised educational environment; although they are taught by their homeroom teachers in a number of learning areas, they are taught other key subjects by specialist teachers (e.g. Afrikaans and isiZulu).

In Grades 5 – 7 we are in the privileged position of being able to split our two homeroom classes into three streams for English and Mathematics, thus allowing more contact time between the teachers and pupils and more individualised attention in these core areas. In these Grades our pupils are fortunate to be taught by a number of subject specialists

Kyalami Schools (NPC), provides an outstanding quality of education to all its pupils. Its identity as a 'Thinking School' is at the heart of its work, whether it is encouraging children to think about others or to think things out for themselves.

A unique ethos of aspiration, reflection and improvement permeate the schools at all levels. Staff and pupils are receiving a very special opportunity to learn about real life skills, values, how to think and question effectively and how to prepare for a happy and successful life. Our outstandingly successful schools fully meet the aims of Kyalami Schools’ challenging vision statement by being a ‘creative and thinking school’ developing its pupils to become global achievers.

The focus on 'thinking skills' across the schools plays a significant role in teaching pupils how to learn effectively. It is an important factor in the good progress they make and in their preparation for high school and later life.