St George's Preparatory School

St George’s Preparatory School was founded in 1936 by Raymond Hutchinson to provide a private school education for boys aged 7-14 and prepare them for Public Schools in South Africa and overseas. The first enrolment numbered about 50 boys with approximately 25% being boarders. In 1987 the Prep became co-ed.In 2000 our Pre-Preparatory school opened its doors, followed by the College in 2001.

St George’s Preparatory School, consisting of the Pre-Preparatory, Junior Preparatory and Senior Preparatory, is an independent, co-educational school for children ages 3-13 and is situated in Park Drive, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Founded in 1936, the school caters for approximately 420 children from Grade 000 to Grade 7.

St George’s provides a warm, caring environment that nurtures the complete person, enabling students to develop their full potential. There is something magical about St George’s that sets it apart. It’s not just the exceptional teaching and the beautiful surroundings, it’s the joy of watching the children who come here flourish and grow.

St George’s is characterised by the enduring qualities of warmth and friendliness. Kindness, mutual respect and strong moral values create a lasting foundation for life and learning.

We strive to provide an excellent all-round education to all of our pupils, and we offer a stimulating and challenging academic programme, a vibrant sporting programme and a wide range of cultural activities. We invite you to make an appointment to view our very special environment.

The Pre-Preparatory caters for children aged 3 to 6 years in Grade 000, Grade 00 and Grade R. The children are able to participate in a caring, colourful learning environment where they grow by exploring knowledge both inside and outside the classroom. Our experienced and qualified staff nurture, encourage and support all the children, ensuring they feel both happy and secure in our care. Classrooms are bright, airy and classes are small so individual needs can be monitored and the children enjoy a secure, well-equipped playground and make use of the Preparatory school campus facilities.

The Junior Preparatory caters for children aged 6 – 9 from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Firm academic foundations inspire intellectual curiosity and a love for learning. The Prep’s flexible, innovative, broadly-based approach to education ensures every child enjoys all the attention stimulation necessary to make learning a rewarding journey of discovery. With access to all school facilities and specialist teachers we offer a wide breadth of subjects, including English, Maths, IT, PE, Music, Art and Drama.

The Senior Preparatory caters for children aged 9 – 13 from Grade 4 to Grade 7. Small classes ensure that each pupil receives individual attention in a nurturing environment. The curriculum is centred upon opportunity and pupil experience. This includes expert specialist teaching, underpinned by a rich programme of music, art, drama, sport and other extra-curricular activities. In being at the forefront of educational advances we actively embrace technology and incorporate the use of technology into our teaching and learning. This has assisted in creating a more dynamic learning experience, effective class interaction and collaboration, flexibility and adaptability to differentiated learning.

The Junior Preparatory marks the beginning of every child’s formal schooling at St George’s Preparatory. It encompasses Grade 1 – 3. Pupils are introduced to our Core Values: Kindness, Respect, Family and Fellowship and Integrity. These values encourage our children to become more aware of others and their needs and make them more responsible for their progress in the learning journey.

We embrace the child’s development as a whole and follow a curriculum that integrates all learning areas. The children are nurtured, stretched, encouraged and given a variety of opportunities to achieve their individual potential. In addition, we offer a highly qualified learning support system for those who need it. Our days are filled not only with academic work but also Art, Speech and Drama, Computers, Music and Physical Education. The Singapore Maths programme has also been introduced. It has a far more practical approach than traditional maths teaching and allows pupils to learn maths in a fun-filled way through discovery and the use of concrete apparatus.

Our Grade 1 and 2 pupils have sport two to three days per week. Here the children learn a variety of sports skills including judo, golf, cricket, tennis, swimming, netball, hockey, rugby and soccer. This enables them to participate skillfully in a sport of their choice in Grade 3.

St George’s Preparatory, fondly referred to as St George’s Prep, caters for boys and girls from Grade 1 to Grade 7 and offers small classes (no more than 25 per class). The Prep’s flexible, innovative approach to education ensures that every child enjoys all the attention and stimulation necessary to make learning a rewarding journey of discovery.

The goal of St George’s Prep’s is to keep pace with significant social and technological developments, motivating an overall standard of academic excellence. The Prep follows a traditional syllabus, but is not syllabus-bound, thereby freeing teachers and pupils to explore important social, ethical and environmental issues. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive SMART board and in 2012 the Prep was awarded SMART Showcase School status. IPads were introduced in 2013, adding an extra dimension to the classroom.

Sporting, cultural and outdoor activities form an integral part of the holistic approach to education at St George’s. In sport the emphasis is on participation and our pupils are fortunate to have access to professional coaches. Many of our pupils are selected to represent Eastern Province in various sporting codes.

The Prep has a strong tradition of participation in the arts. We have a dedicated music school and pupils have the opportunity to take Trinity College London exams in Music and Drama. Our art studio and drama studio are housed in our newly built state-of-the-art Arts & Media Centre.