ABOUT US

WELCOME!

At Grace Primary we recognise each child as an individual, with unique abilities, interests and aspirations. We offer a gentle, caring environment where children are encouraged to develop their talents through exposure to a broad and rich curriculum.

Our school is based on the philosophy and curriculum of a British educationist from the turn of the century, Charlotte Mason. Her philosophy speaks of how to present a ‘living education’, rich in relationships - with God, self, others, creation, work and ideas. This philosophy speaks too of the importance of a safe, nurturing atmosphere in a school, where a child learns to live well, growing in self-discipline and learning to show mutual respect, consideration and cooperation to those around them.

We aim to place before the students a rich, varied feast of learning, whilst focusing on what is good, true and beautiful in the world around us. We offer art, music and sport as an integral part of our diverse curriculum.

The relationship between the child, the parent and the school is vitally important. Our value system encourages the healthy personal development of each child, providing moral direction and inspiration for life. I warmly invite you to come and to see our school in action so you can get a feel for the learning atmosphere at Grace Primary.

VISION

Our school is committed to serving the whole child, inspiring and guiding him or her to become a mature, responsible, engaging adult. We want to see young people prepared for life; able to relate rightly to God, themselves, other people and the world around them, for a lifetime of fruitfulness.

To this end, Grace Primary implements the philosophy of visionary British educationalist Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) whose comprehensive pedagogy has been employed successfully in a variety of contexts throughout the world for over a century. Rooted in the Christian view of the dignity and inherent value of each child and the redemptive purposes of God in Christ, this educational philosophy breathes fresh life into the purpose of education, striving for healthy growth in all aspects of learning and behaviour. Growth in learning is fostered as children are nurtured in rich relationships with the knowledge of God, man, and the universe and are encouraged to observe and attend to the world around them in art, music, literature and nature. Growth in character is encouraged through purposeful training in good habits and inspiring children through story and example to pursue lives of moral virtue. Our hope is that the children attending our school would become persons who would think deeply, cultivate a rich intellectual life, love others and give back meaningfully to culture and society.

In a world where there are many other educational buzz words that seem to be more current and relevant to 21st century children (e.g. STEAM; Digital Citizenship; Project-Based Learning, Mindfulness Training and the like), the question of the continued relevance of a Grace Primary education might be a question that some might ask.

OUR EDUCATIONAL

PHILOSOPHY HAS FOUR MAIN VALUES:

Understanding that a child is a person
Embracing a Christian ethos
Fostering habits and attitudes
Enabling self-education

These are discussed in more depth in the Our Values section.

Grace Primary School was established in January 2014 to provide high-quality, affordable private schooling, based on Christian foundations, to Pinelands and the surrounding community. It was founded by three Pinelands couples whose eldest children all joined the first class at the school. They were motivated by a desire for a richer, more stimulating, and less assessment-driven education than the CAPS curriculum currently offers, and one where biblical truth and values are upheld.

The school currently has 8 classes (Grades R-7) with a maximum of 18 children per class. In 2017 we moved into Phase 1 of our beautiful new building in Protea Close, Pinelands, and in January 2023 we took occupation of the final Phase of our premises which added space for a library, science/art room, and music/aftercare room.

From January 2016-December 2019, Grace Primary had the privilege of being led by Miss Mabel Laubscher, who came to us with 34 years of diverse teaching, pioneering and managerial experience in 3 different continents. After she retired, we were once again blessed by another remarkable leader taking over the helm as school Principal, Mrs Karen Wood, whose teaching experience spanned 25years – from Grade 2 to A levels, from IB to Cambridge, from local curricula to the American Common Core – and she had taught both locally and internationally. However, Mrs Wood's teaching highlight was becoming familiar with Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy and methodology. She spent some time as Deputy Head and then Principal of Ambleside School of Hout Bay, which also employs the Charlotte Mason approach to education. She stayed with us for three and a half years through some turbulent times with the pandemic and our building project and then sadly left mid-2023 and is about to embark on a new venture with her husband involving much world travel.

Co-founder and Philosophy Director, Mrs Judy McComb, is currently ably at the helm whilst we search for another fantastic Principal to lead the school into its next season of flourishing.

VISIT US

Please come and visit us for a private tour.

To make an appointment, please contact Abigail de Wet at the school office: