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.
OUR EDUCATIONAL
PHILOSOPHY HAS FOUR MAIN VALUES:
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Understanding that a child is a person
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Embracing a Christian ethos
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Fostering habits and attitudes
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Enabling self-education
These are discussed in more depth in the Our Values section.
ABOUT US
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.
Mr Duncan Gray has been school Principal since the start of Term 4, 2023. His career started at Sweet Valley Primary where he taught for many years in the Intermediate Phase. He then took on a leadership post at Kirstenhof of Primary as Head of the Mathematics Department before joining Brombacher and Associates as the Project Lead and Educational Consultant for Number Sense. This latter role has given him the opportunity to travel nationally to various schools and do curriculum training with teams of teachers, thus providing him with a breadth of insight.
VISIT US
Please come and visit us for a private tour.
To make an appointment, please contact Abigail de Wet at the school office:
Tel: 021 532 1816 or Email: admin@graceprimary.org
