Academics
A Primary school that INSPIRES
PRE
SCHOOL
Play-based & child-centered approach.
FOUNDATION PHASE
Creating Authentic
Learning Opportunities.
INTERSEN
PHASE
Nurturing skills and values.
Pre School
play-based & child-centered approach
Our Pre School prides itself on its play-based and child-centred approach to learning and teaching. It is within this special space that we take great pleasure in seeing our children explore, experience and grow into individuals with limitless potential. Every day is filled with laughter, wonder and awe where children make their own discoveries, making sense of the world around them. Our integrated approach allows for them to develop the necessary skills in both Numeracy and Literacy, while they are encouraged to problem-solve, treat their environment and friends with love and care, cultivating a keen awareness of themselves and those around them. At the same time our children are encouraged to express themselves through dance and drama, creative movement, music, baking and making, science experiments and all things fun, messy and marvelous! Our wonderful teachers and teaching assistants count it a privilege to accompany you and your child on the start of a journey celebrating the wonder of their lives. Our academic offering is as follows: The NumberSense and Mathletics programme in Numeracy, Time2Read programme in Literacy, isiZulu, Life Skills including Bible Ed and Devotions, Art, Drama, Music, Computer Science (IT, Robotics and Coding) whilst incorporating Thinking Maps, Harvard Thinking routines, TASC Wheel and Habits of Mind.
Foundation Phase
William Butler Yeats very aptly states that “education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
This is what we endeavour to do in Foundation Phase. We believe that each child is gift from God, an individual with unique potential that must be developed to their unique purpose and passion. It’s a safe and nurturing environment where the love of and for learning is a fire lit within their minds and hearts.
From Grade 1 to 3, our children are introduced to creative and authentic learning opportunities, underpinned by our Christian values and ethos, equipping them with the skills that would require them to be responsible 21st century citizens and lifelong learners.
We believe that a child’s learning experience must be holistic and all encompassing, our academic programme, which is based on the CAPS curriculum, is carefully built and designed to encourage academic rigour and excellence. Our learning strategies allow our children to think critically and creatively, living reflective lives where they are able to form their own opinions, express themselves confidently and act in a socially responsible manner, centred on an awareness of who they are in God. Our academic offering is as follows: The NumberSense and Mathletics programme in Numeracy, Time2Read programme in Literacy, isiZulu, Life Skills including Bible Ed and Devotions, Art, Drama, Music, Computer Science (IT, Robotics and Coding) whilst incorporating Thinking Maps, Harvard Thinking routines, TASC Wheel and Habits of Mind.
INTERSEN PHASE
NURTURING SKILLS AND VALUES
We live in a rapidly changing world and it is our desire to nurture skills and values that will enable our learners to navigate through and succeed in life. Jean Piaget said, “The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things.” This encapsulates our thinking in the InterSen Phase. Our classrooms are learner centred as we seek to encourage our children to invent and discover – to feed each child’s natural curiosity and provide ample opportunities to explore the world. We seek to do this in a safe, loving environment where each learner is secure in the knowledge that they are unique in God.
Each learner is given the opportunity to nurture and develop their individual gifts and talents. While following the National Curriculum, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and reflection are encouraged through projects and discussions. Our learners are shown how to be “explicit thinkers” who will make a positive contribution to the society in which they live. Our academic offering is as follows: English (Home Language); Afrikaans (First Additional Language; isiZulu (Second Additional Language); Mathematics, where the Number Sense programme is followed; Natural Science; Social Science (History and Geography); Life Orientation (Physical Education, Bible Education and Life Skills); Creative Arts (Art, Music and Drama); Computer Science and Economic Management Science (Grade 6&7).
THINKING JOURNEY
In order to support our vision of children who can impact the world around them because they are secure in their uniqueness, Knights has adopted a cognitive education approach. This means that we do not merely want to teach our children content but we want them to be able to approach topics critically and in such a way that they can solve problems creatively. We want our children to be able to think about and explain their own thinking.
Underpinning the curriculum is Carol Dweck’s concept of a Growth Mindset which says that intelligence is not fixed but that people can become smarter because the brain is malleable. When students believe this, the research has shown that they are prepared to work harder as they understand that effort makes them stronger and their level of achievement improves.
Knights is affiliated to Thinking Schools South Africa and we are currently working towards accreditation as a Thinking School with the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
We make use of the following tools to support our curriculum:
- 16 Habits of Mind by Art Costa and Bena Kallick
- 8 Thinking Maps by David Hyerle
- Blooms Revised Taxonomy
- Thinking Actively in a Social Context by Belle Wallace
- Project Zero Thinking Routines by The Harvard Graduate School of Education
ACADEMICS
Find out how we equip our children to be life-long learners.
UNIFORM
Students Depot
Contact them on: Knights@schooldepot.co.za
EXTRA MURALS
We offer a variety of extra mural & cultural activities.
OUTREACH
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.
INNOVATION
A mentoring programme where our teachers and learners creatively explore vital life skills and more.
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Growing in God.
Accelerated Learning Programme
Our Accelerated Learning Programme caters for all learners no matter their need.
Board of Directors
The Role of the Board of Directors