Step 2: Diversifying Subject Choice!
Southern Cross Schools has made AP Mathematics available for learners to take in addition to their 7 compulsory subjects.
We welcomed 2020 with ambitious plans to transform our College and better equip our incredible learners with the academics, skills and confidence needed to walk into their futures with excitement and pride.
Southern Cross Schools is situated in a unique learning environment. Our deep rooted connection to the environment, coupled with outstanding IEB academic learning, supported by expert staff who are innately able to connect with learners and inspire individual potential, provides an education of choice.
Located on a residential wildlife estate with over 1100 hectares of bushveld and plains game on the outskirts of the Greater Kruger National Park, our learners are afforded the opportunity to experience the environment on a personal level, encouraging them to acquire a genuine consciousness for the importance of sustainability on a global scale.
With this foundation, we empower our learners with the tools they need to make a difference in our ever changing world.
A celebration of diversity, progress and the power of collaboration, our learners emerge ready to lead and inspire change.
“We may not know exactly what lies ahead for our learners in the future, but we have the advantage of knowing many of the skills they will need once they get there.”
"The greatest gift you can give a child is confidence."
- Gill Porter
The Southern Cross Pre-school is a unique and special space. Through various age appropriate activities, our children are encouraged to think creatively, collaborate with one another and communicate effectively and appropriately. This enhances their critical thinking skills and promotes problem solving.
The Pre-school motto is ‘We Nurture’. Our children learn in a safe, happy and positive environment which encourages their independence. They are praised, reassured and continuously reminded that kindness is one of the most important values one can possess.
The learning programme is built upon our earnest belief that children learn through play. With this in mind, teachers pay attention to our children's physical, personal, social, emotional and spiritual well-being, as well as cognitive aspects of learning.
Our activities are based on themes and topics that guide and prepare our children for life, including equipping them for meaningful and successful living in a rapidly changing and transforming society. These life skills are fundamental to what we do.
Our Preparatory School is an environment which focuses on guiding every child in their uniqueness and assisting them to reach their full potential. Each child is celebrated and praised for their achievements.
We feel it is important life skills such as reflection, respect, self-discipline and co-operation are valued and promoted. These skills, coupled with the required academic stipulations, allow our children to have balanced mind-sets which include an environmental consciousness.
Ultimately, our Preparatory School is a safe, warm, fun, stress-free environment which allows children to strive, grow and be progressive individuals. We believe in equipping and empowering our children to be able to face ‘real world’ challenges with confidence, emotional balance and sound thought.
Smaller classes enable teachers to work with the framework given by the CAPS curriculum, so that learning is not bound to pure academic content, but balanced with life skills too. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the basis of success in all spheres of life.
Critical thinking, hands-on learning, problem solving and reflection are highly valued skills built into the integrated syllabus. Standing tall, being accountable, kindness and a 100% respect 100% of the time are the prized values, resulting in an all-encompassing learning programme. Collaborative activities allow our children to learn from one another, discussions enable thoughts and ideas to be explored, and stimulating activities ensure the children engage actively during their learning day.
Singapore Maths is followed from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Based on grasping concepts practically before cognitive comprehension, it includes problem solving as a large part of the learning process, thereby teaching children to look at challenges from all angles and to know that solutions are a journey of discovery. A Growth Mind-set approach which significantly reduces anxiety and builds confidence, is foremost in our minds and coupled with loving support, leads to children who are secure and ready to think for themselves. Our children learn to embrace mistakes, knowing that it is through these mistakes, the most effective learning occurs.
Our children comfortably face formal and informal assessments, even the traditional type exams which are gently introduced in Grade 4. The assessment programme includes non-academic elements such as time management skills, organisation skills and collaboration.
Our school day is busy and packed with opportunity for growth. Bush Lore lessons nurture our children’s love for and respect of the earth, creative activities like Drama and Art facilitate right-brain development, relaxation and expression, whilst sport ensures healthy bodies that support healthy minds.
Southern Cross Preparatory School offers a variety of activities for learners to grow their passions and skills outside of the academic curriculum.
“Empowering our learners of today to create the world of tomorrow.”
Southern Cross Schools offers a unique approach to College life while upholding the valuable traditions which enhance each learner’s high school experience. We focus on being academically rigorous, challenging and forward-thinking. We strive to provide a stimulating education for all learners no matter what their talents, passions and ambitions are. We encourage individuality, celebrating strengths and promoting opportunities for growth, whether on the sports field, on the stage, behind an easel, or in the classroom.
We inspire and empower our learners to be pioneering, progressive and dynamic in their approach to everything they endeavor to achieve. College learners are guided and encouraged to debate, discuss and work collaboratively with their peers.
Our aim is to ensure that when a Grade 12 learner leaves our College, they have real-world skills to thrive in the not-too-distant future. Qualities like critical thinking, collaboration, creative problem solving, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and the ability to construct complex solutions. They will be community minded and play an integral part in the conservation and sustainability of our planet.
Southern Cross College is embarking on a new and exciting model of education. To enable our learners to be agile and future-fit, we recognise that change in the education industry is necessary to transform and improve learning outcomes and Southern Cross Schools will introduce an online IEB educational platform at our College from January 2021.
There is no doubt that our boarding facilities situated on Raptor’s View Wildlife Estate, offer a unique boarding experience.
It is a small family environment located in a beautiful setting where boarders are surrounded by the beauty of the Lowveld bush with its unique climate, sounds and smells. We also ensure a safe and stimulating environment.
Find out more about Raptor's View here.