A Cedar House student is empowered to think critically, be creative and to collaborate and communicate effectively with others, while interacting with people and the world with respect, empathy and compassion.
A Cedar House
student..
At Cedar House we believe that meaningful learning can only happen in a caring, safe and supportive community that truly values each individual and engenders relationships based on mutual respect and kindness.
Relationship
centred
We foster the academic aspirations of our students and help them in achieving excellence in the sciences, humanities and arts, by guiding them towards their full potential and inspiring a passion for life-long learning.
An academic
approach
In a world regressing towards small-mindedness and conservatism, our school aspires to be an inclusive community which recognises that real strength, growth and resilience can only be achieved by embracing diversity in all its forms.
Diversity
matters
Through a large number of engaging outings and camps, Cedar House students are constantly immersed in a rich variety of valuable and memorable learning experiences rooted in the ‘real world’.
Beyond the
classroom
Dispelling the conception of schools as cloistered and closed-off institutions, our four individual campuses are imbedded in our suburban neighbourhood, organically connecting our students to their broader community.
An urban
campus
We are cognisant of our privileged position in the South African context and through our enriching and fun-filled compulsory social action programme, every Cedar House student makes meaningful contributions to society in a variety of ways
Social justice
in action
Cedar House is committed to the decolonisation of education, equipping our students with the skills and dispositions required to thrive in the 21st Century in Africa and the world.
Education for
our time
Mission | Vision | Values
Welcome to Cedar House, a small school that grows big people.
We have a vision of providing young people with an experience of big and expansive education – education that is of enduring, lifelong value and that allies itself with energised joyfulness.
Our Prep (Grades 4 to 7) and High Schools (Grades 8 to 12) are anchored by a commitment to hear and note young people and to guide them towards becoming empowered citizens who can lean and stride into the world in impactful and transformative ways.
Our curriculum is intentionally not tame and our compulsory social action programme helps young South Africans confront our country’s challenges with optimism.
We are committed to developing nationally and globally aware thinkers and activists. Our mission is to deepen our national role as a leading provider of progressive school education.
Cedar House’s values are embedded in three principles:
- a commitment to being academically aspirant
- an engagement with diversity discourse
- a dedication to guarding the safety of everyone in our community
If being part of an institution that is a first-rate IEB school, which is relationship-centred, forward-looking and an enlivened space of learning appeals to you and your child, we look forward to showing you around!
HIGH SCHOOL
The Senior Stage (Grades 8 and 9):
Students attend classes in multi-age groups which are not “streamed”. The intention of this phase is to engender curiosity and a deep love of learning, while growing resilience, independence and confidence. We want our students to arrive in Grade 10 energised and strong.
The curriculum encompasses the core subjects of English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa, Mathematics and Life Orientation. Beyond this, each semester, students choose three modules from our rich offering of traditional subjects and integrated learning threads. Assessment is continuous, with no final exam, and homework is confined to reading, thinking and research.
Grades 10, 11 and 12:
Grades 10 to 12 comprise the three years of the FET phase, which leads to the National Senior Certificate (or matric) and then to further study at a tertiary institution. It is the business end of school and is exam driven, with the high-stakes NSC exams being written at the end of Grade 12.
Cedar House’s examining body is the Independent Examinations Board and we are guided by the IEB in terms of the focus of our curricula and our assessment practice. We have a good record of our students excelling in the NSC exams and at tertiary institutions.
We value academic aspiration, a commitment to and love of learning, and rigour.
PREP SCHOOL
The prep school is a small, warm and safe space which spans Grades 4 to 7. During these years our students are acquiring critical academic and social skills that they need to negotiate the demands of high school and beyond. We focus on engendering respect for and kindness to others, self-awareness, being responsible and managing yourself appropriately. We encourage free play as a learning environment.
The curriculum is developed around mixed grade groups, with Grade 4 and 5 in Junior Stage 1 and Grades 6 and 7 in Junior Stage 2. The intention of the curriculum is to foster a love of learning and discovering. Homework is confined to reading, thinking and researching and assessment is continuous throughout each semester.
Junior Stage 1: The curriculum encompasses English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Life Orientation, Natural Sciences, Humanities and the Creative Arts. We believe learning should be both experiential and formal and, above all, fun.
Junior Stage 2: In this stage, we retain the core subjects of English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa, Mathematics and Life Orientation. In addition to this, each semester our students choose from a selection of learning threads, which are thematically focused but each encompass a number of learning areas.
