Kyalami Preparatory School was established in 1998, with the Nursery School (KPNS) having opened its doors in 2016. We are registered with the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) and are accredited by Umalusi. We adhere to the highest standards of security, safety, cleanliness and teaching.
The Kyalami Schools Group consists of five high-performing independent (private) schools, namely, Kyalami Preparatory Nursery School, Kyalami Preparatory School, Beaulieu Preparatory Nursery School, Beaulieu Preparatory School and Beaulieu College.
Tammy Odendaal
KPNS Headmistress
about us
Kyalami Preparatory and Nursery School have a nurturing, supportive environment with teachers and parents committed to working together to stimulate academic, cultural, spiritual and sporting excellence. We embrace the ethnic, cultural and social diversity of our country. True to the School’s motto of, ‘Spread your Wings’, we encourage our pupils to reach their full potential in every aspect of school life and in what we believe is a relevant education programme in global terms. Intellectual curiosity is encouraged in all learning areas.
A labour of incredible love, we promise a Nursery School where the following aspects are emphasised:
- Character – in the children is both identified, valued and nurtured
- Commitment – of the staff to develop the individual strengths of each child, as well as to nurture their need to feel secure, be accepted, loved and happy
- Courage – to make wise decisions based on best practice and what is best for your child
- Confidence – to entrust the educational moulding of the future generation in our qualified and capable hands
- Communication – to maintain open and honest conversations with all relevant stakeholders, welcoming participation and building mutual understanding
- Compassion – to nurture compassion through our children, teaching them to be compassionate towards others; to smile and give hugs, and supply words of encouragement and positive reinforcement.
our curriculum
We believe that true education is not the mere learning of specific knowledge and skills, it is the development of children’s learning abilities – that is their capability to think creatively, plan and implement their plans and communicate their understanding in a variety of ways. That is what we at KPNS would like to instill within our Pre-Prep children – the ability to problem solve successfully on a social, emotional and academic level.
With this in mind, our daily programme for each grade includes the following:
our daily programme
Grade 0000 (Toddler class)
- Our Toddler class focuses on learning through play, language development, and social and emotional skills growth. These skills form the foundation of learning and take time and practice to master.
- 2-3 year olds will be toilet trained when they are ready. We ask that parents support this process when it begins.
- Our little ones will enjoy Library, Music and Playball once a week as part of their morning programme. These lessons will be phased in once they are ready for additional lessons.
- Our Toddlers will have a nap after lunch.
Grade 000 and 00 Programme
- Our 3 – 5 year olds enjoy a structured day in a small group, with plenty of stimulation, playing musical instruments, singing, listening to stories, painting, climbing, and sand and water play.
- Playball is included in their weekly programme as well as Music, Djembe drumming and Library lesson.
- A vital part of their indoor time is the ‘skills’ lesson where fine-motor skills, crossing the midline, body image and perceptual skills are developed and practiced.
- Our daily ring-lessons include drama-rings, discussion-rings, creative storytelling-rings, Literacy and Numeracy Rings.
Grade 0
- When the children enter Grade 0, they are exposed to our ‘School Readiness’ Programme. This programme involves four activities weekly, which the children do on a rotational basis. The activities include Numeracy, Literacy (Letterland and Time2Read), and Visual and Auditory perceptual activities weekly.
- The Grade 0’s are walked down to the Preparatory School for their weekly Computer lesson – these lessons include Robotics.
- Their Physical Education lessons take place once a week. These lessons include swimming (seasonal).
- Our children start their First Additional Language (FAL) lessons in Grade 0. As parents, you will be asked to choose two of the three FAL’s for your child to carry into the higher grades. Our current FAL’s are: isiZulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans.
- Our Grade 0 children also have the opportunity to receive learner support from our qualified Speech and Remedial therapist. These lessons are at no additional cost to our parents. The focus of these lessons is to support our little ones in laying firm foundations for learning in Grade One.
- Tuck is a fundamental part of our Grade 0 week, and this is where they learn to handle money and learn its value.
- Their daily ring lessons include Library, Music, Djembe drumming, drama, discussions and creative storytelling-rings, which are all based on our weekly themes.
snack time
The children will be given a snack at 09h30, consisting of a brown bread sandwich, seasonal fruit and water. Lunch is served at 12:00 to all of our children. Occasionally as a snack treat the following is given: popcorn; juice; tea; ice lollies; hot chocolate.
our uniform
Our Grade 0000 (toddler class) are not required to wear a uniform as part of their day will include toilet training. They are welcome to wear comfortable and practical clothing for their school day.
From Grade 000, our children wear a KPNS uniform which takes the stress out of “what to wear” each morning. We have tried to keep our uniform as simple and cost-effective as possible as we understand the cost of replacing uniforms for a growing child. We welcome paint and glue stains as part of their uniform; this is proof of a fun-filled day!
playtime
A fundamental part of the KPNS programme entails ‘Learning through Play’. Various safe, imaginative indoor and outdoor PLAY AREAS have been created in addition to the permanent structures on the playground:
Fantasy Area:
Our ‘Tiny-town’ is equipped with a variety of dress-up clothes and items used in everyday life, allowing the children to develop their imagination. When your child engages in pretend play, he/she is actively experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. A firm favourite in this area is our mud garden, ‘The dirty diner’, where many chocolate mud cakes are baked!
Construction Area:
Our Construction Area allows children to play and manipulate a variety of construction materials. They use these to build towers with blocks; construct objects with miscellaneous loose parts; play in the sand – to name a few. Activities such as these are vitally important in developing perceptual skills, including spatial awareness.
Creative Area:
The Creative Area allows for children to express themselves through art. A variety of materials are provided for the children on a daily basis to incorporate in their creations.
With these areas all ‘open’ during free playtime, we allow interaction, discovery and play. The children are encouraged to develop their individual strengths and learn social skills, within a structured, yet informal environment.
Although not a play area per se, our vegetable garden, ‘Mr McGregor’s Garden’, is a space for the children to learn about planting and harvesting food. There is an educational aspect to this garden, along with developing compassion. Once our crops are harvested, small packs of food are made. The children are then encouraged to find someone hungry to supply with a pack.
reporting
There are no formal reports until June. However, “Get to know the teacher/child” meetings are held in February and Parent Interviews in April and September. Reports are issued at the end of Semester 1 (January-June) and again at the end of Semester 2 (July-December).
Grade 0000, 000 and 00
These Semester 1 reports are based on the child’s social and emotional development. Although all other learning areas are assessed and a record kept of the individual child’s development, these areas will only be included in the comprehensive end-of-year report (Semester 2).
Grade 0
The Grade 0’s have comprehensive reports for both Semester 1 and Semester 2. These reports encompass all the age-appropriate learning areas, as well as the social and emotional development of the child.
Portfolios
Portfolios are sent home for each child from Grade 0000 to Grade 0. These portfolios give you an overview of the skills that are being covered within class.
Extra cost activities
A timetable of extra cost activities is available at the start of each year. As of 2022, KPNS offers approximately 15 extra cost activities. These are billed separately by the various coaches. In January, parents are invited to attend an exhibit at KPNS, where all suppliers will be on hand and application forms can be collected should you wish to enroll your little one in an activity on offer.
Children who are attending an extra cost activity will be collected by the coach from their class or the waiting class for their activity.
School hours and waiting class
Our academic school day times are as follows:
Grade 0000, 000 & 00 – 08:00 to 12:30
Grade 0 – 07:45 to 12:45
Our school gates open at 07:00 and children are able to join our morning waiting class. Our Assistants run our waiting class until 07:30, thereafter our Teachers join our Assistants to start our school morning.
We offer a waiting class facility for all children after school. This service runs until 13:30 where the children are supervised by a staff member.
Aftercare
KPS have employed an external company, namely Club Engage, to run our aftercare facility. They run their afternoon program on our property, in one of our classrooms. The children are collected from their classrooms and accompanied to aftercare. They also run a holiday programme. Their times are as follows:
KPNS Aftercare: 12:30 to 18:00 (Monday – Friday)
Holiday Care: 07:00 to 18:00 (Monday – Friday)
Open door policy and communication
As your child is our main concern, we have an Open Door Policy in order to keep the doors of communication open at all times.
We also use a variety of means of communication:
- Kyalami Schools Group App
- Whatsapp Broadcast group
- Bi-weekly Newsletters
- Emails
- SMS
Please feel free to contact Tammy Odendaal should you have any questions or concerns todendaal@kyalamiprep.co.za
