About Us
Preparing the groundwork for pupils to prosper!
About Our School
BOFS Pre-Primary and Primary School is a registered NPC. It was established in 1997 and has been successfully educating children for the past 24 Years. All the activities of the company are thus carried on in a non-profit manner and with an altruistic or philanthropic intent.
The Team
The passionate Educators provide a grounded treatment approach and make use of a unique, individualised educational programme with a set objective for each learner’s strengths and challenges.
This is achieved through ongoing assessments in small classes offering customised learning for the individual child’s specific needs. The school provides practical guidance to parents and strives to support parents and families in fulfilling their responsibility to educate their children. We view parents as our partners in the education of their children and work in partnership for the benefit of the child.
The school has an “open door policy’ and encourages communication in all forms between parents and Educators. The school also guarantees that a sufficient number of appropriately qualified and dynamic Educators are available to provide the services required and implement the objectives of the curriculum.
We view the Educators as facilitators in the process of learning, who strive to instil children with a love of learning and help enable them to become competent, self-motivated learners. The Educators are encouraged to provide high quality, stimulating learning opportunities, which interest and motivate the children. It is the well-rounded Educators duty to facilitate the learners to become creative and critical thinkers who can learn independently. The quest is to stimulate and challenge the children to achieve their full potential and to listen to, respect and value each child as an individual.
Mrs Cheryl Soares de Melo
Principal
Mrs. Cheryl de Melo believes strongly in Holistic Education and that Education for young children must emphasize the development of the child as a whole i.e.: their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual development. She also regards following and keeping up with new developments and evolving progress in Education as vital to the implementing of innovative approaches. Mrs de Melo adores children. Her favourite time of the day is being involved with the children. She describes her best moments at school as observing the children experiencing the joy of learning and loves their enthusiasm when tackling new tasks, their determination when finding some work challenging and the wonder at the way they express themselves when they can complete a task independently.
Mrs Mila von der Becke
Educator
Ms. Mila von der Becke has been teaching at Bryanston Grade 0 for the past 13 years. She is the proud mother of two children who attended Bryanston Grade 0 and Bryanston Primary School. In addition to her BEd, she did her Honours BEd in Inclusive Education. MS von der Becke has a passion for a unique and personalised approach for each child in her class. This is implemented in her daily teaching with enrichment and extension of advanced learners and support with learners experiencing some barriers to learning.
Ms Roxanne Klerck
Educator
Miss Roxanne Klerck has been a Grade 0 Educator for 5 years. She is very passionate about children and education, and the role she plays in the development of children she comes into contact with. Roxanne was born in Bryanston and has lived here her entire life. She feels very fortunate to be teaching in the area she grew up in. She is family orientated and has a close bond with them and loves spending quality time with family, especially in the bush or on the beach. Her other interests include photography, beauty, reading, crafts, and baking.
Miss Engela Longland
Educator
Miss Engela Longland is an optimistic and spontaneous teacher who believes that children learn best through play. She has a pleasant outgoing, personality. Engela has been teaching for 4 years and is always on the lookout for new teaching methods and opportunities to grow her knowledge and skills as a teacher. She has a determination to achieve, which is evident in her wonderful work ethic. Her love for children is clearly visible in her warm and gentle interaction with them. She believes that each learner has a unique potential and aims to meet the individual needs of the learners in her classroom. Engela grew up on a farm with her three siblings. She loves nature and the outdoors. Engela enjoys cooking, reading, being active and spending quality time with her family and friends.
Mrs Senka Markovic
Assistant Educator
Mrs.Senka Markovic has a degree in Psychological Counselling. She is in the process of completing her training in Neurotherapy. She is doing community work in Diepsloot, providing emotional support for the children. Senka is married with a child in Grade 2. She has been at Bryanston Grade 0 since 2018 stepping in as a locum teacher. She joined the dream team as an assistant teacher in 2021.
Curriculum
We are registered with the GDE as an Independent School and follow the CAPS (National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) curriculum, introduced by the Department of Basic Education. For our Foundation and Intermediate Phase learners, we ensure that instructional time is appropriately allocated to each subject.
Each Grade follows specific learning timetables applicable for their Grade. It is the Fully Qualified Educator’s responsibility to ensure that the CAPS Curriculum is implemented successfully to offer each child the best academic and well-rounded education.
Each student’s learning experience is personalized according to their abilities and understanding, allowing them to actively engage in the learning process. Our program is specifically designed to uncover and nurture each child’s true potential and academic strengths, recognising that every child has a unique learning style. By tailoring our educational approach, we aim to support and enhance each child’s individual learning journey.
We are fortunate to have large grassed area for co-curricular activities and extra-curricular activities. This is equipped with age- appropriate equipment.
We view Educators as facilitators in the process of learning and their aim is to instill in children a love of learning to enable them to become competent, self-motivated learners. The Educators are encouraged to provide high quality, stimulating learning opportunities, which interest and motivate the children.
It is the well-rounded Educators duty to facilitate the learners to become creative and critical thinkers who can learn independently. Furthermore, to challenge the children to achieve their full potential and to listen to, respect, and value each child as an individual.
We are a secular education-based school and whilst we respect and acknowledge all cultural beliefs, we do not have a specific religious programme that we follow.
Discipline
We follow the guidelines of Lee Canter’s programme called Assertive Discipline. It uses positive reinforcement by recognising the positive behaviour and work ethic of learners. There are rewards offered which the children work towards. These are simple rewards and appropriate for different ages e.g.; extra physical education time, a special activity, listening to music in class, the first choice of Library book, etc. With the Foundation Phase, we make sure that Rewards can be attained easily and are not made too hard so the young students lose interest.
Assertive Discipline uses corrective discipline (which are actions and consequences learners know of and are aware of should they not follow school rules) and not coercive discipline (which is and includes threats, punishments, and intimidation).
Aftercare
We offer an Aftercare service from 13h30-17h00 daily during the school term.
The Aftercare is funded by parents whose children attend Aftercare. The school does not financially support or subsidise the Aftercare. All expenses must be covered by the income generated from receiving the Aftercare fees. The cost includes the following: nutritious cooked lunch, mid-afternoon fruit snack, salaries for fully qualified educators, cleaning, administration, educational equipment, stationary telephone, and maintenance of the aftercare facilities.
To find out more about our Aftercare, please click on the link below.