Melpark Primary School is a small government-funded school in Melville for grade R to grade 7 learners. We selected this school for the values it upholds, which include promoting the children’s versatility and adaptability.

They use English as the language for instruction and then teach Afrikaans and Zulu as additional languages. In our opinion, this allows students to be adaptable while preserving culture.

As for its facilities and human resources, we’re impressed with how well they’re staffed despite being a small school. Moreover, Melpark Primary School’s teachers are all experienced and qualified learning instructors.

The school also greatly improved and expanded since it started with only one classroom and fewer than 30 students back in 2006.

We also selected Melpark Primary School for its extracurricular programmes. We love that they offer a variety of cultural activities, such as poetry, public speaking, arts, music, and games.

They’re also focused on providing a good sports programme, which is awesome. In fact, the school is competitive in league matches, especially for athletics, netball, and soccer.

We likewise admire its dedication to promoting mental health among its students. They have an in-house therapist and counselling services for students who are facing difficulties.

Melpark Primary School’s tuition fees are R 8 900 for Grades 1-7 students and R 11 400 for Grade R, which falls within the typical price range for government-owned elementary schools. 

However, there are additional fees for the after-care programme, which starts at 2:00 PM. Do note that the session ends atl 5:30 PM and guardians are fined for every hour past thereof.

If you’re interested in enrolling your child in Melpark Primary School, the list of requirements is posted on their website. Unfortunately, forms aren’t available online and their admission processes are done on-site.

If you’re looking to build your child’s independence and competitiveness, John Mitchell School might be a great choice for you. We selected this school for its organised and affordable, but good-quality programme.

The first thing we found noteworthy is John Mitchell School’s affordable tuition fees. For grades 1 to 7 learners, the tuition fee is R 5 700 annually, and R 6000 for grade R learners.

Their registrar’s office allows guardians to pay the fees annually, quarterly, or in ten monthly instalments. They also offer a 10% discount for early payers, which is a good deal.

Curricular-wise, John Mitchell School promotes collaborative learning. They encourage parents and guardians to be involved in their children’s learning as much as possible.

They also hold enrichment tours from time to time, which are designed to allow learners experience different out-of-school learning activities. 

Depending on the season, John Mitchell School also allows its students to take part in Athletics, Soccer, Cricket, Netball, Cross Country and Concert.

We also like that their learning setting is very focused. John Mitchell School limits its class sizes to make sure no child is neglected.

Take note, though, that this also means they have very limited slots for each grade annually. The school’s administration advises parents to inquire about nearby schools just in case their slots quickly fill up.

Rosebank Primary School is one of the first established government schools in Johannesburg’s forerunners. They have over 100 years of experience in the field of education. 

Aside from their strong credibility, we included Rosebank Primary School for its superb facilities. The school uses advanced technology, such as smartboards and solar technology to aid their students’ learning.

We also like that their buildings and grounds are clean and well-maintained. Premises are kept secured, fenced, and watched over by a full-time security guard.

Rosebank Primary School advocates for quality learning. Thus, all their teachers are seasoned educators who are great at handling kids.

Their curriculum is well-designed and regulated, following the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). They’re also focused on strengthening the learners’ literacy.

One of our favourite offerings is the annual enrichment tours, where students are allowed to mix fun and learning. On top of that, we love the regular on-site educational programmes that focus on literature and theatre.

Tuition fees at Rosebank Primary School for grades 1-7 and grade R are R 20,000, which is quite expensive compared to other schools on our list.

Parents and guardians who plan to enrol at Rosebank Primary School also need to take note that the school has a strictly short after-classes allowance time. This means children should be fetched no later than 15 minutes after their last class.

If not, children will automatically be booked into aftercare. The aftercare programme is separate from the children’s regular curriculum, and thus is billed separately from the tuition fee.

Houghton School is one of Johannesburg’s most prestigious primary schools. They were founded more than 75 years ago and were initially built for affluent Jewish families in Houston.

Aside from the good quality education they provide, Houghton School is popular for its high-quality facilities. Their classrooms and grounds are spacious and furnished with top-notch fixtures.

There’s internet access on the campus and they have a well-equipped media centre for students’ and teachers’ use. This allows the school’s stakeholders to have access to additional learning resources, which is awesome.

One thing that impressed us was the school’s comprehensive sports and culture programmes. They hold activities for chess, cricket, orchestra, football, tennis, and a long list of other kinds of sports and art.

We also love the idea of offering private extra-curricular classes for ballet, orchestra, karate, flip-flop gymnastics, and belly dancing. These lessons are optional and are charged separately from the tuition fees.

Another thing we love about Houghton School is its dedication to supporting students, especially those struggling not just in their academics, but also behaviour-wise. 

We did hear of some reports of bullying incidents, so it’s commendable that they have social workers available to assist on-site.

Since Houghton School is considered one of the most luxurious elementary schools in the city, parents interested in enrolling their children might need to prepare themselves financially.

Annual school fees at Houghton School are R 19,700 plus book fees, which are around R 700 to R 1,500.

Summerwood Primary School started out as a humble family school over 70 years ago. Since then, they expanded the institution and took on more students.

We included Summerwood Primary School in our list because we’re impressed with their well-designed curricula for grades 1-7. They value active learning, which encourages students to learn through participation and collaboration.

One thing we like about Summerwood Primary School is its focus on providing enriched learning to its students. 

This is done by exposing the learners to various non-traditional aspects, such as musical instrument training, visual arts, and mathematics, and technology. 

Another thing we like about Summerwood Primary School is their commitment to improving the school’s facilities and safety protocols.

Over the years, Summerwood Primary School focused on expanding the spaces used by its stakeholders and improving the equipment used within the premises. 

They also worked on strengthening safety protocols by implementing safe walking zones and regulated entrances. All gates were also upgraded to automatic gates.

They only accept a limited number of students per grade level every school year, though, so keep an eye out for the deadline of applications. 

It’s also worth mentioning that Summerwood Primary School is identified as a Quintile 5 school, which means they receive the least amount of funding per student. This also means they have higher annual fees than other elementary schools.

The estimated yearly school fee at Summerwood Primary School is around R 24,000.