Quick summary of key school information
School details
| Number of students |
1300 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
Our student body is quite diverse from international students to students across all races from South Africa |
| Most common nationality |
South African |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
Yes we do assist |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Afrikaans & isiXhosa |
| Max. number of students per class |
24 |
| Average number of students per class |
24 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
We adopt a progressive approach to developing IT competencies in our pupils in an age-appropriate and educationally sound way. Our goal is to produce competent, responsible digital citizens who are able to use technology to their advantage. By integrating technology directly into our academic programme, our pupils are taught the value of technology for learning and develop their skills while participating in the process. From Grade 4, our pupils are part of the Apple 1 to 1 programme and experience working with their own iPads during class time as well as desktop computers in our IT center, this enables them to engage in investigations, research, content creation and collaboration through technology.
Computational Thinking and coding are taught in the GET phase (Grade 7 to 9) at the end of which they progress to using a Macbook. They can choose Information Technology as one of their elective subjects from Grade 10 to 12. Owing to the extensive IT enrichment opportunities offered to students, they consistently achieve well above the IEB average for their IT Programming final marks. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
When the country went into lockdown, Elkanah House was in many respects ahead of the curve and was able to transition to online/distance learning with relative ease. Due to our familiarity with the Google Suite and continued staff training over the years, we were able to implement our online learning programme quickly and effectively. Google Classroom is a popular platform for teaching, and we have been giving tasks and collecting student work from Grade 4 up since the outset of our Google journey, with the younger grades being exposed to it in a more measured way during weekly IT lessons. When we were required to go online at short notice, it was a fairly simple and smooth transition for staff and students alike and the fact that our students from Grade 4 to Grade 12 all had their own devices was particularly helpful. While the learning curve was steeper for some than others, our staff adapted quickly and worked hard to contribute towards the success of this programme. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Christian ethos |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
Yes we do |
| External examinations or assessments available |
Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate |
| Results in these examinations |
100% pass rate |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Homework is the work that a pupil was unable to complete in class during the school day |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
98% |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes we do |
| Learning support offered |
Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Educational Phsycholgitst, On-site Counsellor |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Yes |
| Entry evaluation for students |
Academic Assessment |
| Waiting list |
Depends on the grade level. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
We do not have a deadline, it is dependent if space is available in the Grade |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
| School start time |
Between 07h50 - 08h00 |
| School finish time |
From 12h30 - 15h00 across the grades (Grade 000 to Grade 12) |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Aftercare facility is available to students up until Grade 6. The service is available till 17:30.
|
| School bus service available |
Under review at the moment |
| School provided lunches |
We have our Schoolyard Cafe that provides lunches and snacks |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Elkanah offers many clubs and activities. |
| Sports activities included |
PE during school hours and a range of extra-murals in the afternoons, from soccer, cricket, hockey, netball, softball, water polo, swimming, etc |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes |
| Facilities at the school |
Library at all campuses, Innovations/IT centers at all campuses, Theatre at the High School and halls at the other two campuses, Life Sciences Lab, Physical Science Labs |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Multipurpose Astro at our Sunningdale Prep
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| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Elkanah House, situated in Blouberg, Cape Town, is a co-educational, independent school that was founded in 1997.
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