At Pridwin, each boy is challenged and encouraged to reach his potential through a range of activities. Learning and innovation skills are increasingly being recognised and developed. Our vision is to prepare our boys adequately for the high schools of their choice and also to produce boys that are confident, creative and effective communicators.
Pridwin endeavours to attract highly qualified, motivated and dedicated teachers. In Grades 4 and 5, the emphasis is on nurturing and therefore the class teacher is mostly responsible for learning. From Grade 6, the boys are exposed to specialist teachers where the emphasis is on subject teaching.
In addition to these subjects, Life Skills such as entrepreneurial opportunities, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, IT, drama, developing self-esteem and study skills round off the holistic curriculum. Social and Civic Justice lessons enable our boys to see beyond the classroom and to take into account their position in society and the world. Integr8, a subject involving the integration of the sciences, arts and technology provides the boys with the opportunity to embark on inquiry-based learning. Pridwin’s unique Outdoor Learning Centre is a hive of activity where sustainability and the circular economy are at the forefront of education. Learning is brought to life through hands-on engagement.
The boys are exposed to themes throughout their journey in the senior phase. Assertiveness is the theme for Grade 4 where boys are encouraged to become more assertive and sure of themselves. Learning how to react in difficult situations and role modelling real life scenarios help them establish who they are and what they stand for. Heading into Grade 5, the theme shifts to academics where the emphasis is now on Study Skills. Learning how to learn is an important part of the schooling process. Being comfortable with your learning style and how to utilise it effectively is paramount as the boys head towards writing formal assessments. Grade 6 is the year that we dedicate to Digital Citizenship. This theme ties in with our curriculum and allows the boys to ask questions about social media and how best to navigate the online world.
Finally, our Grade 7 year is met with much excitement as our theme is Leadership. Pridwin has a unique Leadership Development Programme in that our curriculum develops the boys’ leadership skills based on teacher and author Jim Collins’ Good to Great Level 5 leadership qualities. Our boys attend a leadership camp in the beginning of their final year, where they learn and apply these attributes. All the boys are given the opportunity over the first two terms to demonstrate their leadership skills by becoming monitors, who are given responsibilities and are accountable for servicing the school.
We acknowledge that we live in a technology and media immersed world with access to an abundance of information and rapid changes in technological tools. To be effective, Pridwin has state of the art robotics centres where educational technology is implemented and explored. iPads are allocated to every grade. We have a specialised and internally developed curriculum that is followed from Grade 0 through to Grade 7, and the skills that are developed are integrated into the other subjects.
The academic curriculum comes alive and is given relevance through the use of different technological resources, such as interactive whiteboards, flat panels and an Apple TV, in every classroom. The library is well stocked for leisure and research purposes.