CAPS · Foundation, Intermediate, Senior Phase

The full CAPS curriculum, taught with care.

Six core subjects from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Two languages of learning. Four special programmes. One steady school day.

Curriculum

Six subjects, taught in two languages.

Setswana is the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) in Foundation Phase. From Grade 4 onward, English Home Language joins as the primary medium, with Setswana retained as First Additional Language.

Grade 3 reading lesson with paperback storybooks

Languages

English HL · Setswana FAL

Aim: Children read fluently in two languages by the end of Grade 4.
Method: Read-aloud daily, paired reading on Wednesdays, weekly handwritten journals.
Special: Bojanala Reading Festival entry every September.
Assessment: Running records, writing portfolios, oral presentations — not just tests.

Children working at the chalkboard on multiplication

Numeracy

Mathematics

Aim: Confidence with numbers before speed — accuracy comes first.
Method: Concrete-pictorial-abstract sequence; bottle-cap counters in Grade 1.
Special: Saturday Maths Olympiad club for Grade 6 and 7.
Assessment: Weekly low-stakes quizzes plus termly tests; we never rank publicly.

Outdoor science observation around the edible garden

Inquiry

Natural Sciences

Aim: Curiosity that survives the move into high school science.
Method: Inquiry-based, with the school garden as a year-round laboratory.
Special: Acacia Tree Project — five years of seasonal observation.
Assessment: Field notebooks, group presentations, end-of-term practical.

Place & Story

Social Sciences

Aim: Children who know their village before they know the world.
Method: Local oral history interviews with grandparents, hand-drawn maps.
Special: Heritage Day storytelling cycle every September.
Assessment: Project portfolios, reflective journals, no rote dates.

Physical Education and creative arts session

Whole Child

Life Skills

Aim: Personal wellbeing, physical confidence, creative voice.
Method: PSW circles, weekly PE on the field, art every Friday afternoon.
Special: Choir, traditional dance, and clay work supported by Mrs Mahlangu.
Assessment: Participation, peer feedback, art portfolio review.

Make & Test

Technology

Aim: Design thinking with whatever materials we have on hand.
Method: Make-test-improve cycles; cardboard, wire, recycled bottles.
Special: Annual "Useful Thing" project — design something that helps at home.
Assessment: Prototype review, presentation to peers, design journal.

Grade Progression

A seven-year ladder, one rung at a time.

Grade 1

Setswana fluency, letter recognition, counting to 100.

Grade 2

First English readers, whole-class storytelling.

Grade 3

Independent reading, multiplication tables to 12.

Grade 4

English LOLT begins, first written projects.

Grade 5

Long-form writing, science notebooks, choir auditions.

Grade 6

First public speeches, Maths Olympiad club opens.

Grade 7

Senior Phase exit, high-school readiness portfolio.

Special Programmes

Four small things we do well.

These are not extras for a chosen few — every learner gets a turn through the year.

90 min · Tuesdays

English Drama Club

Aim: Confidence in spoken English through performance, scripted by the children themselves.

Led by: Mrs Botha and Ms Pillay; small productions every term.

Recent: "The Acacia Speaks" — written and performed by Grade 5 in 2024.

Children tending the school edible garden

60 min · Mon & Thu

Edible Garden Programme

Aim: Spinach, beans, and onions for the NSNP kitchen — and Natural Sciences brought to life.

Led by: Mr Sithole, with weekly volunteer support from three SGB parents.

Recent: Eco-Schools Bronze flag awarded in 2022 and renewed in 2024.

75 min · Wednesdays

Choir & Marimba Ensemble

Aim: Three-language repertoire — English, Setswana, isiXhosa — and an introduction to marimba rhythm.

Led by: Mrs Mahlangu, our Lead Music Educator since 2019.

Recent: Second place at the 2024 Bojanala District Choir Festival.

45 min · Fridays

Setswana Heritage Studies

Aim: Praise poetry, oral histories, and respect for the elders who keep them.

Led by: Mrs Mokoena and visiting ko-go (grandmothers) from Mabeskraal.

Recent: Heritage Day cycle published as a small printed booklet in 2025.

A Day at Makweleng

From the gate to aftercare.

An honest school day, kept simple. Hover any node to see what is happening at that hour.

07:50Gates open. Principal greets at the gate.

08:00Morning circle with class teacher.

08:30Whole-school assembly.

08:45Period 1 — Languages or Maths.

10:15Break. Free play under the Acacia.

10:35Periods 2 & 3 — core subjects.

12:00NSNP meal under the trees.

12:30Quiet reading. Whisper-only voices.

13:00Period 4 — Life Skills or Tech.

14:30Enrichment clubs. Choir, garden, drama.

17:30Aftercare ends. Last walks home.