With the closure of Elma Park Pre-Primary School, the infrastructure and buildings are set to be incorporated into Hurlyvale Primary School’s family.
Next year onwards, Hurlyvale intends to use the Elma Park facilities to provide education to learners in grade R.
The principal of Hurlyvale Primary, Trevor Thom, said the official hand-over occurred on November 22.
Elma Park Pre-Primary School closed earlier this year, invoking curiosity among community members as to what would occur to the property.
The school is set to be renamed Hurlyvale Primary School Grade R and Aftercare Centre.
The academic head for the Hurlyvale’s current Early Childhood Development (ECD) facility and the new school will be Vanessa Tarazza, while Johan Bouwer will be the financial manager.
At the new school, learners will follow a mixture of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) syllabus and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) syllabus.
Tarazza said learners will be taught skills needed in the 21st century, such as creative thinking and working in groups.
She said the two facilities will focus on learning through play, which can help learners develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain self-confidence.
“Children need to be taught the right skills at the right time in their life.”
Admission criteria into the school will be based on the criteria and requirements of the Gauteng Department of Education.
Thom said the school will remain a state facility, but will be run as a Section 21 non-profit company (NPC).
“Money made by the school will be re-invested back into it,” he said.
Thom said the decision to expand Hurlyvale Primary stemmed from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement, earlier this year, that it is compulsory for children to receive two years of ECD before entering Grade One.
Another deciding factor for the Hurlyvale family was the increase in the number of applications to Hurlyvale Primary.
By expanding, Hurlyvale hopes to ensure that children receive quality education.
Thom said the addition of the new facility should allow for six grade R classes.
He said overall, the response from the community has been positive.
