Senior Primary
Grade 4 - Grade 7
St Teresa’s Senior Primary has a significant place in a girl’s education. Having left the secure and nurturing environment of the Junior Primary, we have a few short years to prepare our girls for High School. The challenges of meeting these requirements are easily met as our ethos and value base is so sound.
St Teresa’s was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1930. A Catholic-based school, it was the first school to open its doors to pupils of all colours and creeds long before legislation allowed this in schools. It has a long tradition of producing exceptional young ladies who are caring, independent and well-grounded as they follow the example of our Foundress Mother Catherine McAuley.
One of our fundamental values is to ensure that young ladies uphold traditional values of Spiritual Growth, Compassion, Global vision and Responsibility, Excellence and Collaboration. These traits are encouraged at all times, whether in the classroom, play grounds, sports field or in cultural activities.
The Senior Primary has a sound academic record and girls are taught in a variety of styles and genres, which allows every girl the chance of learning in a manner that suits her learning style. We pride ourselves on exceptional educators who are specialists in their subjects. The entire school writes a numeracy and literacy benchmarking test at the beginning of each year to assess each child’s progress and to establish that she is progressing at the relevant pace each year. The Grade 6s take part in the International Benchmarking test (IBTs) each year to ensure that St Teresa’s is keeping abreast with international standards too. A number of our girls score very highly in these tests.
The introduction of STEAM in 2018 allows the girls to use their Critical Thinking Skills in order to solve worldwide very relevant issues. These STEAM sessions allow the girls to investigate, test, retry and learn perseverance whilst collaborating with their peers. IT skills are used extensively and girls are extended to think for themselves. Our new building which will be completed later this year will house state of the art rooms in which these subjects can be explored.
Our facilities allow girls to take part in a large variety of sporting and cultural activities. All sports are offered at both a competitive as well as a social level. Mass participation is paramount, allowing as many girls as possible to participate in a selection of sporting codes. The cultural programme allows for children to participate in art, choir, marimbas, drama, recorder, piano, and guitars as well violin and cello. A separate afternoon is set aside so that girls are able to enjoy both sporting and cultural activities. Girls also compete in Chess competitions as well as Kids Book Lit quizzes where we have enjoyed excellent results.
The school is a small intimate community, and enjoys welcoming parents and extended family to join in many of the school’s social functions. We consider ourselves a large, happy family and one that works in collaboration with staff, parents and pupils to ensure that each child is nurtured and guided to be successful in yet another phase of her educational career.
As a result St Teresa’s girls leave our school as mature, self-confident young ladies who stride into the “Big wide World” happy and successful and knowing exactly who they are.
Join us to experience the wonderful, peaceful yet vibrant atmosphere that shapes young ladies for the future.
Mrs Lindsey Verster
Principal: Senior Primary
Academics
St Teresa’s prides itself on its service to learners by offering a holistic education. In line with this holistic education, St Teresa’s has built up a reputation of academic excellence.
The Senior Primary follows the CAPS documents to a point. Our experienced educators combine both CAPS and the best areas of an extended programme. We are not driven by CAPS but ensure that it forms a part of the children’s comprehensive learning programme.
At the beginning of each year all learners write a Literacy and Numeracy test to ascertain if they are progressing at the correct pace and that there are no areas of concern. This also gives the teachers an idea of the progress being made in each grade in a year.
Learners are taught in mixed ability classes. Learners are encouraged to develop a sound work ethic and small class sizes allow for individual attention. Academic support is available to learners in every subject. If any academic concerns are raised by a teacher, communication with a parent/s is done immediately.
A learner support teacher is available to pupils who may require extra consolidation in a particular learning area or who may be struggling with a particular concept. The pupil attends as many lessons as the teachers perceive to be necessary each week during school time.
Assessments are done consistently throughout the year. Educators vary the type of assessment frequently so as to give every child an opportunity to achieve according to their learning needs. Summative assessments are done at the end of the year. These are seen as a low-key event, so as to guide and educate our girls on correct exam procedure and enhance their learning skills.
A Study Skills programme is presented to all learners each year to assist them when revising for tests or more comprehensive assessments. These skills are taken up a level each year to give our learners the opportunity to find the correct method of studying for the individual learner.
Our academic staff are highly qualified, and continual professional development is emphasised. All teachers are SACE registered. Performance evaluation is an ongoing process to ensure that the needs of the learners are being met by the staff.
Subjects Offered in Grade 4 - 6
This curriculum covers grades 4, 5 and 6.
In Grade 4 – 6 the girls all take the following subjects:
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English
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First additional language – Afrikaans
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IsiZulu
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Mathematics
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Natural Sciences & Technology
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Social Sciences which includes Geography and History
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Critical Thinking Skills
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Drama
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Visual Art
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Music
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ICT
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PE (Physical Education)
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LO (Life Orientation)
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RE (Religious Education)
Subjects Offered in Grade 7
In Grade 7 the curriculum covers the following subjects
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English
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First additional language – Afrikaans or isiZulu – pupils choose which language they will do for Matric
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Mathematics
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Natural Sciences
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History
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Geography
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Dramatic Art
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Arts and Culture
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Music
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Computer Studies
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PE (Physical Education)
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LO (Life Orientation)
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RE (Religious Education)
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Media Skills
Cultural Extramurals
St Teresa’s offers exciting and diverse cultural experiences for the girls at the school. We view our cultural activities as an integral part of school life. There is a slot for cultural activities for an hour both in the morning and afternoon once a week, allowing the girls to explore their interests. Some activities change each term with others, such as choir and marimbas, running for the full year. We take part in interschool events and competitions for many of these activities.
The following cultural activities are an example of what is offered in the Senior Primary School:
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Marimbas
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Choir
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Band
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Library
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Needlework
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Confidence Club
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Kits Lit Club
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Afrikaans Spreekkoor
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Move (dance and aerobics)
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Chess
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Creative Space
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Art Appreciation
Senior Primary Sport
At St Teresa’s, we aim to inspire a deep passion for sports and a lifelong love of physical activity in our girls, with the hope that they will embrace an active lifestyle throughout their lives.
Our focus is on encouraging healthy competition while prioritising participation, exposure to a range of sports, and personal growth. Participation in sports is a key component of our Senior Primary girls’ school experience. They are encouraged to participate in at least one school sport each season (two sports per term), attend two practice sessions each week, and take part in relevant fixtures.
St Teresa’s is actively involved in both the Catholic Schools and Independent Girls’ Schools Sports programmes. We place particular importance on swimming at the Senior Primary, recognising it as an essential life skill.
Our pupils also participate in various festivals, including the Saints Prep Festival, the St Mary’s DSH Hockey Festival, and other Catholic Schools festivals, ensuring a rich and diverse sporting experience.
Term 1 Sports
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Swimming
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Tennis
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Cross Country
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Netball
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Term 2 Sports
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Netball
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Hockey
Term 3 Sports
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Athletics
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Tennis
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Swimming
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Soccer