18 Months to 3 Years
Toddler
A nurturing environment where the youngest learners build independence, language and movement through purposeful activity and gentle routines.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Newberry 3E’s
Our mission at Newberry House is to showcase what is possible in education through Education, Environment and Experience. We offer authentic Montessori practice and a Cambridge International pathway, enriched by real-life learning in prepared environments where beauty, purpose and earth stewardship shape daily life.
Our education pathway honours the natural development of the learner while building strong academic foundations. Montessori practice develops independence, concentration, curiosity and deep understanding. In the adolescent years, the Cambridge pathway extends this into rigorous academic study, critical thinking and preparation for life beyond school. This is where curiosity meets competence.
DUAL PATHWAY
From Montessori foundations to the Cambridge International pathway
The strength of a Newberry House education lies in its continuity. The habits formed in our Montessori primary classrooms become the foundation for academic depth in the Cambridge high school years.
The Montessori Foundation (Primary)
How it develops through the Cambridge pathway (High School)
Self-directed work
Children choose their work, follow their interests and learn to manage their own time within a prepared environment.
Independent study
Learners take ownership of revision, research and project work, confident in their ability to manage their own learning.
Concrete understanding
Hands-on Montessori materials build deep understanding of mathematical, scientific and language concepts from the ground up.
Abstract mastery
That conceptual depth becomes the foundation for abstract reasoning and strong performance in IGCSE and AS Level examinations.
Inner discipline
The freedom of the Montessori environment cultivates focus, patience and self-regulation from an early age.
Exam resilience
Self-disciplined learners approach examinations with calm preparation and the resilience to perform under pressure.
Social responsibility
Mixed-age classrooms naturally cultivate empathy, mentorship and a sense of contribution to a shared community.
Leadership and global citizenship
Older learners step into leadership roles, community service and outward-looking projects with confidence and care.
Inquiry-based learning
Children learn to ask questions, investigate and synthesise their own answers rather than memorise facts.
Critical thinking
That same habit of inquiry becomes rigorous critical thinking, a skill strongly valued in Cambridge assessments.
MONTESSORI
The Montessori approach
Newberry House is rooted in authentic Montessori practice, shaped by the principles laid down by Dr Maria Montessori more than a century ago and supported by AMI-trained educators across the school. Many members of our academic team have completed AMI orientation courses or diplomas.
Montessori is not a method bolted onto a traditional curriculum. It is a way of seeing the child. Our role is to prepare the environment, observe carefully and follow the child as they discover their own capacity.
Planes of Development
Montessori education addresses the specific characteristics of each developmental plane: Toddlers, Pre-Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Adolescence.
3 to 6 Years
Pre-Primary
The Casa dei Bambini, where children move freely between practical life, sensorial, language and mathematics activities, laying deep foundations for all future learning.
6 to 12 Years
Elementary
Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms where the imagination is engaged through the Great Lessons, mixed-age collaboration and integrated study across the disciplines.
12 to 18 Years
Adolescence
A community of older learners moving from concrete experience into abstract reasoning, real-world projects and the Cambridge programme.
PHILOSOPHY
The Montessori Philosophy
Montessori education helps children become confident, capable and self-directed, not by being told what to think, but by being given freedom, structure and purposeful work through which to discover for themselves.
Key Principles of Montessori Classrooms
Mixed-age grouping
Three-year age spans within each classroom create a natural community of mentors and learners. Older children consolidate their learning by guiding younger ones.
Three-hour work cycle
An uninterrupted block of self-directed work allows children to develop deep concentration and reach the state of absorbed focus that Maria Montessori called normalisation.
Prepared environment
Every classroom is carefully arranged so that beautiful, purposeful materials are within reach, inviting independence, order and self-correction.
Guides
Our teachers are Montessori guides. They observe each child closely, then introduce the next material at the right moment in their development.
Work
Montessori children call their activities work, not play. Work is purposeful, freely chosen and joyfully pursued for its own sake.
Freedom within limits
Children are free to choose their work, their pace and their collaborators, within a clear and consistent framework of grace, courtesy and respect.
CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL
Academic excellence
Newberry House is a registered Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) school and exam centre. From Lower Secondary through to AS Level, our learners follow a rigorous international pathway that supports strong academic development and access to universities in South Africa and abroad.
Middle School (Grades 7 to 9)
Our Middle School bridges the imaginative, hands-on Montessori Elementary years and the formal academic structure of High School. Learners follow the Cambridge Lower Secondary programme, which culminates in the Cambridge Checkpoint assessments, while also engaging deeply with the wider world through real-life learning experiences.
Real-world experience
Farm to Table
Learners grow, harvest and prepare food from the campus gardens, connecting biology, nutrition and sustainability through hands-on practice.
Community Building
Collaborative projects across year groups develop leadership, communication and a deep sense of belonging within the school community.
Social Impact
Service-learning placements give middle schoolers a first-hand experience of how thoughtful action can change a community for the better.
Environmental Stewardship
From Eco-Schools projects to indigenous garden management, learners take responsibility for the living systems around them.
Middle School Camp
An annual immersive camp builds resilience, independence and friendships that carry through the rest of the high school years.
Strong Academic Foundations
Our learners consistently perform well above the global average in the Cambridge Checkpoint assessments at the end of Grade 9, a testament to the depth of understanding built through the Montessori years and refined in our Middle School classrooms.
High School (IGCSE and AS Levels)
In Grades 10 and 11, our learners sit Cambridge IGCSE examinations, followed by AS Level studies in Grade 12. Subjects on offer span the sciences, mathematics, humanities, languages and creative arts:
English LanguageMathematicsBiologyChemistryPhysicsHistoryGeographyBusiness StudiesEnvironmental ManagementComputer ScienceArt & Design
Real-Life Learning
Academic study in the High School is grounded in real life. Learners take part in entrepreneurship projects, work placements, environmental fieldwork and outdoor education, connecting what they study in the classroom to life beyond it.
Community Service and The President's Award
Our High School learners engage in community service and work towards The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, building skills, undertaking adventurous journeys and contributing meaningfully to others.
Ready to experience it for yourself?
Walk through our grounds, meet our team and see the campus in action. Tours run weekly throughout the term. We would love to welcome you.
Book a tour