Your child’s success is secure in the hands of St Dominic’s Priory School

Pupils of St Dominic’s Priory School, in Nelson Mandela Bay, develop in a safe and secure environment while their success is nurtured and encouraged with steady progress. 

Guided by the assessment principles of the Independent Examination Board (IEB), pupils are challenged to think beyond the conventional. They are taught critical thinking and how to implement higher-order thinking in a dynamic, flexible and ever-changing world. 

St Dominic’s Priory is proud of the 100% matric pass rate achieved by the class of 2021. The school is also proud of the many pupils who take up the challenge of improving, progressing and growing — even in little ways. 

The grade 12 leavers are equipped with the best armour to tackle the challenges that lie ahead and are able to stand firm, as described in the Bible, Ephesians 6:13. 

This progress is not only in academics, but also in virtue and truth, which is firmly grounded in a real experience of God’s call to holiness and wholeness.

Foundation phase

From grade pre-R, the 4 and 5-year-olds learn through play as they develop their gross and fine motor skills. During the day, they develop their core muscles while taking part in COREjnr, a fitness programme for young children, and playing in the fully equipped playground. 

Back in the classroom, their cognitive development is secured through a variety of activities and tasks. Class music is always a favourite: teaching the children to sing and dance encourages creative self-expression.

In grade R, new concepts are learnt as the progress continues.

In the foundation phase, the grade 1 pupils arrive in the iconic St Dominic’s Priory uniform, smartly dressed in their Marist-inspired blazers and ready for big school. 

This is the year they begin to learn coding and robotics in earnest.

Intermediate phase

By grade 5, pupils start working with their own Chromebooks, giving them a different platform for exploration and learning in the virtual world. 

Schoolteachers are constantly discovering new ways to approach learning, ensuring the pupils’ progress is demonstrable and inspirational: they grow and have much more room to grow too. 

Besides the standard core subjects, grade 8 and 9 pupils take part in a weekly CELL lesson, exposing them to coding, ethics and life skills learning.

They are equipped with skills for everyday life such as learning the parts of a car, how to change a tyre, the aesthetics of upcycling, and how to make a chicken stir-fry. 

They engage in practical scenario-based learning in ethical decision-making, which exposes them to the literary, philosophical and theological giants who form part of the school’s intellectual traditions.

The pupils’ progress is not only theoretical, but practical, cross-curricular and inclusive. This is a testament to the school’s rich and ancient Catholic and Dominican ethos. 

At the foundation of the school’s academic pursuits is the faithful religious education programme, in which every pupil is asked to consider not only the progress of nations and epochs, but the progress made possible for souls who seek the truth. 

And this truth, personally present in Jesus Christ, the true goal of the world and the pinnacle of its progress, will set us free, as expressed in the Bible, John 8:32. 

Senior phase 

From grade 10, pupils choose specialised subjects with a view to their tertiary education or vocational end.

Here, they are guided and mentored until they complete their IEB final exams at the end of matric. 

Moulded by a research framework and aided by a major research task in grade 12, pupils are not only prepared for the rigours of exams, but are able to approach investigative questions with sensitivity and clarity. 

St Dominic’s Priory prioritises progress and helps pupils take confident steps towards success, growth and the future. 

At Priory, the progress of every child matters. 

At Priory, the progress of the world matters. 

At Priory, the goal of progress is encountered in the One True God. 

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Take the step, and start your child on the road to success. 

St Dominics Priory will host an open day for prospective parents and pupils on Friday, February 25. 

This article was paid for by St Dominic’s Priory School