The Ridge School

Where Boys Are Known And Grown

Enrol Now

The Ridge School

Where Boys Are Known And Grown

Enrol Now

The Ridge School

Where Boys Are Known And Grown

Enrol Now

Encouraging Your Son To Grow Into A Future Leader

Preparatory school forms the foundation of your child’s future, so deciding which boys’ prep school in Johannesburg to attend is one of the most important choices you can make.


We understand just how important your son and his future are to you. Thus, we have founded The Ridge, private school for boys in Johannesburg, and our core values with exactly this in mind.


A nurturing atmosphere is important during this transition period as your child moves from being a toddler to a growing, thinking boy who will eventually become a young adult with his own perspectives and goals. 


At The Ridge School, we believe in providing an education that goes beyond just academics. We strive to foster self-confidence, a love of learning, independence, leadership, and a sense of kindness and respect in our young students.


Want to learn more about why The Ridge School will be a great fit for your son?

What Makes The Ridge School Different To Other Prep Schools?

At The Ridge School, we go beyond a purely academic approach to education and ensure that our young learners develop self-confidence, a curiosity for learning, independence and leadership, and a sense of kindness and respect for others. Here are 7 compelling reasons why your son should join The Ridge School.

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An All Boys School That Nurtures Our Future Leaders

Welcome to The Ridge School. Established in 1919 and situated on the scenic Westcliffe Ridge in Johannesburg, The Ridge offers the kind of schooling experience that every parent wishes to give their son. With a history as rich as ours, we take pride in upholding the values upon which our school was built while simultaneously enhancing our school environment with modern approaches to education that focus on developing the whole child.


We encourage parents to choose The Ridge School as the primary choice for their child’s early education in preparation for a bright future. With us, your son will be seen and valued as a unique individual, and our world-class educators will work closely with him to help him realise his true potential. At The Ridge School, we believe that every young human being has the world at his feet, and the ground on which he stands is fertile for abundant growth. With a healthy, caring environment to support this growth and guide him, those inner strengths and talents can truly shine.

An All Boys School That Nurtures Our Future Leaders


Johannesburg’s Inclusive Boys’ Preparatory School

Welcome to The Ridge School. Established in 1919 and situated on the scenic Westcliffe Ridge in Johannesburg, The Ridge offers the best private school experience that every parent wishes to give their son. With a history as rich as ours, we take pride in upholding the values upon which our school was built while simultaneously enhancing our school environment with modern approaches to education that focus on whole child holistic development.


We encourage parents to choose The Ridge School as the primary choice for their child’s early education in preparation for a bright future. With us, your son will be seen and valued as a unique individual, and our world-class educators will work closely with him to help him realise his true potential. At The Ridge School, we believe that every young human being has the world at his feet, and the ground on which he stands is fertile for abundant growth. With a healthy, caring environment to support this growth and guide him, those inner strengths and talents can truly shine.


Your child deserves to be taught in a safe and inclusive environment where they can develop self-confidence, a curiosity for learning, independence, leadership skills and a sense of kindness and respect towards others. At the Ridge School, we pride ourselves in providing preparatory boys in Johannesburg with these key opportunities.

A Message From Our Headmaster

“Every boy enters The Ridge School family as a unique individual. This allows us to tailor an education package suited to his needs. This is achieved through not only knowing the boys but also seeing and hearing the boys, thus creating an extended network where he belongs. By knowing and growing individuals at this level, each Ridge boy carves out his own path based on how he learns, perceives the world and interacts with the environment so that he can flourish authentically as himself. This is what shapes The Ridge School boys into the leaders of tomorrow.” ~Frank Rumboll

Why Choose The Ridge School

The Ridge boys are truly known and grown, and that’s our difference. Seeing a gap in conventional prep schools, we’ve boldly taken the lead in emotionally aware, developmental learning, producing outstanding students with strong minds and soft hearts. Our boys thrive across four key areas: an engaging academic life, sporting prowess, a rich cultural experience and advanced skills in technology. Numerous scholarships are awarded to The Ridge boys each year. They are eagerly received by colleges because of their academic distinctions and their well-balanced, enthusiastic approach to learning.

A Place For Growth

Nurturing self-expression

Investigative learning

Stretching your capabilities

Encouraging creativity

Willingness to question

Building confidence

A Message From Our Headmaster

“Every boy enters The Ridge School family as a unique individual. This allows us to tailor an education package suited to his needs. This is achieved through not only knowing the boys but also seeing and hearing the boys, thus creating an extended network where he belongs. By knowing and growing individuals at this level, each Ridge boy carves out his own path based on how he learns, perceives the world and interacts with the environment so that he can flourish authentically as himself. This is what shapes The Ridge School boys into the leaders of tomorrow.” ~ Frank Rumboll

Why Choose The Ridge School

The Ridge boys are truly known and grown, and that’s our difference. Seeing a gap in conventional prep schools, we’ve boldly taken the lead in emotionally aware, developmental learning, producing outstanding students with strong minds and soft hearts. Our boys thrive across four key areas: an engaging academic life, sporting prowess, a rich cultural experience and advanced skills in technology. Numerous scholarships are awarded to The Ridge boys each year. They are eagerly received by colleges because of their academic distinctions and their well-balanced, enthusiastic approach to learning.

A Place For Growth

Academic success plays a great role in your son’s future, but to become an upstanding leader in society, it’s important for your son to be nurtured and taught to be a well-balanced individual in all areas of life. Some of the ways that we prepare your son to be a well-rounded individual include providing opportunities for:

Nurturing self-expression

Investigative learning

Stretching their capabilities

Encouraging creativity

Willingness to question

Building confidence

Empowering Diversity and Inclusivity at The Ridge School

Ensuring a Safe and Supportive Environment for All Students

Your son deserves a school atmosphere that celebrates his unique background, experiences and abilities - and those of his peers.

We’re committed to providing a welcoming and comfortable experience for everyone and ensuring that everyone is treated with respect, dignity, and fairness.

At The Ridge School, we strive to create an inclusive environment where all students feel seen, empowered, and included through our COURidge initiatives.

Albert Einstein said: Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.A Ridge School education is never forgotten because our lessons are lifelong.

Albert Einstein said: Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.A Ridge School education is never forgotten because our lessons are lifelong.

More About The Ridge

Combining a strong sense of history with a modern contemporary environment, The Ridge School continues into its 10th decade to provide its boys with a holistic approach to education and lessons of life.

We’re dedicated to providing our students with a comprehensive education that prepares them for the real world. We do this by incorporating project-based learning into our curriculum. This approach allows our students to gain a well-rounded education and develop important skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

We understand the significance of social justice as part of our South African heritage. We are dedicated to promoting this important cause by implementing strategies that educate and instill values in both our students and staff. We are committed to fostering an environment that promotes understanding and respect for diversity and inclusion.

Many may question whether children are capable of understanding and engaging in philosophy. We believe that all children have the innate ability to think deeply and ask profound questions, just like the great philosophers of the past. At The Ridge School, we strive to nurture this curiosity and provide a safe and non-judgmental environment for children to explore and express their ideas.

Our junior preparatory phase, beginning in kindergarten, lays a strong foundation for the formative years. We approach education as a journey, not a competition, and encourage our students to take their time and enjoy the process of learning. Our dedicated teachers strive to instill a love of learning in each student, and our curriculum is designed to be engaging and enjoyable for boys.

Studies have shown that using a multi-sensory and multi-dimensional approach to teaching is the most effective way to reach all types of learners. We strive to provide a variety of teaching methods that cater to different learning styles. Guided by our core values, our students learn to be independent learners, work well with others, and understand the importance of lifelong learning.

English is a core subject, but its benefits extend far beyond the classroom. We take a holistic approach to teaching English, helping our students develop the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. We view English as an essential life skill that is deeply ingrained in all aspects of life, and our goal is to empower our students with the skills and confidence to use it with proficiency.

We believe that sports play a crucial role in a comprehensive education. Good sportsmanship is a quality we highly value in our students. Playing sports not only improves physical fitness, but also develops mental focus, discipline, self-confidence, and character. At The Ridge School, we offer a wide variety of sports to cater to the diverse interests and abilities of our students during their preparatory years.

The Lighthouse is our name for our learning support department, as it serves as a beacon of hope for those who need individualized support. The team is composed of four full-time learning support specialists, a school psychologist and part-time therapists providing services such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy.

Drama in Education, also known as Applied Drama, is incorporated into our curriculum to make learning in other subjects more interactive, tangible and hands-on for students. This approach provides an engaging context for students to explore and analyse moral dilemmas and think critically.

Our students have the opportunity to explore and appreciate all aspects of music in a variety of ways at The Ridge School. Our music program allows students to discover the beauty and wonder of making music together. We take pride in our music program and the accomplishments of our students over the past century.

We believe that every child has an innate artistic ability and that art is a means of self-expression. Our art studio is a safe, supportive and inspiring environment where students are encouraged to explore their individuality. Our art classes are integrated into the academic schedule starting from grade 4.

Chess is a mentally challenging game that can test one's intellect and produce confident, strategic thinkers. The Ridge School is proud to have a strong chess club for senior students, open to all students regardless of their interests or strengths in other areas such as sports, music, art, or academics.

Cultural education helps to bring people together and promotes acceptance and understanding of different cultures. We offer a wide range of cultural studies, similar to the variety of sports we offer, in order to foster well-rounded individuals who are not afraid to challenge themselves and strive for greatness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the school’s admission and fee structure?


The fee structure is shown on the website. Parents can also email marketing@ridgeschool.co.za should they require future information.

Download Fee Structure →

What is The Ridge policy on bullying?


 

While bullying is not a nice topic to speak about, it is reality and exists at most if not all schools. The Ridge believes in open communication around the issue. It also believes in taking a firm but rational stance and getting the response from all stakeholders involved.

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Why does The Ridge not have a high school?


 

We believe that primary schools deserve a very different kind of attention and learning experience. Having only a primary school, allows the focus to be solely on the primary school boys and not diluted between primary and high school boys. It is proven that young boys learn basic skills in their formative years and boys can maintain healthy growth in terms of their own abilities, self-esteem and emotional wellbeing. Every boy in Grade 7 at The Ridge has an opportunity to be a leader. Whereas at a school which includes both primary and high school every boy won’t have an opportunity to be a leader at some point in his schooling career.

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Why is The Ridge, a boy’s only school?


 

It allows the spotlight to be on the boys in an environment they find comforting and non-threatening. Having only boys at the school allows The Ridge to tailor different styles of learning for each boy. The boys can support each other at each stage of their primary school career with a very good personal understanding.

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What sets The Ridge apart from other boy’s primary schools?


 

The Ridge sees each boy as an individual and nurtures each child focusing on their strength and support them no matter what. The Ridge teachers are the boy’s biggest fans and are always looking out for them. The Ridge has a diverse offering of education, culture activities, sports, and arts.

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What sports and culture activities does the school offer?


 

Swimming, Cricket, Basketball, Water polo, Climbing, Canoeing, Football, Rugby, Cross Country, Climbing, Tennis, Hockey, Athletics. Performing arts, chess, debating, photography

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How many classes are there per grade and how many children per class?


 

Each Grade has 3 classes and average there are between 20 – 23 children per class

What is The Ridge policy around discipline?


 

The Ridge does not believe in the old way of discipline and invests time and resources into learning from modern research and applying these new techniques. We work continuously with parents to ensure we have a balanced approached to discipline.

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What support does a child get should he need academic support?


 

The Ridge has an amazing learner support department and is available for all boys. The teacher together with the learner support department will speak to the parent/s/guardian and will ensure that the boy receives all the academic and emotional support he requires.

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Why are the fees more expensive than a lot of the other boy’s primary schools?


 

Each boy is embraced as an individual and The Ridge will help them realize their full potential, they made to feel like they have a voice, and they matter. The teachers uplift each boy, they are their biggest fans and empower boys to be future leaders.

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