School Type: Special Needs

“Be the Best That You Can Be”

Cedarwood School  is a small primary school in the congenial setting of Glenferness, north of Lonehill, for children who have mild to moderate support needs which prevent them from coping adequately in a mainstream school environment.

MISSION

• To restore lost confidence and resilience
• To strengthen and motivate
• To instill a love of self
• To instill a love of learning
• To uphold universal norms and values
• In order to interconnect positively with humanity, the environment and the world beyond.

EDUCATION

Cedarwood provides an academic education of high standard which integrates the national curriculum with individualized remedial and therapeutic support.
Pupils are encouraged to reason and problem-solve using a variety of teaching methods and learning strategies.

Our creativity programme utilizes the arts, music, D&T and creative visualization to develop imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.

Cedarwood has developed a unique emotional intelligence module, which guides and supports your child emotionally, socially and spiritually, and is taught in weekly class sessions with our Head Educational Psychologist

CEDARWOOD APPROACH

Working on an educator to learner ratio of 1:5 and a maximum of 13 pupils per class, our school can intensely remediate and assist the learner in developing strengths while resolving learning difficulties.

In addition, we offer:

• Additional educators as class assistants in each Grade 0 to Grade 2 class.
• Support therapists in speech therapy and remedial therapy as in class support and therapy in small groups.
• Weekly Reading Laboratory with a remedial specialist for Grade 2 to Grade 7.
• Life skills and life orientation classes taught by the school’s educational psychologist.
• Dedicated arts, D&T, computer, music teachers and professional sports coaches.
• If your child requires more intensive, individual attention, a full range of therapists are available throughout the day in all therapies.

HISTORY

In 1997, Mrs. Plewman proposed to take over a small remedial/special education school in Chartwell called Cedarwood, detailing a five-year plan to parents and Board. The proposal was unanimously accepted, the old school was paid out and Oasis Remedial School known as Cedarwood School  began, opening its doors in January 1998 with 34 pupils with Jay Ranchod as psychologist, Anita Lyall as secretary and Cathy Plewman as principal and bursar.

Four founding families, the Garbetts, the Lyalls, the McWilliams’ and the Plewmans, made invaluable contributions towards getting the school up and running, giving unyielding enthusiasm and unwavering support to the success of Cedarwood School.

Today the school offers its 150 pupils and staff a 20-metre swimming pool, a sensory garden, new ablution blocks and classrooms, extended playing fields, an Art Centre and a new school hall.

SPORTS AND EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES

All traditional sports are played alongside such diverse options as playball, Space Walk, horseriding and volleyball for a well-rounded foundation in skills and sports.
Extramural activities incorporate a wide spectrum of activities from conservation and science to recreational games and the arts.

AFTERCARE

Cedarwood educators run the Aftercare, offering supervised homework and activities.

SUPPORT CENTRE

A multi-disciplinary team is available to the community for guidance, assessments and therapy, as well as assisting community schools’ educators with accommodating special needs learners in their own schools through tailored analysis and solutions.

School Phase:

• Primary

Lowest Grade: Grade 0
Highest Grade: Grade 7
Boarding: No
Number of Pupils: 169
Founding Year: 1995
Religious Affiliation: Secular
Lowest Tuition Fees Per Annum (2008): R38500
Highest Tuition Fees Per Annum (2008): R38500
Postal Address: PO Box 812, Witkoppen
Postal Code: 2068
Telephone: 011 465 9830
Fax: 011 467 5926
Suburb: Glenferness
City/Town: Johannesburg
South African Province: Gauteng
Country: South Africa