Dainfern College

Introduction

Dainfern College is a complex school comprising both a Preparatory School and a High School. Situated as it is on the outskirts of Dainfern Estate in northern Johannesburg where a number of immigrant families buy homes, it has a comparatively large ex-pat community. Nevertheless, Dainfern College remains a South African school and is bound by the South African Schools Act, which requires it to offer specific South African languages in its curriculum.

There are international schools in the area that cater specifically for the needs of immigrant pupils, to which we sometimes refer applicants as it is not affordable for a school like Dainfern College to meet the offer required by certain immigrant families, nor is it our market niche.

Language Offer

In accordance with the Schools Act, all schools have to offer three South African languages in their curriculum. South African learners need to pursue at least TWO of these to school-leaving level in order to meet the national school-leaving requirements.

At Dainfern College, English is the first language, as it is the language of instruction. The two additional South African languages on offer, chosen from the list of eleven official languages, are Afrikaans and isiZulu.

Pupils start learning both Afrikaans and isiZulu in the Junior Preparatory phase. From Grade 6 pupils are only expected to study one additional language and therefore will choose between Afrikaans and isiZulu at the end of their Grade 5 year.

Immigrant Status

A learner is classified as an immigrant if:

· S/he comes from a school outside of South Africa and joins the South African schooling system in Grade 7 or thereafter;

· S/he has been out of the country for a minimum period of two continuous years; or

· S/he has attended a South African school but has not done any of the additional languages for a period of two years.

NB: Learners who join Dainfern College in a grade below Grade 7 are NOT afforded immigrant status. Up to Grade 5 level they will be required to pass both Afrikaans and isiZulu in order to pass the year, although initially they will follow an immigrant programme with separate promotion requirements, depending on individual levels of achievement. From the beginning of Grade 6, they have to choose either Afrikaans or isiZulu.

For learners classified as immigrants the following applies:

· Legally, in the GET Phase (Grades 7, 8 and 9), all immigrant pupils need to pursue either Afrikaans or isiZulu as an additional language as part of the core subject offer for the phase. This means they have to attend classes and undergo assessment in one or other of the additional languages although they do not need to pass the subject to attain promotion, and can give it up at the end of Grade 9.

· Subject choices for the FET Phase (Grades 10, 11 and 12) are made at the end of Grade 9, and immigrant pupils are NOT required to pursue a South African additional language for Matriculation exemption purposes. They will need to take three compulsory subjects (English, Life Orientation and Mathematics/Mathematical Literacy) and they may choose four other subjects from the subject offer at the College.

We trust this gives you a better understanding of our policy. Should you have any further queries, you are welcome to speak to one of our Principals.