College
Penryn College is the oldest Independent high school in Mpumalanga and is a proud member of ISASA (Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa).
Admissions
You may apply to Penryn at any time following the birth of your child. We accept children from age two into Grade 0000, the year they turn three, up to children turning 18 in their Grade 11 year.
Our Philosophy
We; Penryn, are deeply proud that our rich history is rooted in excellence, social development and the transformation of the education offering in our Province and Nation, as the top internationally recognized and accredited IEB curriculum High School in the Mbombela metro. While serving the SADC region of Southern Africa, we remain firmly rooted in our unique Lowveld DNA, embracing both local heritage and international standards.
Developing scholars with high moral standards and character is core to our approach at Penryn.
Exposure to and acceptance of diversity makes it easy for Penryn scholars to make the transition to tertiary education and gives them a real voice when it comes to job interviews.
Penryn encourages our scholars to achieve at their highest potential, so that doors open for them when they leave school.
Balanced emotional intelligence, a diverse background and the ability to achieve at their highest potential ensures that Penryn scholars will be set up in world where so many jobs will be taken over by machines. They will have a skill that so many people will lack – to be able to engage on a human level.
Part of being a global citizen is embracing diversity and having the servant leadership skills needed to unify people.
Our scholars are thus strongly encouraged, through their club commitments, to become involved in service-based activities within their immediate and global communities.
Founded in 1966, Round Square is a global network of innovative schools in 50 countries, on six continents, that share a passion for experiential learning and character education.
Penryn is the only affiliated Round Square school in Mpumalanga. We offer the programme to junior and senior scholars. If selected, they get the opportunity to travel locally and internationally, representing Penryn as part of this global network.
The Round Square approach is built around learning’s six IDEALS:
I = Internationalism; D = Democracy; E = Environmentalism; A = Adventure; L = Leadership and S = Service.
Membership of the Round Square network offers schools a framework for excellence and continuous improvement, along with structured opportunities to collaborate and share experiences with like-minded peers around the world.
When you send your child to a Penryn boarding house, you are providing them with the ultimate opportunity to ‘spread their wings’ and set the foundational skills for an enriched and successful future.
Penryn offers boarding from Grades 8-12. Our juniors are welcomed into a nurturing and safe environment that prepares them to embrace their senior leadership opportunities in future years.
In a structured and caring setting, our boarders thrive and invariably mature into capable young people, who integrate well into the boarding house and the wider school community.
Facilities
Our 5 boarding houses are nestled within our tranquil and picturesque Lowveld campus, and are aptly named after the indigenous trees found on our campus: Kiaat, Marula, Mahogany, Waterberry and Acacia.
Diversity is the cornerstone of the Penryn boarding experience. This melting pot environment is what we believe gives our boarders the best advantage to mature and embrace all of life’s challenges and opportunities.
Our Vision:
To provide a safe, nurturing and homely environment for all of our boarders – equipping them with the skills to adapt in an ever-changing world for a successful future beyond their Penryn years.
Benefits of Boarding:
- Never miss out on campus events.
- Easy access to teachers after school.
- Supervised prep times.
- A head start on learning independence & other invaluable life skills for their tertiary years.
- An integrated, family experience, with 3 healthy meals and snacks, daily.
Scholars have the choice of the following sports:
Penryn’s focus is not about creating a competitive, perfectionist-driven culture. Rather, our aim is to expose our scholars to an array of sporting options and to foster a curiosity for trying out new activities and instilling the desire to participate when and where ever possible. We believe that real excellence is a by-product of finding one’s passion and a feeling of inclusiveness. By virtue of this ethos, our scholars enjoy sport and naturally excel – within and beyond their sporting life.
- Rugby
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Cricket
- Hockey
- Mountain biking
- Swimming
- Athletics
- Cross country
- Netball
- Tennis
- Falconry
- Rock climbing
- Chess
Imagine a school that produces a first team rugby player and the same scholar also has as the confidence and passion to pursue drama and excel at eisteddfods and school productions. This is the caliber of all-rounded scholar that we produce at Penryn.
Speech & Drama encompasses a variety of disciplines, including the performing arts, public speaking and debating. Our highly seasoned drama team taps into the creative essence of each scholar.
Drama is offered from Grade 4 through Grade 12 – as a weekly activity for our Prep scholars and then as a subject for our College Scholars.
Our major drama productions from Junior through to Senior Phase, are always an eagerly anticipated event in our school calendar. In the College, our scholars also participate in cultural derbies and eisteddfods.
Debating is more than just an extramural offering at Penryn, it is part of our culture. Each year, we host political debates and invite topical guest speakers to address our scholars. Our scholars, time-and-time-again, show us that they are confident, attune with current affairs and are critical thinkers.
At Penryn our dance programme is offered as an extra mural through our Culture programme at College level from Grade 8 through 12.
We view dance as more than just an opportunity to get bodies moving. Dance is the ultimate way to get scholars to engage with one another in a relevant and energetic space and a chance for even the least confident dancer to learn new skills and boost their self-esteem.
We offer the following dance classes:
Contemporary / Freestyle, Hiphop, Nomvula, Kwaito and Mozambique traditional dance
Ballet
Ballet is offered through a private academy with Danielle Beer, from Tots through to College years, for both boys and girls.
Penryn is proud to have produced some of the nations most gifted creative artists, such as the likes of Simon Attwood, who was awarded the Presidential Scholarship for his achievements in visual art, allowing him to study abroad at the School of Art Institute in Chicago.
Our experienced art teachers instruct with a difference. Art at Penryn is viewed as freedom to delve into more than just creativity. We create a space where scholars are free to create through an array of mediums and style – empowering them to express their beliefs about certain social and cultural topics, which is all part of critical thinking.
Our Prep scholars are taught basic techniques, in a warm, vibrant and energetic space that cultivates their creativity through to College years.
At College level, we hone in on technique and theory – giving scholars the opportunity to ‘flex their creative muscle’ in photography, sculpture, print making and various painting styles. Scholars are also given ample opportunity to exhibit at eisteddfods and even travel abroad to learn more about the world of visual art.
Many of our scholars are frequently published in major art publications, including Art Times and The South African Art Magazine. We place a strong emphasis on teaching our scholars the importance of showcasing and selling their work, such as platforming and selling their work on social media, which is a future-fit skill for any aspiring creative.
Music at Penryn has always been a key focus. We believe that music is an integral part of learning – developing better memory and language skills, increasing confidence and improving emotional and social skills.
With the global focus on STEAM education, the Penryn Music Department is central to our holistic offering.
Beyond the proven cognitive benefits of music education, we also see music as a pivotal way to unite our scholars in a way that celebrates their individual diversity and backgrounds. Our dynamic music team infuse energy and unique style of teaching that brings out the best in every scholar.
As part of our extramural offering, our scholars have the option of joining the Junior or Senior phase choirs in the Prep or a vocal ensemble group in the College – focusing on acapella and contemporary style performances.
Often our scholars will be afforded the opportunity to collaborate with our Artreach scholars from surrounding schools. These encounters benefit all of your young musicians and together they create what can only be described as magic.
From the Foundation Phase through College, we also offer marimba, djembe, as well as Christian or Rock band.
Mr. Mike Eisen
Head of College
Ms. Natalie Jones
Deputy Head Academics and Staff Matters
Mr. Xolani Grootboom
Head of Sport & Hostels