Established in 1919, The Ridge School is one of Johannesburg’s oldest and finest English-medium boys’ preparatory schools. It is situated on 16 acres of the historic Westcliff Ridge, off Jan Smuts Avenue and Valley Road, between the Zoo and the CBD.

The Ridge’s Mission is to “offer an exceptional, balanced education which instils respect for self and tolerance of difference. Our aim is the development of a confident individual with a generous spirit and responsible character.”

The school is famed for its nurturing environment. The Ridge is blessed with top quality, high calibre staff at all levels who are well equipped to deal with boys’ particular developmental needs.

There are currently over 420 boys enrolled at this school, with capacity for 22 weekly boarders. Classes run from Grade 0 to Grade 7. In Grades 0-3 we limit our classes to 19, and in Grades 4-7 the norm is 26 per class. There are 3 classes per grade in the Foundation Phase, and 2 classes from Grade 4 up.

We believe this is an effective, child-friendly formula, allowing flexibility if class dynamics require it, while also allowing the school to remain small enough to be personal. These relatively low numbers also allow for individual attention for all boys.

The Ridge School’s autonomy is a key reason for its success. Boys are able to have a varied set of experiences in their school years, something which is not always possible in a prep school attached to a college. Moreover, we are our own flagship; we don’t have a college to support! We feed all the major senior schools in the country, especially the leading boys’ schools. In the academic field, Ridge boys have performed outstandingly. Numerous scholarships to the country’s top schools are awarded each year, and colleges are eager to gain Ridge boys because of their good balance.

While academic success is important, we are not obsessed with results, nor do we spend attention only on those who are capable academically. True education has more to do with stretching and challenging ALL pupils to unleash their potential in whichever sphere of school life their talents lie. To this end boys meet regularly in small tutor discussion groups, and we have a full Learning Support Programme in operation. One of the senior staff is also responsible for the Pastoral Care of boys in need of extra care and assistance.

With our art, music and drama, we also attach great importance to cultural enrichment. The school prides itself on the range of its musical activities. There is a senior choir, a junior choir, an orchestra of some 40 boys, a jazz band, a marimba group, a junior orchestra, a wind and sax ensemble, two ORFF groups, rock group, a brass ensemble as well as recorder and string groups to name but some of our instrumental combinations. We have been invited to perform at several prestigious events, displaying our high standard of music.

Ridge boys excel in inter-school sporting activities, performing both on and off the field with distinction. Several sporting activities are offered. These include cricket, swimming, tennis and athletics in summer; and football, rugby, hockey and cross-country in winter. The school has many of its own facilities including 6 tennis courts, 4 playing fields, 6 cricket nets and a 25-metre heated pool. Other specialist activities such as golf, chess, scuba diving and judo are also offered. Moreover, we have a weekly activities period to promote hobbies such as cartooning, model building and many more.

The emphasis in sports at the Ridge, however, is one of full participation rather than focusing on a small number of winning teams. It is pleasing that every boy has the chance to represent the school in one or other sporting activity during the year.

The Ridge prides itself on offering a child-centred and holistic education within a nurturing environment. To find out more, please either make an appointment and we will gladly show you around.