Nobody slips through
Classes run at two to six learners, total enrolment is capped at 50, and the school works to a stated maximum of one teacher to ten learners. A struggling child is spotted in the same week — not in the June report.
Why False Bay High?
Small classes, real subject choice and a seventeen-year record of getting every matriculant through. Here is what that looks like in practice.
The difference
A class of four changes everything
False Bay High is one of the oldest and best small-class, dual-medium high schools in the Helderberg area. Everything below follows from that one decision.
Dual medium, genuinely
Every learner takes both English and Afrikaans through to Grade 12, one of them at Home Language level. The school’s own documents — including the application form and fee agreement — are published in both languages.
Rooted in Christian principles
The school day starts promptly with Scripture reading and prayer. The school is rooted in Christian principles, with an emphasis on spiritual growth and service to the community — while fostering respect and understanding of other religions.
Responsibility, not regulation
There is no uniform — learners are expected to look neat and presentable and to take responsibility for their own behaviour and progress. Teachers are available for extra lessons as time allows, including after school hours.
A 60% pass mark, and a second chance
The school’s own guideline for a test pass is 60% — well above the national requirement. A learner who falls short may be asked to rewrite or given extra work. The rewrite does not count towards the year mark; it exists to prove the work is understood before the class moves on.
Parents hear first, not last
Progress is communicated to parents by email throughout the term, not saved up for a report. And because the Principal still teaches, the person who knows your child academically is the person you speak to — there is no admissions department in between.
Curriculum
Seven subjects. Real choice.
The full CAPS curriculum, balancing core academic subjects with creative and commercial ones — from STEM to the arts. Grades 8 and 9 take all the prescribed subjects; from Grade 10 learners choose.
Compulsory for every learner, Grades 10–12
- English — Home Language or First Additional Language
- Afrikaans — Huistaal or Eerste Addisionele Taal
- One of the two languages must be taken at Home Language level
- Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
- Life Orientation
Then choose any three
- Physical Sciences
- Life Sciences
- Accounting
- Business Studies
- Geography
- History
- Tourism
- Visual Art
- Design
- Computer Applications Technology
A total of seven subjects is taken. Mathematics is required if Physical Sciences is chosen. Visual Art, Design, Accounting and CAT are speciality subjects and carry a small additional monthly fee — see the 2026 fee schedule for the exact amounts.
Subject combinations most small schools can’t offer
Visual Art — photography, painting and drawing — Design and Computer Applications Technology sit alongside Physical Sciences and Accounting on the same timetable. A learner who wants an eighth subject can take one at an additional cost, and where fewer than three learners enrol for a subject it may still run at an additional per-learner cost. Both are published in full, so nothing is decided after you have committed.
The record
All achievements here are valuable in the future
Our learners continuously achieve outstanding results — and the numbers have held for nearly two decades.
100%
Matric pass rate for
17 consecutive years
17 consecutive years
Top 15
Small schools in
South Africa (2022)
South Africa (2022)
47%
Lowest matric average
since 2008
since 2008
7 / 7
A-symbols achieved by
recent top learners
recent top learners
Recognition
Awarded by the WCED
False Bay High is a proud recipient of awards from the Western Cape Education Department for outstanding matric results.
In 2022 the school was recognised as one of the top 15 small schools in South Africa, achieving the highest number of distinctions in its category. Our commitment to tailored teaching methods consistently prepares learners for success in an ever-changing global landscape.
