Southdowns College

As a former individual of this school, I personally believe that Southdowns college is a place to bring your child. Southdowns college focuses on its reputation and the way the school looks. The school does not care about its students in any way. As a student you are expected to just listen and keep quiet, and even do as you are told. The school is more about the matriculants and less about the inclusion of all students. Due to constantly being told what to do and just be submissive as a student, you have no sense of individuality. I lost my individuality, trying to blend in into this school and trying to meet their extreme expectations. This is not healthy, and is bound to happen when the school not just the work, puts pressure on you as a student. As a student you need to be different, you need to have some form of independence and individuality, which the school restricts you to do and be. This is because they don’t care to reflect back to the students, and ask the students of the school how they can improve. I think this is unfair because we are in the 21st century; times have changed and there are new engaging ways to run schools. The teachers come to class in a bad mood every single day, and communicate with students in a rude and timid manner. The teachers don’t regard the way their students feel whatsoever. This school puts up too many EXTREME rules and limitations. I’m not against rules, but they shouldn’t be so excessive that they become stifling. For example, they have a rule that hair shouldn’t be longer than your bellybutton and that hair shouldn’t be in your face. Even though I had my hair tied up, they still asked me to change it just because it reached my button, which felt overly-strict. The energy in this school is lifeless and quite unpleasant. If you a s a student receive standard to low marks in school, you will not be seen in any way and treated differently. They only praise and venerate those who receive distinctions or some form of awards. This is once again, because the school and principal only cares for their academic pass rate, which is important for their reputation. You will not be seen in any way unless you receive an award. Southdowns college takes the joy out of experience of going to school to learn and make connections. Students that wear open collars (junior collars) are treated unfairly and differently by the other students who wear collars with ties and even the teachers. This creates a huge social division within students, and hinders the normality of emphasizing equality within students. Students here aren’t able to socialize freely and properly communicate because those of collared ties are seen as inferior. I have always believed that a school (teachers, principal and staff) should work in a system where the school wants to grow and enrich itself, through understanding the the needs of its students. Southdowns college isn’t in any way considerate of this. This school has not supported me academically and emotionally, as a school should. I started developing a sense of resentment to going to school, because of this school. I would strongly recommend that you don’t bring or take your child to Southdowns college.

The money that you pay is way too much for what the school offer. The educational level is very low and poor. the school environment is too contaminated and the school doesn’t put an effort to deal with it. Kids sell drugs, have sex In toilets and disrespect teachers. The school does nothing to punish those kids since their more focusing on making money than to deliver future leaders….my daughter is doing matric there, unfortunately I don’t have an alternative, since there are no other school around. I’m gatvol with SDC!!!

I use to be a student hear and, i really did not like this place at all the teachers dont care, the students are extremely racist and you just have to "deal with it", the sports is some of the worst i've seen in a long time at any school. For the amount of money you will be paying it would be a better idea to send your children else where.

I have been teaching there for years in the Prep School. I have always felt content and comfortable in my teaching at the school. The children are well cared for. Forward thinking strategies in education.

The Pre prep and Prep do Inquiry Based Learning and have flexible seating- forward thinking education

Inquiry based learning and flexible seating - forward thinking education

The teachers are amazing!

I matriculated from here and i nothing nice to say about this school, for the amount of school fees that we have to pay the level of teaching, sports and professionalism is very poor. for the amount of money that is paid you can definitely go to a better privately school or even a public school because anything would be better than what alot of children experience here

Poor communication from admin, management, head of academics. The school culture is not one that cultivates forward thinking and respect in the children.

The primary and high schools were both attended by my kids. My opinion is that the school lacks management and proper evaluation of the teachers.

The teachers are extremely young and ambitious and often don't stay a full year let alone 2 semesters so be in for a constant change of teaching staff.

The facilities are lovely and vast however if you are looking at education your child literally has to be competing all the time with peers, this school has a very competitive and demanding afterschool syllabus and discrimination is very prominent if you opt to do any activity OUTSIDE the school...be warned no accreditation is given even if you are an OLYMPIAD and train with outside the school source.

My children had to have tutors for almost all the subjects this is also a very common and pushed idea from the teachers.

Not only the school is very pressing with the pupils for their attendance there is a sense of competing with the Jones very established at the school in both primary and secondary level...so as a parent be warned that you will be measured so will your children on status levels.

Leadership at the school is also chosen in a very strange manner...we have been told of horror stories of students arriving and after 2 months being given Prefect positions...be warned it's all about barter for this school.

We have been subjected to vast degrees of bullying as well by parents and students. The teachers and headmasters have very little control if non as this is so common in this school it is one of the things you know exist and you simply leave or accept.

The famous phrase of the school if you lodge a complaint is
"you are the only one who has complained about this" and "your child needs to take part of the blame" are the most common replies we have had in the past years.

this school is horrible, its racist, sexist and homophobic. im speaking from experience. the principal of the highschool is absolutely horrible. NEVER SEND YOUR CHILD TO THIS SCHOOL.

i used to go to this school and im here to share what the reality of sending your child to this school is, this school doesnt not care for the protection of young girls and women. multiple girls were sexually harassed and assaulted in the school and yet the school did nothing all they did was speak to the boys who harassed and assaulted the girls, nothing more and when the female students went to social media to share their stories the school contacted them and asked them to remove it, just because they want to save their reputation. over the past years ive heard things about how the school only cares for their reputation and nothing else. the students here are miserable. the principal of the highschool, represents the total opposite of what southdowns should be. HE IS EXTREMELY BAISED and to him once you do a bad thing, you will always be a bad student, at least this is what ive experienced. i just thought i should come here and write an honest review.

We would not recommend this school after attending with children in it for the past 5 years we decided not to continue.
The school primary section was awful with so much pressure on the students to compete and perform.
Parents are competitive and the kids follow on the same stride
The high school had a serious issue with racism and discrimination.
The traffic to the school should be a sincere warning as you drive past cars and cars of parents disgruntled with 40 min traffic
The school also lost the MATRIC DANCE support and funding...after students spend a year canvassing and selling items at the break to see a dance this again has disappeared and all the funds for this too....well leaving is going to be a sincere pleasure on our side.

Southdowns College is a really good school. There are excellent traditions, staff and facilities at this school. I have schooled at Southdowns for my entire life and highly recommend it.

Unfortunately there are some shortcomings, because Southdowns is a relatively new institution it has not had time to perfect every aspect of itself.

We love Southdowns! Beautiful school setting. The children are happy and learning. Excellent swimming school. You hardly hear any teachers shouting and they gain the respect from their learners in a no confrontational way. Super!

A happy place to be. Excellent standard of education. The teachers treat the children as their own, especially in the Foundation Phase and Pre Prep.

A school that puts my children's needs first, academically, culturally and on the sports field. A school that lives by and encourages core values. The dedicated teachers, coaches and admin staff are what make the difference.

My daughter has attended the pre-prep and now is in the prep at SDC. The teaching and management staff are amazing. They make an effort and are involved in everything. The school supports the students through everything - good and bad. They really stepped up during the pandemic. The school environment is one of extended family. I am so glad that my daughter has the opportunity to go there

Southdowns Prep is an innovative school, that brings out the best in children. Very caring teachers, who are passionate and really treat the children with love and kindness. Also very impressed with how they dealt with online schooling. Way to go! My child is very happy.

Not recommended
We are currently with children and looking for alternative school
We have experience bullying and harassment by parents, Lawsuits are created by teachers privilege information. We have encountered this at least 3 times.
The school also has a very stringent form of demerit and judges their student on a continuous basis. Test and assignments are not managed amongst children who experience an enormous amount of homework, learning and merit system. Mental health and life skill is not at all managed at the school although having a guidance counselor.