For many families, the composition and quality of local schools are key considerations when choosing a neighbourhood and investing in a new home.
“Curro Westbrook has experienced rapid development over the past year, and Phase Two of the school’s expansion recently introduced a brand new primary school building, a state-of-the-art Computer lab and a 25m swimming pool,” says Van Schaik.This is according to Sales Manager for Amdec, Steve van Schaik, who says it’s also widely understood that the quality of schools in any given neighbourhood has a strong impact on local house prices, with the presence of high-standard educational institutions often influencing parents’ willingness to pay more to live in close proximity to them.
Van Schaik says this has also proven to be the case in the creation of Port Elizabeth’s newest suburb of Westbrook, The Amdec Group are establishing a new 21st century neighbourhood situated on the city’s western fringe and close to the newly launched super-regional BayWest Mall.
As the developers, he says they aim to positively increase the social and investment value of the surrounding area and its community, providing purchasers the ability to ‘live, work, play and learn’ in a secure and convenient town-meets-country locale.
As part of the creation of this ‘new urban’ lifestyle, Van Schaik says Westbrook seeks to offer those qualities most sought after by home buyers and investors: safety from crime, accessibility, walkability, shopping and entertainment options and, perhaps one of the key attractions of this new neighbourhood, a recently established Curro school.
“A major drawcard to Westbrook, and key value proposition for prospective homeowners and parents, is the highly regarded Curro Westbrook School, which currently offers schooling from preschool to grade 4,” he says.
“Curro Westbrook has experienced rapid development over the past year, and Phase Two of the school’s expansion recently introduced a brand new primary school building, a state-of-the-art Computer lab and a 25m swimming pool.”
In 2016, the Curro Westbrook primary school children will move into their new freshly painted classrooms, while the nursery school will take over the existing primary school building.
Next year will also see the introduction of a grade 5 class, with higher grades to be phased in annually. Sports fields are also in the planning and development stages.
“It is very important to parents to be able to send their child to a school within the local community, and it is important to communities to have school spaces and facilities that can act as suburban hubs,” says Van Schaik.
“Playgrounds used in the evenings, rooms that can be utilised for community functions, theatre and sports facilities - these all help to create a vibrant community spirit.”
He says they have also found that properties in close proximity to good schools are, in general, more valuable than properties that aren’t.
The Ridge offers a wide variety of attractive three and four bedroom homes with generous interiors, double garages and sunny north-facing gardens for relaxed family living. These are available from R1.1 million to R1.5 million - click here to view.“Good schools often come bundled with other appealing neighbourhood attributes, such as proximity to employment, shopping and recreational amenities and with the benefit of attractive surrounds,” says Van Schaik.
He says this is undoubtedly the case at Westbrook, where the existing school environment, with its progressive teaching approach, is strongly supported by the overall Westbrook vision.
This comprises an attractive, efficient, secure and easily accessible lifestyle option that is perfectly suited to any person, including single people, married couples, families and the elderly.
Van Schaik says the expansive Westbrook development will ultimately combine a total of nine residential developments, a retail village and mixed-use node that will house a leading medical facility, plus premium office and commercial space.
The suburb’s sizable open spaces ideally lend themselves to parks, picturesque walkways, bicycle paths and children’s play areas.
Property sales for three bedroom homes in Phase One of Westbrook’s The Ridge estate launched in early 2015 achieved record prices for the area, and were comparably higher on average to similar sized properties in the older and more established PE suburbs.
He says these homes were quickly snapped up, whilst homes in the recently launched second phase are now also achieving record prices.
“This sales success is reflective of the value home buyers see in the overall vision for Westbrook, which offers a blend of factors that cater to a variety of individual needs and requirements, and also make the area a truly attractive place for families with children,” says Van Schaik.
“The strategic location and attention to detail in all areas of development ensures that the development promotes an integrated environment that will provide a new standard in secure estate living for the Bay area.”
Just as strong neighbourhoods shape good schools, so good schools too shape strong neighbourhoods and secure futures for families, says Headmaster of Curro Westbrook, Frans van der Walt.
“A large part of what attracts parents to the school is the Curro’s progressive approach to education. We implement the latest 21st century learning practices and technology and place a strong emphasis on encouraging learners to think ‘out of the box’, analyse and interpret situations and engage in projects that involve thought and responsibility,” he says
“At Curro we understand that the world we live in is changing faster than ever, and it is within this rapidly evolving reality that many educational researchers around the world say the youth will need a different set of skills.”
He says universities complain that learners often reach them with good school results, but without a real understanding of the meaning of particular concepts.
“Without oversimplifying it, these boil down to the ability to use knowledge to solve problems, work collectively, think creatively, and then to reflect on one’s thinking. This is exactly what we do,” says Van der Walt.
He says Curro Westbrook also actively encourages parents to participate in the school community and their children’s lives, and the learners reap the results.
Van Schaik says reaping positive results is a large part of their vision for all residents of Westbrook.
“It’s vital for us to not just to provide housing options that cater to all ages and life stages, but to also create the supportive surrounding environments that foster a sense of security and ease of life,” he says.
With an already well-established infrastructure totalling R400 million spent date, security features taken into account at every aspect of the development’s planning process, and a popular school that is redefining 21st century education, Van Schaik says Westbrook is a multi-faceted ‘new urban’ environment that’s set to reshape the way its residents, live, work, play and learn.
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