Most parents share the sentiment that their greatest investment in their children is a good education. This mindset is so powerful in fact that families often choose to relocate in order to reside within specific school catchment areas.
According to the career guidance and education site Gradesmatch, six of the top 10 schools in the 2018 National Senior Certificate exams were from the Western Cape, with Cape Town being host to five of the high-flying educational institutions, says Mike Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate.
Greeff shares his insight on the Cape school belt:
A good education is the cornerstone of a child’s development. Cape Town offers a number of excellent schools that have a very distinguished history and a proven track record. Finding a home close to your child’s school will minimise commuting and make life a lot more convenient.
You also have the peace of mind knowing that you are close by should you need to attend extramural activities, parent-teacher meetings and can get there in case of an emergency.
Conveniently located between most major highways into and out of the city centre, Rondebosch is home to Bishops Diocesan College, Westerford High School, Rustenburg Girls’ High School, and Rondebosch Boys’ High School.
Rondebosch has a wide range of amenities as well as easy access to a host of lifestyle attractions. For parents that are thinking beyond the high school years, the University of Cape Town is within walking and cycling distance of most parts of this iconic suburb.
According to Lightstone, Rondebosch features a Living Standards Measurement (LSM) of 10 high and shows that 50% of homeowners have occupied their properties for a period of 11 years or more.
Claremont is home to several renowned schools: Herschel Girls’, International School of Cape Town and Claremont High School. Unofficially known as the ‘family suburb’, Claremont offers a multitude of residential properties with family-sized bedrooms.
Homes are large, between three and six bedrooms, and usually have a pool as well as generous yard space. These homes are perfect for families looking for a spot to raise kids. Extramural activities and sports are also catered for with sporting venues like Claremont Tennis Club and Celtic Harriers Athletics Club situated at the cricket oval, opposite the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands cricket ground, known as Sahara Park Newlands, as well as the world-famous Newlands Rugby Stadium. Claremont has an LSM of 10 high.
Newlands
The suburb of Newlands is steeped in history and is equally fortunate to be home to San Souci Girls’ High School Kildare pre-primary and of course, South African College School (SACS), the oldest school in the country. A number of movers and shakers can lay claim to having attended the school, among them Justice of the Constitutional Court Justice, Albie Sachs, Afrikaans playwright, NP van Wyk Louw, as well as a number of Springbok sportsmen, the most recently famous being Percy Montgomery.
Today Newlands is a built-up suburb, encompassing residential, commercial, educational as well as recreational facilities. The M3 motorway dissects Newlands, which makes access to the city, university, airport and surrounding suburbs convenient from a number of routes feeding into the motorway.
Newlands offers a mixed range of properties, from multilevel homes to quaint cottages in the village. There are townhouse complexes as well as apartments on offer. Besides rugby and cricket, there are numerous walks in Newlands Forest area. Newlands swimming pool, an Olympic-size pool, open year round, is used for long distance training, however it is not heated. Kelvin Grove, a members-only club, tucked in behind the Newlands Rugby Stadium and next to the cricket ground is used for tennis or bowls.
Greeff says finding the best possible school for one’s children is often the motivating factor in choosing the location of one’s future home. Cape Town is home to some of the best schools in the country, as well as some of the most amazing suburbs to live in.
Print
