As the 2020 academic year draws to a close, there is much anticipation at the Nova Pioneer Midrand school as they prepare for the new year and the opening of their new campus, located on Third Road, less than 250m from the current school campus, during the course of 2021.
According to Nova Pioneer Midrand School Lead, Jeanine Kerr, the new building will serve the Upper Primary section of Nova Pioneer Midrand, accommodating students in grades 4 to 7. The school’s growth plans include the introduction of a Secondary school in 2022 which will offer a Cambridge Curriculum.
“As a school network that prides itself on helping shape young innovators and leaders, we are excited to have the opportunity to serve and engage even more families in the greater Midrand community,” says Mrs Kerr. In a safety-compliant way – using videos and small tours – we have been able to show many of our existing families (and prospective ones too) this new campus and their response has been one of excitement and anticipation!
Nova Pioneer believes in transparency in everything that they do. This is represented in the design of our buildings through the use of a lot of glass to further reinforce this. Glass doors join classrooms and shared spaces and encourage collaboration as students and teachers move between the classes. Class doors can be opened to create flexible, open spaces for project work or assemblies and the like.
The building design utilises natural lighting techniques This not only saves on energy but it also creates a productive and joyful atmosphere for our students and teachers.
“We first broke ground on the new site in October 2019 and had planned to complete the first phase of the building by July 2020. As is typical of the Nova Pioneer spirit, the building team and their tenacious contractors managed to overcome construction disruptions and building supply shortages that COVID-19 presented. They were not discouraged and the Nova Pioneer property team and contractors managed to deliver the world-class, modern campus that will soon be home to Nova Pioneer Upper Primary and Secondary school students” says Mrs Kerr.
Phase 1 of the development includes a modern double-storey classroom block with 10 classrooms per floor, as well as central studio space. The new block also includes a science lab for students.
“External facilities include age-specific play areas surrounding the classroom block, as well as sporting facilities, which includes a 25m x 8m swimming pool, multipurpose hardcourt (for tennis, basketball and netball) and a full-size sports field that can be used for soccer, cricket, athletics and other sports,” she went on to confirm.
“All of these will be completed as part of the initial phase. However, as excited as we are about the expansion and extended campus, it is also important to note that we are just as committed to constantly investing in our existing campus.”
“The phase 2 building of our Secondary School which will be built after Phase 1 completion. We look forward to having our students complete their entire career of schooling (Grade 000 to Grade 13) with us”, says Mrs Kerr.
The school’s academic team works very closely with the Nova Pioneer Property company in defining how the schools look and feel. The continuous collaboration between the two ensures that the building design helps facilitate the learning process for every Novaneer.
Nova Pioneer Midrand will include Grade 7 in 2021 and launch its inaugural Grade 8 class in 2022 which is open to students beyond Nova Pioneer Midrand Primary. For more information, contact our Midrand admissions team on admissions.midrand@novapioneer.com.
