Welcome to The Bay Academy.
Our mission is to develop content, independent, tenacious, and brave young adults, equipped with the skills required to make a positive contribution to a just, fair, and ecologically sustainable society.
Our community welcomes you.
Our Vision
- To be a world-class Montessori Primary and International High School
- To partner with parents to prepare your children for life
- To provide the highest quality learning environments
- To discover and develop the unique potential in every child.
The Learning Journey
Set over two campuses, The Bay Academy student is privileged to have one of the most beautiful, natural, and well-designed learning environments available. Starting in Preschool, moving through to Junior and Senior Primary on the Primary Montessori Campus; onto the International Middle School and High School on the Senior Campus, a Bay Academy Student can be safe and secure in the knowledge that the same care and challenge will flow from class-to-class, building trust and self-confidence at every stage of their learning journey.
High School Campus
Gates Open: 7:30am
High School Times: 8:30am – 3:30pm
ADDRESS
Primary School Campus
Gates Open 7:30am
Pre-Primary School Times: 8am – 2:30pm
Primary School Times: Mon-Thur 8:30am – 2:30pm, Friday finishing time at 1pm for all.
Aftercare for all children: 2:30pm – 5pm
ADDRESS
Anne Marie Farm, Erf 4078 Main Road, Hout Bay, Cape Town, 7806
Phone & Email
General Info
Principal: John Alexander
Grade Levels: Nursery – Grade 12
Quick Info
Registration and Enrollment
News & Events
About Us
The Bay Academy is the marriage of three schools, each alike in outlook and vision and with their own history: The Hout Bay Montessori, My Montessori Eco School and The Academy Hout Bay.
We are now an all-through school, encompassing a Montessori Primary School and an International High School. The seamless transition between which is managed by a Montessori-inspired Middle School curriculum.
The term Montessori embodies both a philosophy and a method of education. It is based on the life work of Dr. Maria Montessori, a noted Italian educator and physician (1870 – 1952), who revolutionised early education by advocating that children be allowed the freedom to explore and develop their own creative potential through a wealth of self-teaching educational materials.
Montessori operates on the principle of freedom within limits. Every program has its set of ground rules which differs from age to age, but is always based on core Montessori beliefs: respect for each other and for the environment.
The Montessori philosophy focuses on the development of each child’s full potential using guides specially trained in the Montessori method and philosophy. Using both concrete teaching materials and a well-defined innovative curriculum tailored to a three-year cycle: Pre-Primary, Junior Primary, Senior Primary, Middle School, and High School.
Set across two beautiful bespoke campuses in the Hout Bay valley, we let nature be our learning environment and design our classrooms with the student in mind, producing the most effective learning environment possible.
We understand that the Victorian industrial model of education is ineffective and outdated. People should not be judged, or be allowed to judge themselves by their success or failure within the narrow confines of this paradigm. We can do this by offering them the educational experience of working within a flow that ensures they are constantly challenged. An experience where teachers are seen as positive role models, and in which the physical and mental environment all support his undeniable truth:
Happy students are better learners and will become young adults that are independent, creative, open-minded, principled and brave.
Our Promise is to Deliver
Members of the Bay Academy Learning Community can be assured of benefiting from our unique offerings.
Low Teacher to Student ratios
In the Montessori Primary school, where Montessori teaching groups span 3 years of traditional school grades, the group is split into two classes and there is a Guide and Teaching assistant assigned to each group. In the Middle School class sizes rarely exceed 18 students. In the high school there are 10 specialist subject teachers, with a maximum of a 18 to 1 ratio. This ensures personal support for each and every one of our students.
Online Learning Support: The Learning Portal
Leading the way in online, Virtual Learning Environments, (VLEs) The Bay Academy has, for the last 6 years perfected the use of VLEs to support learning; using technology to enhance, rather than replace classroom learning. This approach of the "Flipped Classroom" allows students to access all the learning resources before the lessons commence, allowing for processing, application and mastery to happen in the classroom with the teacher as a guide.
International Accreditation
Our Primary school is an accredited member of SAMA - the South African Montessori Association. The Bay Academy's High School is an accredited centre for Pearson Edexcel, the premier examination body in the UK, whose certifications are the gold standard of education and accepted by universities worldwide.
Assesment FOR Learning
While the Montessori focus is on learning and avoids standardised testing, our students are prepared at an appropriate pace with the skills to sit formal examinations in the High School. However, even here our focus is on FORMATIVE assessments, where they are free to learn from their mistakes, rather than SUMMATIVE assessment OF learning. The enquiry based, experiential learning approach is fundamental to the Montessori philosophy, and continues into the International High School.
Parent Portal
Every parent can follow their child's progress through our Parent's Portal, where every observation, success, concern and individual learning plan is documented and available to see. In addition to this, high school parents can view the weekly learning objectives and assignments in order to support their child, and partner with us to ensure academic success.
A true Community of Learning
Through our consistent, open and honest communication we encourage all the members of our community to join with us to enhance the learning experience of our students. Any member of our community with a particular expertise or experience is encouraged to share this with our students, allowing us to tap into a wealth of learning opportunities.