Nova Pioneer parents share in our mission of building the next generation of innovators and leaders and thus, we look to them to help us find more families who share our vision and values. This is because we believe in building a community of like-minded people who want to come along for the journey, and share in our story, as we continue to expand our offering throughout South Africa.

Once your child is enrolled at Nova Pioneer, you become part of our supportive and passionate community – a group of parents from all walks of life – who all contribute to our school in various ways for the betterment of our students’ education. It is through this community that our school Culture Principles come alive, even at home. 

 

Benefits of growing our community

At Nova Pioneer, we know how important it is to build community. Who better to help us do this than our very own parents? As an existing Nova Pioneer parent, you could qualify for a referral discount (R3500 off your tuition for a period of one year) when you refer a parent and they successfully enrol their child at any of our Nova Pioneer campuses.

 

What does “Successful Enrolment” look like: 

Step 1: Current family/ parent talks to a friend and tells them about Nova Pioneer.

Step 2: The prospective parent completes an online application form and in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section, they select ‘referred by a current parent’ and write the full name of the parent and student who referred them. We can only identify the family that referred you if they give us your first and last name.

Step 3: The prospective parent attends a Nova Pioneer event and the learner completes, and passes, an assessment. 

Step 4: The prospective parent, who is very excited about Nova Pioneer, then completes all online forms and submits required documentation before our Finance Team completes the affordability check and gives go-ahead for enrolment fee payment.

Step 5: The prospective parent then pays the grade-relevant enrolment fee to secure their child’s spot. 

Step 6: The referral is then flagged to our Finance Team, who will pick up the name from the original application, and ensure your account reflects the referral discount once the student has started.

 

Which parents are eligible for the R3500 discount? 

• When the parent applies to Nova Pioneer via our website, they must state that they were referred to by you (name and surname) when they complete the ‘how did you hear about us’ section.  
• The referred parent needs to successfully enrol at Nova Pioneer by completing the full admissions process (detailed below).
• Referred students cannot have a sibling currently or previously enrolled at Nova Pioneer. 
• The referral discount is awarded to the youngest child – if you have only one child at Nova Pioneer, that child will receive the discount. 
• You will be entitled to a R3500 discount per referral. 
• If you are not yet an enrolled parent, you ONLY qualify for this discount once you have confirmation of enrolment.
• The discount is non-transferable and cannot be substituted for cash or a refund.
• The referral discount will not be applied should the student account be in arrears at the point in time that the discount is allocated.
• This discount is awarded per enrolled student that is referred, up to five students (or a maximum tuition discount of R17500)
• Nova Pioneer staff do not qualify.
• Terms and conditions apply.

 

“Young children learn in a different manner from that of older children and adults, yet we can teach them many things if we adapt our materials and mode of instruction to their level of ability. But we miseducate young children when we assume that their learning abilities are comparable to those of older children and that they can be taught with materials and with the same instructional procedures appropriate to school-age children.” David Elkind-Child Psychologist

Parents naturally want to provide their children with the finest prospects in life, and for the majority of us, this begins with a good education. Learning, for our children, begins as soon as they are born, and it is our obligation to create environments that maximise their endless learning potential. 

Their educational journey begins at home, followed by preschool; the early years are quite critical, and choosing a suitable preschool usually comes with many questions. Preschool should be an extension of the home, a safe place where children can “take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, communicate their feelings, and grow.”

The Nova Pioneer vision is to transform the lives and career paths of students and equip them for success and to enable them to lead change in Africa and around the globe in the 21st century. This journey begins in our preschools where we provide a joyful and safe learning environment while ensuring that every child receives individualised interactions from caregivers and teachers. 

 

These are some of the concerns that most parents have before enrolling:

 

Are you a credible institution?

 

Nova Pioneer’s selection of certified and well-trained caregivers and teachers, placed in our preschools, is one of the school’s distinguishing features. While it is not mandatory within our pre-primary schools to hire a certified teacher, at Nova Pioneer we have made it a requirement. The intention is to ensure that every child’s developmental needs are met through the facilitation of well-trained educational professionals.

 

Are your campuses safe?

 

Our environment – which caregivers and teachers recognise as the third teacher – is intentionally designed to coalesce stimulation and safety for our Novaneers. The school’s Academic Team works very closely with the Nova Pioneer Property Company in defining how our schools should look and feel. Our buildings are designed not only to facilitate the learning process but safety is also an important aspect of the physical structure. We have fully trained security professionals who screen all visitors before they enter the school. All of our campuses have an Operations Team and a Health and Safety Committee that collaborate with the rest of the personnel to guarantee a seamless security system. Unauthorised persons are not permitted to exit with a child unless they have received written permission from our teachers.

 

Distance?

 

The Nova Pioneer School Group for Innovators and Leaders is building and operating world-class, affordable schools across the continent. Operating in South Africa and Kenya, we are constantly making quality private education accessible, expanding and building a school near you. See here our current list of schools in South Africa. We live up to our culture principle of “Always Growing” and have been reaching many milestones. In 2018 we acquired a Boksburg-based infant centre and preschool and in 2023 we are launching two new secondary schools. 

 

What and how will my child be taught?

 

Play is the highest form of research said Albert Einstein; we have adopted the pedagogy of play which aligns with our cultural principle “joy of learning.” The pedagogy of play is a method of integrating children’s play experiences with curricular learning, allowing students to solve new and current problems on their own. Our curriculum is founded upon the world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach to early education. Reggio-inspired programs emphasise the importance of creating a joyful and safe learning environment while ensuring that every child receives individualised interactions from caregivers and teachers.

Nova Pioneer is a compassionate community where students and teachers care deeply about each other. There’s a real intent, across all campuses, to foster ethical, responsible, and caring young people through the integration of our culture principles. The intent is to ensure that all students feel safe, valued, and welcome.

Nova Pioneer Pre-primary is now even more affordable and has better value. From 2023, we are reducing tuition by up to 20%! Read more about our offering here.

“Teaching is conceptual and intellectual, abstract and concrete, creative, and sequential. It’s about people but framed through ideas. It’s about content, hearts, minds, the past, the future–whatever we can imagine, teaching and learning are both causes and effects.”-Teach Thought Staff

It has been said that “those who can’t do, teach,” which means that getting a job teaching how to do something is easier than actually doing it. This is obviously a lighthearted jab at one of history’s most noble professions – imagine the hands that carved the Venus of Willendorf or Beethoven composing the Moonlight Sonata – the care, patience, love, and intention that went into it, and now imagine every teacher as an artist responsible for shaping masterpieces whose impact will influence future generations. Every master must pass through the hands of a teacher, meaningful change begins with a teacher, and educational transformation begins with teachers.

Annually on the 5th of October,we celebrate the critical role of teachers in transforming learners’ potential by ensuring they have the tools they need to take responsibility for themselves, for others and for the planet. We call on countries to ensure that teachers are trusted and recognised as knowledge producers, reflective practitioners, and policy partners.It is truly an honour to reflect on the crucial role played by one individual who has devoted their life to what one of our senior resident Pre-Primary teachers (Asmaa Khan) refers to as a “calling, an opportunity to inspire, give the young ones a space where they can dig into their curiosity and explore the world around them.”

The bow from which every arrow springs, a career from which every career is created-the challenges that our educators face should not be solely theirs; it is our collective responsibility to improve the conditions that pave the way to developing our leaders.

The theme of World Teachers’ Day, 2022, “the transformation of education begins with teachers,” is incredibly appropriate. It serves to remind us we are because our teachers are.

In appreciation of our educators we close with the wise words from one of our star educators Ms Ilhaam Patel, “my role as a teacher at Nova Pioneer is to create a safe and exciting environment for my students to develop a passion for acquiring skills and knowledge to make the world a better place in the future. My role is to nurture each individual learner and appeal to their unique interests and personalities so that they can contribute to our ever-changing society. Nova Pioneer has created an environment that allows me to work towards these objectives. We are Greater Together as a school and an organisation, working to develop future leaders and innovators beyond the borders of African countries.”

 

Guest: Tshegofatso Langa

Wits University B.A. Law student and Golden Key International Honour Society member, Tshegofatso Langa, returns to the Novaneer Podcast for a special exam preparation advice session. In this episode, Langa shares his top tips for preparing for a Cambridge level exam and discusses vital academic practices that he employs that have helped him achieve excellent grades in A-Levels and university.

 

To Listen in – Click here

Want to become a Novaneer? Apply to Nova Pioneer now by visiting www.novapioneer.com. Remember to select “Novaneer Podcast” on the “How did you hear about us” section of the online application.

To listen to the full episode, gain early access to the latest episodes and bonus content, become a patron for as little as $5 per month. Visit our Patreon profile to sign up now.

Your contribution to and feedback of the podcast is invaluable. Email your thoughts, comments, questions and voice recordings to novaneerpod@gmail.com.

Produced by Jabu Mtwa. Theme music by Hazy.

Simikazi Deyi expresses the importance of mother tongue languages in an article in 2018 that states, “Language is not just a series of words, but includes certain nuances that emerge in the form of idioms, metaphors and euphemisms, as well as praises. Language is therefore tied intrinsically to a sense of belonging, which is in turn linked to society and its values”. In a country where our differences have so often divided us, our school is always looking for tangible opportunities to acknowledge the spectrum of who we are. 

 

Language has historically been a divisive tool in education. Used to disempower, to segregate, and to alienate children from access to quality education. One simply needs to reflect on the 1976 Soweto Uprising to realise how powerful a tool language is in creating equitable access to education. In modern day South Africa, we still struggle with classism and bias based on people’s accents when they speak in English. As schools serving children on the African continent, it is our responsibility to work to create a cohesive society, and the acknowledgement of our language diversity is one of many ways we can make this possible for our learners. 

 

A starting point for us was to embrace the different languages spoken by our students. In social and break settings, we do not prohibit students from speaking in their mother tongue. Rather, we seek to empower our students to understand how to include their peers, and not allow children of differing languages to feel excluded from a social group. We also encourage our students to learn language through socialising with their peers, who may speak a different language. This is a more complicated approach than simply saying everyone must speak English, however, the long term impact on social cohesion is more meaningful. 

 

With all this in mind, our team launched our first Love Your Mother Tongue Week (LYMT Week) in 2019. LYMT Week is a week where parents can book a slot to come in to visit their child’s class during the Morning Meeting, which is the first half hour of the day. During this time parents are invited to read a story, teach the children a song, or recite a poem in their mother tongue. During COVID parents have been able to join via Zoom. Since starting LYMT Week, we have been treated to the most rewarding recognition of who we are as a nation. Our children have experienced parents celebrating the various indigenous South African languages, Asian languages, English, Afrikaans, languages from the Middle East, as well as languages from throughout Africa, by introducing them to the rich nuances of their languages, through music, poetry and storytelling. 

 

We host this each term in an effort to normalise the differences that make us who we are, and being mindful to not just doing this once a year on a national holiday. Operationally, this is a very simple event, which requires no changes to our timetable, and is facilitated with a simple booking form. While it is very little work to organise, the power and impact of it is huge. It is however, important that the true shift does not just come from a termly event, but rather from interrogating our policies about language, and language diversity, both formal and informal. We should continue to strive to create cohesion through our everyday actions and daily acknowledgement of our differences, or else events like this will remain hollow and will be unable to affect the change we need to see in our society.

In our fast and ever-changing world, it is important that children learn a few key skills from a young age, most of which should be taught at school level. A student’s ability to become successful in the real-world (and face the daily challenges presented in the workplace) weighs heavily on their ability to problem-solve and to think “outside the box”.

It is to be expected that there will be myths and misconceptions surrounding the Cambridge curriculum, given it’s not widely taught in the majority of South African schools. The majority of the myths and misconceptions are baseless. 

Formed by the UK’s University of Cambridge more than 150 years ago, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) is the world’s largest provider of international education programmes to over 8 million candidates in 160 countries. 

Nova Pioneer school network holds itself to very high standards, and it has been our objective since conception to lead, innovate, and always grow. The Cambridge curriculum has been specifically selected to set up Nova Pioneer students for success. We have highlighted five common misconceptions and hope to provide some clarity.

 

MYTH: Cambridge curriculum qualifications are not recognised by SA universities

 

Fact: The Universities of South Africa (USAf) matriculation board has standardised its acceptance of international qualifications including those issued by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). All South African universities have established their minimum entry requirements for students holding a CAIE qualification and fully accept them. Students from Cambridge who pass the AS or A level exams with a bachelor’s degree can apply to USAf for a matric equivalence, and students who pass the AS level exams with the equivalent of an NSC or diploma can do the same with South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Both processes are simple and instant. Many of our Nova Pioneer alumni are already enrolled in South Africa universities and are thriving, this alone dispels this erroneous misconception.(Cambridge A Level qualifications are also recognised and valued by all Ivy League and Ivy Plus universities in the US, all UK universities, as well as those in Australia, Canada, Germany and beyond.)

 

MYTH: The Cambridge curriculum is overly difficult

 

Fact: Nova Pioneer was founded with the mission to offer high-quality education, at accessible fees and the Cambridge curriculum is not only rigorous but internationally-recognised, giving our students an advantage over most. Through our teaching and learning methods all students accepted in our schools have the opportunity to thrive with the Cambridge curriculum. The end point of (AS and A level) is explicitly to prepare our students for tertiary education, they are required to engage in depth with the skills and content of each subject they choose. We impart and cultivate a mindset and attitude that allows the student to engage course material independently, inside and outside the classroom. The Cambridge curriculum emphasises understanding and application of knowledge rather than rote memorisation of facts in order to pass exams. Although rigorous and demanding, Cambridge is NOT overly difficult. 

 

MYTH: It will be easier for my child to get higher symbols with the national CAPS curriculum

 

Fact: This is yet another misconception directly linked to the notion that Cambridge is overly difficult. Let us establish the fundamental purposes of both CAPS (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) and Cambridge: CAPS provides a general school exit requirement which allows a student to go to university, vocational training or join the workforce – this curriculum is more prone to provide the minimum, in this respect. Students are tested on their ability to retain and recapitulate information and students which may not adequately prepare them for tertiary education or life beyond school. In 2019 only 22% of CAPS students were able to complete degrees in the allotted time. However, Cambridge AS and A Levels are specifically designed to prepare students for the rigours of a university education. Fewer subjects are studied at A-Level, which means a more concentrated approach. Deep knowledge of focused subjects as well as conceptual understanding is fostered, encouraging students to develop higher-order problem solving and thinking skills. Much of the content covered is at first year university level, and consistent feedback from our alumni is that they are certainly at an advantage to their CAPS counterparts because they have covered most of the content and can cope with the academic demands of tertiary schooling.

 

MYTH: There are not enough Cambridge-qualified teachers in South Africa and therefore the curriculum will not be delivered to the benefit of my child

 

Fact: There is no teacher qualified to teach the Cambridge curriculum but a teacher with experience teaching the Cambridge curriculum. At Nova Pioneer we require our teachers to be fully qualified (with a Bachelors of Education) and SACE (South African Council for Educators) registered, our apprentices should be currently studying towards their degree or PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education). The rigorous and demanding nature of Cambridge requires our teachers to be experts in the subjects that they teach. More often than not, our teachers in AS and A level will have a postgraduate qualification in the subject that they teach. In order for our teachers to teach the curriculum to its fullest potential we offer extra support through Cambridge run courses that assist in innovation and thorough methods of teaching and assessing in the Cambridge system. Teacher retention is a priority, as this helps us retain and grow the “Cambridge Knowledge” that we have accumulated over the years. The curriculum is student-centred and enquiry-based and our teachers fully practise these fundamentals – with the help of our Deans of Instruction we authentically embed this approach within our teacher cohort through regular professional development opportunities. Cambridge representatives offer us regular assessments to ensure we are delivering the curriculum and assessments to required standards.

 

MYTH: Cambridge schools in South Africa lack support in delivering the curriculum

 

Fact: Nova Pioneer is a fully accredited Cambridge school and has immediate and full access to a range of support services from Cambridge: these include but are not limited to teaching resources, assessment and staff training facilities. The exam officers in each campus have a direct line to Cambridge in the United Kingdom; and our active partnership with the Cambridge office in South Africa ensures we receive support with training, queries around USAf criteria, conference and meeting attendance. We have created small support communities with other Cambridge schools in the Gauteng area. Nova Pioneer has high schools in Ormonde, Midrand and Ruimsig.

We constantly urge parents to think carefully about the curriculum and the school their children attend, which is why we are always prepared to have in-depth conversations with prospective and current parents and students.

For more information, reach out to our admissions team at admissions.sa@novapioneer.com. 

 

 

At Nova Pioneer, we understand the significance and impact of high-quality pre-primary education. We are thrilled to share some exciting news regarding our Tots (2 turning 3) to Grade 1 offering at Nova Pioneer. 

In response to the needs and expectations of Novaneers in our community –  namely, affordable and quality pre-primary care and education, we have introduced some positive changes to our younger grades –  we have reviewed our pricing and offering and, from 2023, we will be bringing you the same quality Pre-Primary and Grade 1 education at more affordable and accessible prices.

 

What Changes? What is Added?

 

1. A significant reduction in the tuition for Tots – Grade 1 (up to 20% tuition reduction in 2023*)
2. More flexibility for families (especially those who work!): A ‘regular dismissal’ day or full day option for our Tots, Grade 000 and 00 students. (Regular dismissal times will vary slightly from school to school).
3. For our Tots, Grade 000 and 00 families, a full day added-value option: Includes free aftercare at NovaCare, with a meal, snack and beverage provided.  

 

Excited? Share the love!

 

At Nova Pioneer, we know how important it is to build community. Who better to help us do this than our very own parents? As an existing Nova Pioneer parent, you could qualify for a referral discount (R3500 off your tuition for a period of one year) when you refer a parent and they successfully enrol their child at any of our Nova Pioneer campuses. 

 

Want to know more? 

 

We’d love to chat with you and share more about this exciting change to our offering. Reach out to admissions.sa@novapioneer.com for more information.

*Terms and conditions apply

 

 

One of the reasons that drew me to Nova Pioneer five years ago, apart from the desire to be a member of a team of educational pioneers in South Africa, was the opportunity to teach within the Cambridge system. And five years down the line, I do not regret that decision. What an intellectually and personally rewarding journey it has been for me, and will continue to be. The Cambridge curriculum is still quite an unfamiliar system in the South African context. Many prospective parents have heard about it, but are still not fully aware of how it works and the benefits thereof as an educational experience. At parent evenings and open days some of the most commonly asked questions are, ¨What are A levels, and why should my child consider taking them?¨ 

 

A Levels (Advanced Level) refers to the final two years of the Cambridge curriculum. The two-year course consists of two ´sub-phases´, AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A2. These two sub-phases combine to equate to a full A Level. At the end of each of these sub-phases students write examinations externally set and marked by Cambridge. In the South African system, the AS Level is considered the equivalent of the South African matric, and students may apply to university locally and exit school after this point if they have achieved the minimum of four AS level subject passes (D symbol and above), including English, combined with one IGCSE pass (C symbol and above). This IGCSE pass should be in their second language. Alright, now that we have dealt with the technicalities, the question arises again. If my child can exit school at the end of their AS year (Grade 12), why should they stay on and achieve a full A level qualification at the end of Grade 13? 

 

There are a few reasons why we encourage parents to strongly consider full A Levels for their children. The first is that it is a well-respected international qualification and students who wish to study abroad will invariably be at an advantage in terms of university acceptance at all the world´s top tertiary institutions. Top South African universities as well have formalised their acceptance criteria for A Level candidates and these students are highly sought after locally as well. Full A Levels also provides another bite at the cherry for students who may not have achieved the university entry requirements in their AS exams. By improving their results in a 13th year, they almost always end up with a very strong university entrance qualification. 

 

The A Level qualification is also explicitly designed to prepare students for university study. The heavy emphasis placed on the skills of application, analysis and evaluation of knowledge means students are far better prepared for the academic rigours of university. A 2019 South African study showed that only 22% of South African students managed to complete a three year bachelor degree in the three year time period. Within the South African context there are many reasons for this. However, a key one is that generally, the South African schooling system leaves many students academically ill-prepared for the intellectual rigours of university. At Nova Pioneer part of the way we measure success is defined by our graduate’s ability to complete their university courses in the stipulated time. This is a major factor in why we chose to partner with Cambridge in providing affordable access to a curriculum specifically designed to heighten chances of success at tertiary level. The ability to inculcate critical thinking skills and an advanced level of academic literacy in our graduates will not only stand them in good stead at university, but also in the world of work after university graduation. Another important attribute developed in students within the Cambridge system is the ability to work independently. This is fundamental to success particularly in the A Level phase. Great habits learnt here carry through to university and strengthen the academic ´muscle´ needed to achieve success. The feedback I receive from former Nova Pioneer students is how much further ahead they are at university in their skills, content knowledge and academic maturity than their peers from CAPS or IEB schools. 

 

And finally, we tend to focus so much on the benefits of Cambridge as a pathway to academic and career success, and neglect the intrinsic benefits thereof, or the opportunity A Levels provides our students to be better, more informed human beings through study for the love of knowledge. The opportunity to focus in depth on three to four disciplines a student is passionate about is an opportunity not afforded to many students in the South African schooling system. The chance to really experience the joy of in depth intellectual fulfilment at an earlier point in their academic career is, I feel, a great privilege. This final reason is an important one, particularly for those students who have not yet decided what they want to study at university. A Levels therefore provides an opportunity for an intellectually stimulating ´gap´ year. 

 

The Cambridge curriculum has been designed as a thirteen year programme and so our message to prospective parents and students is that, to achieve full benefit from this rigorous and rewarding programme, the option of completing the full A Level qualification should always be one to consider when applying for study at Nova Pioneer. 

 

You may have some concerns about relocating your child mid-year. At Nova Pioneer, we work with our parents to ensure we provide support to students who join mid-year. Our teachers are equipped to support students in catching up on the Curriculum, and the learning model allows teachers to identify areas in which additional focus is required, ensuring a smooth transition for your child. Our teachers support mid-year joiners by ensuring the following:

 

• Adjusting from one curriculum to another may seem daunting, however our teachers put a lot of work into equipping students who start mid-year with the tools to thrive. Initially an assessment is done to understand the student’s baseline math and english level. Teachers then conduct weekly CFU’s (Check for Understanding) and based on these checks, the teacher is able to assess whether academic support interventions need to be taken. 
• While ensuring that your child is able to adjust to the academic rigour of our curriculum and model, it is equally important that they receive psycho-social support with the big adjustment. Various methods are used to ensure that the student adjusts well to their environment, teachers, peers and becoming a Novaneer. 
• Students are quickly introduced to the Nova Pioneer culture which largely assists with the social adjustment. This ranges from understanding what the 6 culture principles are, to giving snaps or shine for their own and peer achievements. 
• Both new and existing families are supported through instructional evenings, aimed at equipping parents with knowledge to support their Novaneer’s journey in becoming a leader and innovator

 

Below are some tips on how parents can make the mid-year transition less disruptive.

 

Communicate the decision for the move

Talk with your child about moving schools well in advance, if possible. Take time to discuss each concern and allow your child to express themselves and their feelings about changing schools. This will help parents understand their child’s feelings and fears about changing schools. This can also give us insight into how we can best support them. Also ask them what they are looking forward to the most about going to a new school and talk to your child about what to expect at the new school.

 

Come meet our team

 

We always advise parents to visit the campus before the child starts classes and ensure they stay engaged with the school and teachers to find out how the child is settling in. Also, feel free to ask for more information on our psychosocial support services in case your child may need additional or professional support to adjust with the change. 

 

Come prepared

 

Make sure that your child has the correct school stationery and uniform, as well as sports clothes. Also, organise your child’s transportation to commute to and from school. Parents need to remember that children are most concerned about fitting in at school, and having the basics covered can help them integrate better into their new school environment. 

 

Encourage building community

 

Get your child involved in extracurricular activities that interest them, to help them make new friends and for them to be part of the school community. Also encourage your child to try a new activity to help them grow and expand their scope of activities at school.

 

Stay connected to old friends

 

Remember to make space for your child to reconnect and maintain communication with former school friends. It’s good for your child to not feel like they have lost or neglected their old friends, it will also comfort them to be able to keep memories of their previous school and to stay in contact with the friends that they have left behind.

 

Hurry, available spaces for this year are limited!

 

Nova Pioneer believes in building a compassionate, like-minded community

 

Once your child is enrolled at Nova Pioneer, you become part of our supportive and passionate community – a group of parents from all walks of life – who all contribute to our school in various ways for the betterment of our students’ education. It is through this community that our school Culture Principles come alive, even at home. 

Nova Pioneer parents share in our mission of building the next generation of innovators and leaders and thus, we look to them to help us find more families who share our vision and values. This is because we believe in building a community of like-minded people who want to come along for the journey, and share in our story, as we continue to expand our offering throughout South Africa.

 

Benefits of growing our community

 

At Nova Pioneer, we know how important it is to build community. Who better to help us do this than our very own parents? As an existing Nova Pioneer parent, you could qualify for double the normal referral discount (R7000 off your tuition for a period of one year) when you refer a parent and they successfully enrol their child at any of our Nova Pioneer campuses for 2022 or 2023 between 8 December 2021 and 30 April 2022.

 

Which parents are eligible for the R7000 discount?

 

• In order to successfully benefit from referring a student, the parent must apply to Nova Pioneer between 8 December 2021 and 30 April 2022 for enrolment in-year in 2022 or for 2023.
• The parent must state that they were referred to by you (name and surname) when they fill in the online application form in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section.  
• The referred parent needs to successfully enrol at Nova Pioneer by completing the full admissions process (detailed below).
• Referred students cannot have a sibling currently or previously enrolled at Nova Pioneer. 
• The referral discount is awarded to the youngest child – if you have only one child at Nova Pioneer, that child will receive the discount. 
• You will be entitled to a R7000 discount per enrolled student that is referred up to five students (or a maximum tuition discount of R35000)
• If you are not yet an enrolled parent, you ONLY qualify for this discount once you have confirmation of enrolment.
• The discount is non-transferable and cannot be substituted for cash or a refund.
• The referral discount will not be applied should the student account be in arrears at the point in time that the discount is allocated.
• Nova Pioneer staff do not qualify.

What does “Successful Enrolment” look like: 

 

Step 1: Current family/ parent talks to a friend and tells them about Nova Pioneer.

Step 2: The prospective parent completes an online application form and in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section, they select ‘referred by a current parent’ and write the full name of the parent and student who referred them. We can only identify the family that referred you if they give us your first and last name.

Step 3: The prospective parent attends a Nova Pioneer event and the learner completes and passes, an assessment. 

Step 4: The prospective parent, who is very excited about Nova Pioneer, then completes all online forms and submits required documentation before our Finance Team completes the affordability check and gives go-ahead for enrolment fee payment.

Step 5: The prospective parent then pays the grade-relevant enrolment fee to secure their child’s spot. 

Step 6: The referral is then flagged to our Finance Team, who will pick up the name from the original application, and ensure your account reflects the referral discount once the student has started.