Page 21 - Dainfern Precinct Living July Issue 2025

GROWTH THAT
DOESN’T LOSE ITS
SOUL
In the past few years,
Broadacres Academy
has expanded from
just over 400 learners
to more than 1,100
students across
three campuses,
serving children from
6 months to high
school.
Families come
from across the
northern suburbs:
Dainfern, Steyn City,
Lonehill, Douglasdale,
and Bryanston, with
dedicated bus routes to
make daily life easier for
parents.

But despite the growth,
Broadacres Academy has held onto
its founding ethos. This is not a school
that’s chasing numbers—it’s a school
that’s building a community of learners who
thrive together, in real, tangible ways.

“We don’t believe in bums-on-seats growth,” Colleen says. “We believe in building schools
that nurture the whole child, without losing sight of who they are.”
Community, Care and Learning Come

Together at Broadacres Academy

BROADACRES ACADEMY THE FOUR PILLARS OF THRIVE

EDUCATION
Broadacres Academy operates on the
Four Pillars of ThriveEd, a model designed
to help children flourish—not just in
school, but in life:

Deep, Meaningful Relationships
1 earning is relational. Drawing from the
L
Harvard longitudinal study, Broadacres
Academy understands that the most
important predictor of lifelong success
isn’t grades—it’s connection through
meaningful relationships.
Children learn best when they feel safe,
valued, and respected.

Purpose-Driven Learning
B
2 roadacres Academy helps children
discover what excites them. Whether it’s
literature, cultural activities, sport, or
leadership, learners are encouraged to
find their unique purpose—not just aim for A SMALL-WORLD MOMENT
marks.
As the writer of this piece, I can’t close without sharing something personal.
Habit Champions Today, I’m a writer, an editor, and a deeply passionate educator myself. And when I walked
3 Education isn’t just academics—it’s into Broadacres Academy for this interview, I didn’t just find a school—I found the full
life habits. Broadacres Academy teaches circle of my own story.
children how to build habits that stick:
from resilience to healthy tech use, from Colleen Traviss-Lea was my English teacher 30 years ago, a complete coincidence.
time management to kindness.
Summit Climbers She was the person who first made me fall in love with words, with Shakespeare, and with
E
4️ very child has a different summit learning as a way of seeing the world differently—not just passing exams.
to climb. For some, it’s 95% in maths.
For others, it’s learning to believe they’re That’s the ripple effect of education when it’s done right.
capable of passing Afrikaans.
At Broadacres Academy, both At Broadacres Academy, they’re not just teaching children how to pass.
achievements are celebrated equally,
because both are hard-won. They’re teaching them how to live. -Nicola
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