About Northbrook

A small school with a big heart, since 1968.

We are an independent, co-educational day school for Grade R to Grade 9 in Pinelands, Cape Town. Our purpose has never changed: to know every child, and to help them flourish.

Our mission

To grow curious, kind and confident children — and to send them on to high school ready for anything.

We believe childhood is not a rehearsal for life — it is life. So we hold two things in balance at once: real academic ambition, and a fierce protection of the joy, play and friendship that make a childhood whole.

That balance shapes everything: how we timetable the day, how we choose our staff, and how we measure success. We are interested in children who think for themselves and care for one another.

What we stand for

Four values, taught as deliberately as any subject.

C

Curiosity

We protect the instinct to ask “why”, and we teach children how to chase the answer.

K

Kindness

Character is taught as deliberately as mathematics. Empathy is a daily practice here.

C

Courage

We help learners try the hard thing, speak up, and recover well when they stumble.

B

Belonging

Every child should be able to point to an adult and a group where they truly fit.

PHOTO — Dr. Eleanor Brooks in the library
Welcome from the Head

"When people visit, they often say the school feels calm. That calm is not an accident — it is what happens when children feel safe, known and gently stretched."

I have led Northbrook for nine years, and I still learn something from our children every week. We are a school that prizes good thinking and good manners in equal measure, and that takes the wellbeing of each child as seriously as their marks.

If you are looking for a school that will know your child — really know them — I would love to show you around.

Dr. Eleanor Brooks
Head of School · BEd, MEd (UCT)
Arrange a meeting →
Our story

Nearly sixty years in the making.

1968

Founded as Northbrook House

Opened with 34 learners in a converted Pinelands homestead, with a simple promise: small classes, big horizons.

1985

The Hartley Theatre opens

A gift from the Hartley family established the performing-arts tradition the school is known for today.

2003

Senior Phase introduced

Northbrook grew from a preparatory school into a full Grade R–9 campus, adding science and design facilities.

2019

Innovation & Robotics Centre

A purpose-built STEM hub brought coding, robotics and maker education into every year group.

2026

850 learners, one community

Today Northbrook serves families across the Southern Suburbs while keeping the intimacy of its founding.

The people

Meet the leadership team.

A staff body chosen as much for warmth as for expertise. Our full directory of more than 60 teachers lives on the staff portal.

Head of School portrait

Dr. Eleanor Brooks

Head of School
Deputy Head portrait

Mr. Sipho Ndlovu

Deputy Head, Academics
Staff portrait

Ms. Thandeka Mokoena

Head of STEM
Staff portrait

Mrs. Hannah Steyn

Head of Foundation Phase
Staff portrait

Mr. David Petersen

Head of Drama & Arts
Staff portrait

Coach Lerato Dlamini

Director of Sport
Staff portrait

Ms. Priya Naidoo

Head of Languages
Staff portrait

Mr. Johan van Wyk

Head of Pastoral Care
Come and see for yourself

The best way to know Northbrook is to walk through it.

Book a private tour or join an Open Morning. You'll meet our Head, see real classrooms in action, and get every question answered.