School Life
School Life
Students grow and flourish within our extensive extra-curricular and co-curricular programme. Often lessons learnt outside the classroom are more valuable in teaching students about themselves. These lessons encourage self-reliance, critical and creative thought and stimulate vision and optimism. Many of our subjects conduct field work, research, and visits to places of historical, environmental, political or scientific interest.
Sport
Sport is an important part of Pinelands High School. Besides physical fitness, we believe that sport builds discipline and teaches teamwork, resilience, humility and leadership. It is a safe microcosm for real life and for many children, and it is where many friendships are forged. All Grade 8s – 10s are expected to take part in at least one summer and one winter sport. Grade 11s have to play at least one sport per year; Grade 12s are encouraged to participate in the sporting programme and many do

We offer the following sports

Athletics
Basketball
Chess
Cricket
Indoor Hockey
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Water Polo

Chess
Cross Country
Dodgeball
Golf
Hockey
Netball
Soccer
Squash
Table Tennis
Touch Rugby
Volleyball
We are privileged to have the following sports facilities
Clubs and Societies
Our substantial and vibrant cultural offerings mean that every student is able to find their niche. We are well known for our professional, creative and high-achieving cultural and musical achievements and the opportunities that we offer.
Music
Our Music Department consists of qualified and experienced teachers offering the highest standard of tuition. Our three full-time staff and thirteen part-time staff inspire and give their students the confidence and courage to be successful. Every year our students successfully complete the Trinity practical examinations, the Cape Town Eisteddfod and the Afrikaans Eisteddfod in their instruments of choice. Music examinations of this type require diligence and practice and they prepare students for future situations where they need to be adaptable and perform under pressure or think on their feet. We are widely known for the quality of our music teaching and performance, as well as for our musical offerings on the stage.
Music Fees for 2025
Subject Music
Subject Music Gr 8 & 9 only R2,600 per annum
Subject Music 1st Instrument (Gr 10 – 12) No Charge
Additional Instrument
Subject Music (Gr 8 – 11) R5,900 per annum per instrument
Subject Music (Gr 12) R4,425 per annum per instrument
Extra-curricular Music
Extra-curricular Music (Gr 8 – 11) R7,300 per annum per instrument
Extra-curricular Music (Gr 12) R5,500 per annum per instrument
Other Charges
Instrument Hire (Gr 8 – 12) R3,000 per annum per instrument
Marimba (Grades 8 – 12) No Charge
(students selected after auditions)
Ensembles and Bands
The Music Department produces an annual Gala Music Concert in the third term and a biennial Cabaret during the first term. Students can take music as a subject from Grade 8 through to Matric. We offer tuition in a wide range of instruments.

Drama
The school stages annual dramatic productions that have become known in Cape Town for a level of professionalism and excellence seldom seen in school productions. Students can become involved in all aspects of our productions, from acting to set construction, and from make-up to sound and lighting. Many of our students have continued their studies in drama once leaving the school, largely as a result of the exposure they enjoyed at Pinelands High. Students can take Dramatic Arts as a subject from Grade 10 through to Grade 12.
On Stage

The Wider Classroom
Once a year our young people are taken out of their comfort zones, learn new skills, and are given opportunities to show leadership and development within themselves.
Twenty-two years ago, the school developed a four-day residential programme, entitled “Rainbow Camp,” for Grade 11 students (ages 16 – 17).
Students are encouraged to apply for one of two annual camps. 20 participants are selected based on varying demographics including race, language, gender, religion, culture and socio-economic backgrounds.
The programme’s content focuses on personal growth and development within the context of a multi-cultural and diverse society, A robust and challenging environment is created in which bias and stereotypes are unpacked, and anti-racism and other -isms are probed. Privilege is acknowledged, and students develop compassion and build connectedness or “Ubuntu” (“I am because we are”, an African philosophy of humanism where the individual self can only be whole in the context of the community).
This transformative programme has at its heart the desire to equip young people to be leaders of change in our fractured world, and in particular in our post-Apartheid society.
Two Leadership Camps are held each year. The philosophy behind this programme is that participants will grow when they face, meet and conquer true physical, emotional and mental tests, both individually and collectively. A number of students who show leadership potential are chosen to go on camp, where they are taught leadership and communication skills, as well as how to work as part of a team.