Bridge House School

Bridge House School, commonly referred to as Bridge House, is situated in the Cape Winelands close to Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl, and is an independent day and boarding school for over eight hundred girls and boys from Playschool to Grade 12 with a satellite Playschool at the Pearl Valley Golf Estate (2015). Bridge House is a member of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) the International Round Square Organisation. The School motto is “Learning for Life”.HistoryBridge House was founded by a group of local families, namely the Huxter, Friedman and Rands families, as a non-profit company and opened its doors on the 19th of January 1995 with 54 pupils. The school was originally based in a state school building in Simondium until 1997. Rezoning applications were brought forth and approved for the school to occupy new premises in the Berg River Valley on the Waterval Farm. In July 1998 the school relocated to the new and larger campus situated on a 10-hectare site; an undeveloped corner of farm near the Berg River Bridge donated by the late Graham Beck in 1994, ten kilometres outside Franschhoek. Bridge House currently owns 28 hectares of land after receiving an additional donated 18 hectares.Campus and BuildingsIn 1999 the swimming pool, shallow pool and tennis courts were added, followed by the indoor sports centre. The 450-seating capacity Barnyard Theater was built in 2002 and became operational during 2003. A new College block, with seven classrooms, administrative offices and a College staff room was added. The College block was further expanded in 2009 with additional classrooms. The first boarding house, Bellegam House, became operational in the third term of 2004 with Waterfall House added in 2008, doubling the boarding capacity. The Renaissance Centre, housing six new classrooms and the ‘Learning Commons’, was completed in November 2013. Huguenot House, the third boarding house, was completed at the end of 2013, increasing total boarding capacity to one hundred and forty boarders. In the third term of 2015, the preprimary building and facilities became occupied by one Playschool class and all the Pre-primary children. In the second term of 2016 a hockey Astroturf was completed along with pending construction of a Mathematics and Science Centre and Science and Biology laboratories, to come into operation by January 2017. Construction of a fourth boarding house is aimed for use in 2017.