Riverrun Educational Facility

At RIVERRUN we have devised an educational system that utilises the stimulation of nature and physical exercise to offer a stable "one-on-one" learning environment. RIVERRUN opened its doors in January 2016, with a mission to provide alternative education for learners who battle with the pressures of mainstream schooling. Education is carefully planned for small groups, focusing on the social and emotional well-being of learners while enhancing academic performance. Small classes enable each child to be more clearly seen and understood as individuals.
RIVERRUN utilizes the CAPS based curriculum called Clonard, facilitating special needs education with a focus on functional outcomes and life-skills in learners. Enrolment is limited to learners in Grades 4 -5.

RIVERRUN is on a 20-hectare property outside the town of Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The owners live on the property and have built a separate educational area.

The land is comprised of grasslands, a wetland, two dams and a stream that provide a healthy outdoor living experience. Activities include canoeing, fishing, looking for crabs and frogs in the stream, riding motor bikes and bicycles around the smallholding, and shooting targets with pellet guns.

On nature walks, learners enjoy a wealth of indigenous flora and fauna, including fish eagles, crowned cranes, reed buck, black backed jackal and leguaan. There is also opportunity to study local trees and wildflowers, and those who are interested can learn about living ‘off-the-grid’.

Although the emphasis embraces environmental education and outdoor activities, creativity is explored through artwork, cooking and science experiments.