Caring, compassionate staff, generous entertainment areas, full facilities; true, lasting friendships; delicious, healthy meals … your child can enjoy this and more while living at our boarding school.

Welcome home

At Northern Academy, we know that learners perform best when they feel safe, supported, and comfortable in their living spaces. This is why we went to great lengths to create a warm, caring home where your child can enjoy their school years while being support academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As part of the Curro school group, we encourage boarders to participate in sports activities and our boarding parents and teachers work together to monitor their academic progress as well as their emotional well-being. We also have youth nights twice a week, an optional church service on Sundays, and arrange fun activities every second weekend.

Our boarders enjoy three balanced meals every day, and our services include laundry and housekeeping, Wi-Fi, and comfortable learning areas. Parents are welcome to visit during certain times on any day of the week, and we have two compulsory home weekends per term. Learners may go home any weekend, on arrangement. We also have an in-house qualified social worker who handles all psycho-social issues and attend to boarders who get homesick.

The housing arrangements

Boys and girls are housed in separate houses, with primary and high school further having their own room set-ups. For primary school, there is a maximum of two boarders per room, while high school facilities have open-plan dorms. Matric boarders enjoy rooms with a maximum of four boarders each. Both houses are fitted with beautiful, fully-fitted dining and lavatory facilities and comfortable learning areas to help boarders excel. We also have a well-equipped sickbay with trained assistants and four on-call doctors who come to the campus.

Frequently asked questions

• What happens in a medical emergency?
  We will always try to contact you immediately, though extreme emergency situations may require us to act without delay. Mediclinic Limpopo, Netcare Pholoso Hospital and Medi 24 are all within a 10-minute drive. We also have a fully equipped sickbay with trained assistants and four on-call doctors who come to the house.
• How do leave arrangements and visits work?
  We have two compulsory home weekends per term. Learners may go home any other weekend, on arrangement. Parents are welcome to visit during certain times any day of the week.
• Is theft an issue and how is it dealt with?
  Theft has not been a major problem and each boarder has their own locker to safely store all valuables.
• Who monitors my child’s progress?
  Teachers from the school monitor academic progress and the boarding parents monitor the emotional well-being of the learners.
• Will my child make friends easily?
  Yes, absolutely. We encourage interaction with all our boarders and have an orientation process to help new boarders make friends.
• Do boys and girls have separate facilities?
  Yes, all boarding houses are separate for either boys or girls.
• What happens if my child is homesick?
  We will comfort the boarder and support them emotionally. Boarders can contact their parents daily and parents are welcome to visit when they are able to. We also have an in-house qualified social worker who handles all psycho-social issues.
• How do boarders occupy themselves over weekends?
  We encourage sports activities and have entertainment rooms at both the boys’ and girls’ boarding facilities.
• How can I communicate with my child?
  Boarders may keep their cellphone with them at all times and we also have an available landline.

Arrange a tour

Visit your child’s future home-away-from-home by contacting us for a tour. We would gladly show you around our facilities and, if you wish, take you on a tour of our school. You can also view our school’s fact sheet to discover the subjects, activities and other facilities your child can enjoy at St Dominic’s Newcastle.