WELCOME
TO MAARA HOUSE

Welcome to Maara House
Maara House is a primary school in the heart of Cape Town’s City Bowl, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning.

The name Maara—meaning “conscious and aware” in Igbo, a language spoken in Southern Nigeria—beautifully reflects our mission: to nurture conscious, compassionate, and active global citizens.

Our Philosophy
We believe children are naturally curious, capable, and resourceful. With the right environment, they flourish—developing creativity, resilience, and a deep sense of connection to the world around them.

At Maara House, we provide a nurturing and stimulating space where:

Curiosity is encouraged
Creativity is celebrated
Collaboration is supported
Compassion and awareness are cultivated

A Progressive Approach
Rooted in progressive, Reggio Emilia–inspired practices, we honor each child’s individuality and the many ways they learn. We do not see children as needing to be “fixed.” Instead, we respect their agency and empower them to lead their own learning journeys.

Our Goal
We aim to guide children toward becoming independent, self-directed learners who thrive in an emergent environment. Through holistic and sustainable education, we foster not just knowledge, but also the consciousness and compassion needed to shape tomorrow’s leaders.

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“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

~ Fred Rogers

WHY JOIN US?

At Maara House, every child’s unique way of learning is celebrated. Inspired by the 100 Languages of Learning, we focus on nurturing individual potential and growth in a supportive, positive environment.

Children are empowered to take an active role in their own learning, guided by teachers who listen, observe, and inspire.

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Watch the video

CREATIVE CURRICULUM

Our Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum is process-driven, not outcome-driven, focusing on curiosity, creativity, and core competencies such as collaboration, communication, and citizenship.

With multi-age classrooms, we honour each child’s unique abilities — because learning isn’t defined by age.

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TESTIMONIALS

“
When I first found out about Maara House I knew immediately that it would be an ideal environment for my son and it has been just that and more. Maara House is all soul and has given my son a nourishing and loving space in which to explore, learn and grow. The interactive, child-led way of learning is incredibly expansive and the emphasis put on honouring a child’s individuality and unique way of learning has had such a positive effect on him in such a short space of time. Maara House has every child’s best interest at heart and encourages parent involvement so that the wonderful ethos of the school is congruent in the home environment too. This has given us as parents a wonderful opportunity to feel part of the process in a healthy and supportive way. Thank you Maara House for all you have already done for our son and we look forward to continuing on this magical journey with you for many years to come!

Robynne
Parent
“
We are so proud to be one of the founder families of Maara House. It’s a joy to see Yasmin jump out of bed in the mornings and happily rush to get to school. We know that at school the whole child is nurtured and their academic development as well as their developing bodies are supported with lots of outdoors physical activities, consciously selected nutritious food, and any emotional issue that arises individually or from the group is seen not as a problem but as a core curriculum the children can grow with.

We love the small class and teacher-learner ratio and the sense that each of the kids is valuable and individually respected. We are big fans of the fact that homelinks are a deepening of what they already loving at school, and that it’s something Yasmin loves to do with us. We also love how the children take their learning outside the school walls and every Friday they are on an adventure exploring the world and bringing it into their learning.

Kuti-Alexander Family
Parents
“
After constant morning battles of not wanting to go to school, evident unhappiness escalating to stomach ailments caused by misery and anxiety – I now know what a truly happy child looks like in the mornings! My child’s individualism is finally being recognised and she is treated like a conscious and contributing being. This security enables her to relax enough to embrace, to learn and to develop into the person she is meant to be. I marvel at the depth of knowledge she has absorbed in just a few months. This unique approach to learning supersedes just a mere antiquated intake of information. Through this style, I see my child developing from inside; not only her mind, but her person is developing and it is truly beautiful to behold! Lisa

Lisa
Parent