ABOUT US

Hartwell Private School was established to serve the need for a non-denominational, non-discriminatory, affordable private school in Edenvale. In 1997 property was purchased by Mr and Mrs Hartwell. The school opened its doors to the first twelve pupils in January 1998. Since then extensive expansion has taken place by the purchase of new properties. The school now caters for 240 pupils from Grade 0 to Grade 12.

Hartwell Private School was sold to Mrs Merritt Watson in January 2009, and was renamed School Of Merit. The school operates as a Close Corporation.  School Of Merit has become known as a school that provides an excellent standard of education in a caring and safe environment. The school is not affiliated to any church and/or religion. Religion is not taught as part of the curriculum, but it must be noted that we base our ethos on Christian principles. School Of Merit operates as a co-educational day school.

Solution Focused Philosophy

The School of Merit has adopted a Solution Focused Philosophy as the ethos of the school, which means that difficulties and challenges do not have to define a child’s future. The School of Merit is a school that inspires hope and confidence in their pupils and believes that small steps of change can and will lead to bigger changes and progress in the child’s life. The Staff at School of Merit believe that every child has the skill and capacity that can be built upon to assure a positive goal for the child. It is a school that lives its motto of “Dream, Believe and Achieve!” The School thus encourages children to control their own destiny by using their strengths and abilities positively.

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The Solution Focused Ethos of the school is future orientated and goal directed. At the School of Merit we utilise the key concepts of:

• If it works, do more of it. If it doesn’t work, do it differently
• Every child is unique, resourceful and capable of change
• Working collaboratively to create solutions
• Finding ‘exceptions’ and using these as building blocks to do differently
• Big problems do not always require ‘big’ solutions

The Solution Focused approach increases children’s hope in the possibility of finding solutions and in their ability to change and succeed. At the school of Merit we believe in children’s ability to do differently and to reach their own goals, as well as the goals set by the teacher.

The Principal and staff are employed by the members of the Close Corporation.