Cognia-accredited online school
Registered with SACAI and the IEB, approved Pearson Edexcel centre
CambriLearn teaches primary school online from Grade RR to Grade 7, in English or Afrikaans, on the South African, British or American curriculum. Subject teachers take weekly live lessons and mark the work, and a parent keeps the day on track at home.
This guide covers the four curricula, what a school week looks like at each phase, the parent's role, registration for primary-age children, and fees.
Families choose a curriculum when they enrol, and a consultant helps place their child in the right grade or stage. Each one carries on into high school at CambriLearn.
| Curriculum | Grades | Core subjects | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAPS (South African, in English) | Grade R to Grade 7, with a Grade RR readiness year before it | Home Language, First Additional Language, Mathematics and Life Skills, with Natural Sciences and Technology and Social Sciences from Grade 4 and more subjects in Grade 7 | The National Senior Certificate through SACAI or the IEB |
| KABV (CAPS in Afrikaans) | Graad 1 to Graad 7 | The CAPS subjects, taught and assessed in Afrikaans | The National Senior Certificate through SACAI, with Graad 12 from 2027 |
| International British Curriculum | Early Years (ages 4 to 6) and Primary Stages 1 to 6 | English, Mathematics and Science | Lower Secondary, then International GCSE and A Level |
| US K-12 | Kindergarten upwards | The American curriculum, taught by sister school Score Academy Online | The American High School Diploma at the end of Grade 12 |
Grade RR is a school readiness year for children turning five. It sits before CAPS, which begins at Grade R, so it prepares a child for the Foundation Phase rather than following a Department of Basic Education curriculum. On the British curriculum, Primary Stage 1 expects a child who can already read, so younger children start with Early Years or the Learning to Read and Write course. Our guide to Grade RR and Grade R covers the early years in more detail.
Teachers teach and mark the work. At primary level a parent or another adult keeps the day on track, and younger children need more of that help.
How CambriLearn worksOn the Standard and Premium packages, each subject on the timetable has a weekly live lesson with a subject teacher, and lessons are recorded so your child can watch again. A Grade 1 child taking four subjects has up to four live lessons a week.
Your child's dashboard sets out the week's lessons, worksheets and exercises, and they work through them between live lessons.
Teachers mark assignments and return written feedback within eight working days. A report card is issued once every subject in a grade is complete, and a progress report is available on request.
Standard includes live lessons and marking. Premium adds direct chat with the subject teacher and weekly live Q&A sessions. CAPS and KABV also offer a Starter package, with the course content and assessments but no live lessons or teacher marking.
Live lessons take up a few hours a week. The rest is coursework, including video lessons, worksheets and exercises, so screen time depends on how your child works through it.
South African primary school spans three CAPS phases. The subjects, the way children are assessed and the help they need at home all change as they move up.
| Stage | Subjects and assessment | What your child needs at home |
|---|---|---|
| Grade RR (turning five) | School readiness: early literacy, early numeracy and fine motor control | An adult alongside them for most activities |
| Foundation Phase (Grade R to Grade 3) | Home Language, First Additional Language, Mathematics and Life Skills, assessed entirely through school-based tasks | An adult nearby for lessons, reading practice and the daily routine |
| Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 to Grade 6) | Natural Sciences and Technology and Social Sciences are added, and end-of-year exams count for 25% of the mark | Regular check-ins as they start to manage parts of the day |
| Senior Phase begins (Grade 7) | Economic and Management Sciences and Life Orientation are added, and exams count for 60% of the mark | A parent who reviews progress and helps when work gets stuck |
The subjects and assessment weightings come from the Department of Basic Education's CAPS documents and the national assessment weightings. The British and US curricula divide the primary years differently, and a consultant can explain how they line up with South African grades.
In South Africa, yes, from Grade R. School is compulsory from Grade R, and the Schools Act doesn't yet provide for fully online schools.
How home education registration worksA child who isn't at a public or registered independent school needs home education registration, which parents apply for with their provincial education department. Grade RR comes before the compulsory years.
The Schools Act requires an assessment at the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9 by a competent assessor, such as a SACE-registered educator.
In May 2026 the Minister of Basic Education told Parliament that work to amend the Schools Act to recognise and regulate online schools is under way. Until then, the registration rule stays the same.
The rules depend on the country you live in. Our homeschooling country guides cover them.
