School History
Bryneven Primary School was founded in 1968.
On 13 November 1967, the inaugural meeting of the caretaker committee of the “new” Primary School in Bryanston was held at the residence of Mr & Mrs J Raubenheimer, 2015 Farm Street, Bryanston. On 24 January 1968, the newly elected “school committee” and “PTA” were tasked to establish a name for the new school, design uniforms, school colours and badges and raise funds to purchase items not provided by the Transvaal Education Department.
The name “Bryneven” was decided on because it was short, and it referred to Bryanston and its environs. It is derived from the words Bryanston and Extension Seven. (The Witwatersrand Central School Board at first rejected this name, but after numerous requests, relented).
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13 November 1967: Inaugural caretaker committee meeting at the home of Mr and Mrs J. Raubenheimer, 2015 Farm Street, Bryanston.
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24 January 1968: School committee and PTA elected to choose the school name, design uniforms, and raise funds for items not provided by the Transvaal Education Department.
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16 January 1968: Bryneven Primary School officially opened with 50 boys, 43 girls, and four staff members.
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School fees: R2 per pupil annually
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PTA subscription: R12 per year
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Original houses: Falcons, Hawks, Kestrel
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Early 1969: Principal Mr GJ Maree tragically passed away; Mr WB Lamont seconded as Acting Principal, enrolment grew to 421 pupils.
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1970: Mr H Vorster appointed Principal, leading 526 pupils and 17 staff members. Houses renamed to Aquarius (blue), Capricorn (green), Gemini (yellow), and Scorpio (red).
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1971: First inter-house swimming gala held at Bryanston Primary School.
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1973: Bryneven’s swimming pool officially opened.
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1982: Fire damaged the Media Centre, causing R60,000 in damages.
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1985: Mr Philip Botha appointed Headmaster after Mr Vorster’s retirement.
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1988: First Computer Centre established.
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1991: New Media Centre opened.
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1994: Several new classrooms built.
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1997: Mr Botha retired; Mr Patrick Larsen appointed Headmaster in June.
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1998: Major improvements under new SGB: pavilion, admin wing, computer centre, Design & Technology Centre, staffroom, art centre, and garden enhancements.
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2001: Grade R Centre built with two classrooms, expanded to four by 2008.
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2009: Aftercare centre, playground, and homework centre opened.
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2011: Tennis court seating, K-net Centre, new fencing installed. Two Quantum buses purchased for safe transport.
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2012: Smartboards installed in every classroom, laying the foundation for digital learning.
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Following years:
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New mini Astro and psychologist rooms built
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Borehole and sprinkler system installed for cost-saving maintenance
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August 2015: Mr Larsen retired; Miss Pampel served as Acting Head until year-end, later joining the private education sector.
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2016: Mr Nakooda became Acting Head (later permanent Principal in 2019). School developments included:
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Floodlights for the field
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CCTV cameras and lightning detector
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Shade ports for grandstands
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New computers for the K-net Centre
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Coffee shop and resurfaced tennis courts
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Upgraded cricket facilities
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January 2017: New IT strategy launched, introducing tablets for Grades 5–7, combining technology with traditional written learning.
Today, Bryneven Primary School in Bryanston, Sandton, continues to blend technology and academic excellence, fostering well-rounded children ready for life’s challenges.
