For many children, Lesedi is home.
A small community of children lives in the boarding home during term, looked after by boarding house keepers who know every face by name.
Wooden bunks, warm meals, steady people.
Two simple dormitories
One for the girls, one for the boys. Each child has a trunk for their belongings, a shelf for books, a peg for a coat.
Three fresh meals a day
From the big kitchen pots — phuthu and milk, hot lunches, bread baked on Fridays. Birthdays celebrated with cake, paid for by the school.
Never alone, not for a single evening
The boarding house keepers live on site during term. They call home if a child has had a difficult week. They do not hide things.
Sunday evening to Friday afternoon
Boarders are dropped on Sunday evening or Monday morning and collected on Friday. Monthly home visits are the typical rhythm.
Saturday afternoons are open
Come visit during term — let us know you're coming so we can have your child ready and a cup of tea on the stove.
R6,600 a quarter
Charged in addition to school fees; covers bed, meals and care. Full tables on Admissions & Fees.
From the first bell to the last lamp.
| 06:30 | Wake-up. Beds made before breakfast. |
| 07:00 | Breakfast — phuthu and milk, or oats. |
| 13:30 | Lunch, the main meal. Hot food from the kitchen. |
| 14:30 | Free time. Sport, the garden, free play. |
| 16:30 | Quiet study hour. Boarding house keepers in the study room. |
| 18:00 | Supper. |
| 19:00 | Story time. Lights out by 20:30 for the smaller children. |
The people who tuck them in.
The boarding house keepers have been at Lesedi for many years and live on site during term — one team for the girls' house, one for the boys'.
Children come from villages across Limpopo.
Most boarders travel home monthly, and families arrange transport together — shared lifts and taxis from the surrounding villages are the usual way. Talk to us when you apply: we will connect you with families travelling from your area.
The school is in Madietane Village, Ga-Matlala — about an hour from Polokwane. Directions and a map are on the Visit page.
Bright days, freezing nights — and the St John fire.
Winter in Limpopo is cold in the dorms. On 24 June the whole school gathers around the midwinter bonfire — stories, lanterns, the year turning. For boarders, it's the night the home feels most like family.
The honest answers.
How young can a child start boarding?
Officially, from Class 1 (age seven). In practice we ask families to wait until Class 2 or 3 if they can — a six-year-old very far from home is a hard thing. We will tell you honestly what we think for your child.
How often should I collect my child?
Monthly home visits are the typical rhythm — and any other arrangement we can make work, upon your request.
What if my child is unhappy?
We will tell you. The boarding house keepers call home if a child has had a difficult week. We do not hide it. Most children settle within two or three weeks; some take longer.
Can I visit during term?
Yes. Saturday afternoons are the best time. Please let us know you're coming so we can have your child ready and a cup of tea on the stove.
What happens if my child is sick?
Lesedi has a small sick-room in each dorm and a relationship with the clinic in Ga-Matlala. For anything beyond a sore throat we call you straight away.
What does it cost?
Boarding is R6,600 a quarter, charged in addition to school fees. It covers bed, meals, and care from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon. See Admissions & Fees for the full tables.
Come and meet the keepers.
Walk the dorms, see the kitchen, ask the hard questions in person.
