APPLICATIONS for admission for learners attending Grade R, 1 and 8 in the Western Cape in 2026 opens on Tuesday, 11 March 2025.

The last day for applications is Tuesday, 15 April 2025.

“We encourage all parents of learners who will be entering Grade R, 1 or 8 next year to apply on time,” said the Western Cape Minister of Education, David Maynier.

The following documents are required to make an application:

Identity document or birth certificate of the learner; 

Foreign learners: a passport or a copy of parent’s refugee or asylum seeker permit on which the learner’s name should appear;

If the learner has foreign parents but was born in South Africa: a handwritten birth certificate (DHA 19 form); or

If the learner was not born in South Africa: a passport or a refugee or asylum seeker permit issued in the learner’s name.

Immunisation card or Road to Health chart – applicable to pre-primary and primary schools only.

Latest official school report or academic report.

Proof of residence e.g. rates account/lease agreement/an affidavit made at a police station confirming residence.
 

If any of these documents are unavailable, parents can submit a police affidavit indicating this in place of the missing document.
 

Applications are to be submitted online, and documents will need to be scanned and uploaded to the online admissions system, which is zero-rated for data.
 

The admissions system, as well as background information and step-by-step guides on how to apply, are available here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/education/service/learner-admissions

Parents will not have to drop off certified hard copies of the documents when they apply. They will only submit certified hard copies to the school once they have been offered, and have accepted, a place in a school. (Source: Western Cape Department of Education)