York Road Primary School

General information

Broad Road Primary had its humble beginnings as a private school in 1915. The classes were housed in the old Monats Building in Broad Road, Wynberg. The school, known as the ‘Parkinson School’ was named after its first principal and founder, Mr. R. Parkinson.

Soon the school building became inadequate and in 1924 building operations for new premises at the junction of Broad, Barnstaple and Kildare Roads Wynberg commenced. In 1925 the classes moved to the new site and the school was renamed “Broad Road Primary School”. By 1939 the number of classes had increased and ranged from Sub A to Standard 6.

In 1952 Mr. D. A Pearson was appointed Principal of Broad Road Primary School. The parent community rallied together to raise funds for the building of a school hall.

In 1966 Broad Road Primary was faced with an eviction notice in terms of the Group Areas Act which led to the forced removal from Wynberg to lower York Road in Lansdowne in 1967. The name of the school was then changed to York Road Primary School.

At the new premises in Lansdowne, Mr. Pearson and the school committee fought tooth and nail for the erection of a school hall. The Department of Coloured Affairs assisted in the building of a hall thirteen years later.

Mr. D.A. Pearson retired in 1981 and the Deputy Principal, Mr. W. C. Riffel took over at the helm.

During this time Education underwent difficult ordeals and crisis-creating situations. The disadvantaged community fought for equality and an end to “gutter education”. York Road did not escape the political unrest and riots, picketing, the sudden closure of the schools and its forced re-opening by the community all formed part of the obstacles faced in the era and quest for change and transformation.

Due to the state of emergency in the country and educational unrest, the York Road PTA was founded. The association was a platform for the parents and for the spearheading of projects in enhancing the school and upgrading levels of education and learning for both educators and learners.

1993 saw the retirement of Mr. W. C. Riffel and the succession by the Deputy Principal Mr. H. J. Hendrickse. Mr. H. J.Hendrickse retired at the end of 1996 and was succeeded by Mr. C .C. Isaacs in 1997.

The revised School’s Act of 1996 created a framework for a new era of school-based management. Governing Body elections were held, policy documents were instituted and an era of school-based management emerged. The system allowed for the formation of a School Management Team (SMT) responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, and a School Governing Body (SGB) entrusted with school governance.