Sending your child to Grade 1 or Grade 8 is a significant point in your child’s academic career. Naturally, you want your child to go to the best school so they can get access to the best education. But, given how in-demand the best schools are and how strained the Gauteng education department is, doing this isn’t as easy anymore, even if you reside close to the school.
Top schools receive thousands of applications. As a result, the Gauteng Department of Education has implemented an online application process for learners entering Grades 1 or 8. The process is managed by a centralised system and ensures the fair placement of children at schools.
This guide should help you register your child for Grade 8 or Grade 1 in Gauteng.
How To Register Register Your Child for Grade 1 and 8 in Gauteng: Step by Step Instructions
When your child is entering primary school or high school, placement at your preferred school is paramount. It can dictate the kind of learning your child will be exposed to, the friends he/she will make, and can be critical to their academic, creative, and personal ambitions.
For all these reasons, having a step-by-step guide detailing how to register your child for grade 8 or grade 1 in Gauteng will help you get your child into the school of your choice.
Grade 1 and 8 Online Application Process
If your child is either in Grade R now or in Grade 7, follow these steps to complete a Grade 1 or Grade 8 application for your child.
Step 1: Ensure The GDE Has Your Current Details:
You will begin the process by ensuring the relevant authority has your correct contact details. If you are applying to Grade 8 for a learner in Gauteng, you will do that at their current primary school and during Phase one.
If you are applying for Grade 1 or a learner outside of Gauteng, you will complete this process online during Phase Two.
Applying in Phase 1: Visit Your Child’s Current School on the Prescribed Days
The first thing you need to do when applying for Grade 8 in Gauteng is to ensure the contact information your child’s primary school has for you is correct. This will ensure that you get any updates on the process, allowing you to take action when necessary.
You will usually need to visit your child’s primary school in the first week of August or the last week in July to update these details.
Be sure when you visit the school, you do it during the school’s operating hours and on the prescribed days. When you’re at the school, ensure that the following details are correct:
Phone number (use a reliable phone number that you use to receive pertinent information)
ID Number (you can change this information later.)
If you are unsure about the dates you should be visiting your child’s school, visit www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.
Applying in Phase Two: Visit The Gauteng Department of Education’s Website
If your child is entering Grade 1 or if you are registering a learner outside of Gauteng, you will apply during Phase Two.
You will need to update your details through the Gauteng Department of Education’s website: www.gdeadmissions.gov.za.
Remember, if you are applying to Grade 1, your child must be turning five or six by the following year, June.
Step 2: Verify Your Cell Phone Number
After updating your details in the next few days, you will receive an SMS containing a link to Gauteng’s admissions system.
If you don’t receive the SMS, be sure to call the Gauteng primary school your child is attending immediately to confirm or change your details. If you are applying to Grade 1 or a learner outside of Gauteng, contact the Gauteng department of education for assistance.
If you received the SMS, click on the link in the SMS or type it into your desktop browser. You will be redirected to the admission’s home page. Click “Verify” on the top banner.
You will be redirected to a screen where you need to enter your cell phone number. After entering your cell number, click submit to receive an OTP.
Enter the OTP you have received and click “Submit” again.
Step 3: Verify Your Details As the Parent or Guardian
Now, select if you are a parent or guardian. After selecting one, you will be redirected to a page where you need to specify whether you are a South African citizen and whether your child is a South African citizen. You will also need to enter your ID number and date of birth.
After entering these details, a Department of Home Affairs validation box will appear.
When the box appears, enter all the consonants in your first name/s and surname.
Click “Next Step” after entering these details.
You will then receive an SMS with your username and password to log in to the system in future. Keep these details in a safe place.
Step 4: Verify Your Home Address
After completing the parent and guardian verification, you need to verify your home address.
The system will prompt you to enter your home address. As you enter your home address, the system will provide a drop-down list of addresses. Select whichever one is correct.
If none of the drop-down addresses is correct, select “Can’t find the home address.”
This will allow you to complete a more advanced search, where you will be able to select the suburb or area your home is in and then drop a pin on the map where your home is located.
When you are satisfied the pin is at the correct location, click “Select location.”
A pop-up will appear, giving you the street address of the property you have selected. If the information on the pop-up is correct, confirm this information, and then scroll down to click submit.
You will then receive an OTP confirming that your home address is verified.
Step 5: Verify Your Work Address
This step is not necessary unless you want your child to attend a school near your work.
If you select “yes” to verify your work, you will need to enter the address, using the same process outlined when verifying your home address.
Step 6: Verify Your Child
After entering your work address, you will be redirected to a screen that displays all the information you have input so far. Now, you’ll be able to verify your child by scrolling to the bottom of the page, beneath the heading “My Learners.”
Click on “Verify Learner” to begin the process.
You will then need to provide the following information about your child:
- ID Number
- Full Names
- Race
- Preferred Language
Step 7: Select Up to 5 School Options for Your Child
After updating your child’s details, you will now see that beneath the “My Learners” section; there’s an option to apply. Click on “Apply” to start the admissions process to the schools of your choice. You will then need to select the type of school you want to apply to based on a list of options in a drop-down menu.
Home Address Within Schools Feeder Zones
When selecting this option, the system will generate a list of schools in your home address’s feeder zone.
You can select up to 3 schools in this option. This will also be the option where your child will get priority placement.
Sibling/Previous School
You can select a maximum of 2 schools if the primary school your child is attending is in the feeder zone of a high school.
You will also be able to select one school if your child has a sibling at that school that is not in Grade 7 or Grade 12 at the time of the application.
Work address Feeder Schools
Here you will only be able to select one school that is in the feeder zone of your work address.
Home Address within 30km Radius
If you want to apply to a school that is not in the feeder zone of your home address but still within 30km, select this option. You can only select one school using this option.
Home Address Beyond 30km Radius
If your school of choice is outside a 30km radius of your home, choose this option. Remember, you can only select one school using this option.
Focus/Specialisation Schools
If you want to send your child to a specialised school, you will need to answer four screening questions before you can apply.
Step 8: Upload Supporting Documents
If you have not uploaded any documentation yet, now is the time to upload all necessary documentation. You need to upload these documents within seven days of applying to the school. If you can’t upload the documents, you will need to hand-deliver them to the school.
Upload the following documents:
- Proof of Home Address
- Proof of Work Address (If you applied to a school within your work address)
- Certified Copy of your ID or Passport
- Certified Copy of your Child’s Birth Certificate
- Your Child’s Latest Report
Tips To Secure Your Child a Spot at Top Gauteng Primary or High School
More than 40% of parents who applied to Grade 8 applied to only 5% of the high schools available in the province, meaning many of the province’s top schools received well over 1000 applications but could not accept most of these applications.
So, to give your child an advantage, consider following these tips:
Tip #1: Apply Early in the Right Phase
For Gauteng learners currently in Grade 7, you need to apply in Phase 1, which happens from August to September.
Tip #2: Ensure You Have Access to The Number You Applied Through
When the application process commences, you will receive an SMS to visit the Gauteng Department’s Admission system. You will also receive SMS notifications when your child is accepted to a school. If you don’t apply during the prescribed days or approve the acceptance of your child to a school within the relevant period, you will lose out on getting into a top school as you will now be considered a “late application.”
Tip #3: Research Public Schools
While you may prefer one school for your child, there are dozens of good schools in Gauteng. Therefore, before the application process begins, research the curriculum, extramural activities, arts and culture, and student bodies of schools within feeder zones of your work, your home, and the child’s current primary school.
Tip #4: Report Issues Immediately
If you discover any issues with the system, don’t wait for them to be resolved. Report the issues and request immediate assistance.
Tip #5: Select All 5 Schools
Don’t simply apply to one school. You can apply to five schools, so apply to a total of five.
When you are applying to each school, ensure it is a school you would want your child to attend, so you won’t be disappointed if they get accepted to this school.
If you need more information about the application process, you can visit the Gauteng Education Department’s Frequently Asked Questions page to get answers to common questions.
You can also contact the Department on 0800 000 789 or 011 355 0000 or email them at gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za.
