Northside Primary School BW

What Northside Primary School BW does

Northside Primary School BW is a private international primary school located in Gaborone, Botswana, operating since 1974 and transitioning to fully private status in 1977. The school delivers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), for which it has been an authorized IB World School since November 2011, and holds multiple accreditations including CIS, ISASA, and ISAB. It serves students from Reception (age 3) through Standard 7 (age 12), with a student body representing 36 nationalities.

The school's revenue model is fee-based, with tuition disclosed at P25,515 per term (approximately P76,545 annually per student), supplemented by one-time application fees and a capital development levy. The school operates from a single campus in Gaborone with 44 employees, including a leadership team headed by Headteacher Jessica Richards (since 2018) and deputies Lucy Williams and Caroline Lockey. The co-curricular programme encompasses 30+ activities, and the school has expanded structured offerings to include private term-break sessions for the broader community.

The institution's competitive position rests on its multi-accredited status, five-decade operating history, and delivery of a globally portable IB curriculum that serves the international and expatriate community in Botswana's capital. The school competes within the Gaborone private education market against other international and local private schools, with differentiation driven by accreditation depth, cultural diversity, and curriculum portability rather than technology or scale.

Name

Northside Primary School BW

Legal name

Northside Primary School

Website

https://northside.ac.bw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northside Primary School BW is a private international primary school in Gaborone, Botswana, delivering the IB Primary Years Programme to students aged 3-12 across 36 nationalities, with multi-accredited status (IB, CIS, ISASA, ISAB) and a 44-employee single-campus operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• International primary education
• IB Primary Years Programme
• Private primary school
• Co-curricular activities
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaborone

HQ country

Botswana

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees charged per term. Fees are payable annually (with 5% discount), termly, or monthly via bank electronic transfer. Reception to Standard 7 pay P25,515 per term.
2. Application Fee: Non-refundable application fee of P400 charged per application submitted.
3. Capital Development Levy: One-time non-refundable payment upon offer of a place, equivalent to one term's fees (P25,515).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Northside Primary School is a private, independent international school in Gaborone, Botswana, delivering the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for children from Reception (age 3) through Standard 7 (age 12). The school offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum supplemented by an After School Programme with over 30 co-curricular activities (sports, arts, music, robotics, coding, chess, debate). It also provides a dedicated Student Support Services centre for special learning needs and term break private activities.

Product overview

Northside Primary School is a private, international IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students from Reception (age 3) through Standard 7 (age 12). The school provides a comprehensive educational offering centered on the IB PYP transdisciplinary curriculum framework, supplemented by an After School Programme with over 30 co-curricular activities including sports, arts, music, and robotics. The institution operates on a term-based fee structure with additional offerings such as term break private activities. The school serves approximately 36 nationalities and emphasizes international-mindedness, holistic development, and academic excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Years Programme (PYP) IB Primary Years Programme offering an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework for students aged 3-12 (Reception to Standard 7), focusing on conceptual understanding, international-mindedness, and holistic child development. Delivered by trained IB teachers in the school's main educational offering.
• After School Programme (ASP) Co-curricular programme running from 1:30pm to 4:30pm offering over 30 activities including sports, dance, music, robotics, drama, arts, coding, chess, and debate for Primary students enrolled at the school.
• Term Break Private Activities Paid activities during term breaks including soccer, chess, netball, dance, swimming, and cricket, providing safe spaces for students to explore, play, and grow outside of regular term time.
• Student Support Services Dedicated centre providing support for students with diverse and special learning needs, overseen by an experienced Special Needs Educator and Head of Student Support Services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ years of educational excellence with thousands of students positively impacted
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Botswana Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school was approved by the Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development. The school maintains recognition by the Overseas Schools' Advisory Council of the Department of State, Washington D.C.
• Founder Member CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnglo American Corporation, Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Sun International, AoN Botswana, Murray and Roberts, Builders Merchants Botswana, and Barloworld Botswana guaranteed the school when it became private in 1977 and continue their support.
• Council of International Schools (CIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational schools membership organization that conducted accreditation evaluation. School is re-accredited by CIS.
• Independent Schools' Association of Southern Africa (ISASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association of independent schools in Southern Africa. Northside is a member of ISASA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American International School of Johannesburg: A larger, established international school in South Africa offering K-12 programmes including IB PYP, MYP, and DP. Broader portfolio than Northside but comparable in delivering premium international education to expatriate families in southern Africa.
• St. Stithians College: One of South Africa's premier independent K-12 schools (ISASA member). Operates a broader portfolio than Northside with multiple campuses, but directly comparable in delivering premium private education with international standards in the southern African region.
• The Aga Khan Academy: Network of IB World Schools across East Africa and South Asia. Comparable in IB curriculum delivery and international student body; represents a broader operating model with multiple campuses versus Northside's single Gaborone site.
• Harrow International School: Premium international school brand with multiple global campuses offering British/international curricula. While not a direct competitor in Botswana, it serves the same expatriate family demographic and provides a benchmark for premium international-school positioning.

Direct peers

• Maru-a-Pula School: A leading private international school in Gaborone, Botswana, offering IGCSE and IB programmes. Directly competes with Northside for expatriate and Batswana affluent families seeking premium international education in the same city.
• Gaborone International School: International school in Gaborone providing English-medium primary and secondary education. Comparable in target market and educational model to Northside, serving both local and expatriate families.
• Westwood International School: Gaborone-based international school offering primary and secondary programmes. Targets the same expatriate and diplomatic family segment as Northside, with overlapping IB-aligned curriculum positioning.
• Thornhill School: Independent school in Gaborone offering primary education. Competes with Northside for middle-to-upper income Batswana families seeking quality English-medium primary schooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northside-primary-school-bw

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northside Primary School BW