MIDVAAL – After more than three decades of faithful service to the community, Louise Phipson's preschool is entering an exciting new season. King's Education Group, a nonprofit Christian education organization operating 10 schools across South Africa, is partnering with Hope Family Church and Phipson's preschool to establish a comprehensive educational facility in the Midvaal area.
The development represents the fulfillment of a vision that began in 1989, when Phipson first felt called to establish educational facilities in the area.
"God just called me to these four stands on the corner of St. David's and Shiplack Road," Phipson recalled. "He said to me that there will be a church and there will be a school in the area and a nursery school."
A Divine Appointment
Ken Langley, Executive Director of King's Education Group, described the partnership as providential. The connection runs deep – the outgoing principal of Hope Christian School, Kathy Quistet, previously worked at King's school on the West Rand before moving to Midvaal years ago.
"When I first spoke to Jan Combrinck about a school in this community, I didn't even know it," Langley said. "And now when she's leaving, the King's education group is coming here. It's a wonderful story of how God works."
Jan Combrinck, who has partnered with Hope Family Church in bringing the project to fruition, shares a 30-year friendship with Langley dating back to their work in schools – Combrinck in drug prevention programs with the police, and Langley as a school counselor.
"It's just the divine appointment from God," Combrinck said. "If I just look in my own ministry in schools, it's all about transformation, bringing the true gospel, raising up pioneers and leaders and atmosphere changers for the gospel in the future. And this is exactly what King's school is standing for."
Comprehensive Education from Infants to Primary
The new King's Midvaal school will operate as one integrated institution, spanning from infant care through primary school, with plans to eventually expand to grade seven and potentially beyond.
"We're going to have one structure that includes the preschool all the way up through the primary school," Langley explained. "That way parents have a one-stop-off. Once their child is enrolled in preschool, they just automatically go up into primary school as well."
Initial plans call for opening grades one through three, though the school has received applications for higher grades as well. The preschool component will begin with infants – what they call "triple RR" – and continue through grade R.
Phipson, who has run the preschool for 36 years, will step into a new role as principal of the entire unified school.
"If King's School is seeing me that I can fulfill that position for them, I would love to do that," Phipson said. "I think it's an awesome venture."
Formation Over Information
What distinguishes King's schools from conventional education, Langley emphasized, is their focus on character formation rather than mere information transfer.
"This world, it's all about, it's like a bucket and you're pouring this bucket of knowledge into a child's head," he said. "But for us, if you look at the word of God, it's all about formation. It's all about forming a child in the ways of God so that they have those values, that they're evaluating everything according to biblical standards."
The school will maintain high academic standards while viewing every subject – from natural sciences to mathematics to humanities – through the lens of biblical principles. "As Christians, we must actually be doing better than the world is doing," Langley said.
"Top academic standards, top extramural functioning, top building the child in their emotional, their social-emotional skills."
Open Doors Policy
While rooted in Christian values, the school welcomes families of all backgrounds. Langley recounted a story of a Buddhist family whose child attended one of their schools and subsequently converted the parents to Christianity.
"God will not know any boundaries when his will needs to be done," he said.
A Network of Excellence
King's Education Group currently operates schools in KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Funderberg Park, West Strand, and as far north as Louis Trichardt. As a nonprofit, public benefit organization, all surplus funds are reinvested into existing and new schools.
"We don't have owners that take money out of the school. We don't have directors that get a profit share," Langley explained. "It's all about stewardship. What we have been given, we must use wisely for His kingdom."
The group also supports mission schools and other Christian education initiatives unrelated to King's, providing resources ranging from uniforms to transportation to advisory services.
All schools in the network share the same policies, teaching materials, and assessment platforms, ensuring consistent excellence across the group.
"The idea is that you don't have one school that is excellent in terms of results academically and another school is sort of at the bottom, but we're growing schools to be absolutely excellent in everything they do," Langley said.
Looking Ahead
As the school prepares to open its doors, both Langley and Phipson expressed excitement about what lies ahead for the Midvaal community.
"There is other ventures that is also put in our heart for the area," Phipson said. "I believe that this is just the beginning. This is just the tip of the spear.
" The school is currently accepting applications and seeking qualified Christian educators who are committed to excellence and willing to serve in an environment of both love and accountability.
For more information about enrollment or teaching positions, interested families and educators are encouraged to contact King's Education Group.
As Phipson reflected on her decades of service and the journey ahead: "Without Him, it would have never come to place. And it would have never been established the way that it is at the moment. So, all glory to Him."
*Project CBNews serves communities across South Africa with local news and human interest stories.*