The on-time admissions applications window for learners attending Grade R, 1 and 8 in the Western Cape in 2026 opened on Tuesday 11 March.
The Western Cape Education Department encourages all parents of learners who will be entering Grade R, 1 or 8 next year to ensure that they are ready to apply next week by collecting the following required supporting documents in advance:
• Identification – any one of the following can be submitted:
Identity document (ID) or birth certificate of the learner;
Foreign learners: a passport or a copy of a 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.
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.
Parents who are not able to access the online system can receive assistance in person at their education district office, at one of the department’s pop-up admissions sites, or at the school to which they wish to apply.
Parents are encouraged to bring all the necessary documentation with them when seeking assistance in person.
Applying on time will help with planning a place for your child next year. Applications close on Tuesday, 14 April.
