Mindstretch School

Updated 3 weeks ago

Education & Training

Special Needs School in Cape Town

Cape Town, Western Cape

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Mindstretch School in Pinelands, Cape Town is a special needs school serving children with learning challenges and developmental delays since 2014. Founded by Jennifer Southgate, the school takes a "moving from labelling to enabling" approach — looking beyond diagnostic labels to address the underlying causes of learning and behavioural difficulties. Jennifer and her team of fully accredited special-needs teachers develop individualised programmes that strengthen the neurological pathways vital for learning. Every child receives HANDLE® Therapy daily and works on literacy, numeracy, fine and gross motor skills, social skills and "messy play". Children are enrolled from age 2.5 years. The school day runs from 07:30/08:30 to 12:30/13:30, with aftercare available until 14:30 or 17:00. The Mindstretch approach is science-based, blending tried-and-tested methodologies with the intuitive art of good teaching, in a nurturing environment focused on each learner reaching their full potential.

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Union Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

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Special Needs School

Providing individualised education programmes for children suffering from learning delays or disabilities including ADHD, Autism, Down's Syndrome, speech delays

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Mindstretch School - Special Needs Education

Professional teachers trained in special needs

Mindstretch School — Preschool environment

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Moving Minds: Proprioception and Learning

The proprioceptive system gives information about the body’s position in space, such as the direction we're facing or how close we are to an object. It’s also how we identify how our body parts are moving and how much strength our muscles must apply to keep us in motion.

15 May 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Mindstretch School offers programmes for young children aged 2.5 to 8 years. We provide specialised educational and therapeutic support during the early developmental years when children benefit most from targeted learning assistance. Classes are kept small to ensure each learner receives individual attention and a programme tailored to their specific needs.

Mindstretch School supports children with mild to moderate learning challenges and developmental delays. These include difficulties such as: Autism spectrum disorders ADHD and other attention difficulties Sensory processing challenges Language delays Motor coordination difficulties Reading and writing difficulties General developmental delays Our school takes a multidisciplinary and individualised approach, developing programmes designed to strengthen the neurological pathways necessary for learning and efficient functioning.

HANDLE (Holistic Approach to Neuro-Development and Learning Efficiency) is a therapeutic approach that forms an important part of the programme at Mindstretch School. HANDLE therapy focuses on improving the functioning of the nervous system in order to support learning, behaviour and physical coordination. It can assist children with challenges such as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, sensory integration difficulties and motor coordination issues. We incorporate HANDLE therapy into our daily programme to help build the neurological pathways that support learning and development. We individualise the therapy to serve a child’s needs.

Mindstretch School is located in Pinelands, Cape Town, serving families in the southern suburbs, including Pinelands, Rondebosch, Claremont, Thornton, Mowbray and Observatory. The school provides a calm, child-friendly environment designed to minimise stress and distractions while supporting effective learning.