We follow the Zambia Ministry of Education national curriculum as our foundation — and build far above it. The ceiling here is curiosity, not the syllabus.
Each stage of schooling at Shalva Academy is designed specifically for that age group — with different environments, different rhythms, and different emphases, but the same core values throughout.
Baby Class, Nursery, and Pre-School are where everything begins. At this stage, the most important things we can do are make children feel safe, spark their natural curiosity, and build the social and emotional foundations that everything else rests on.
Our ECE programme is play-based and child-led, with structured activities woven into a daily routine that includes free play, story time, outdoor time, creative activity, and rest. Caregiver ratios are kept low — no more than 1:10 in Baby Class — so every child is genuinely known.
Developmental milestones are tracked individually for each child and shared with parents at the end of every term.
Grades 1 through 4 are where children build the core academic skills — reading, writing, numeracy, scientific thinking — that everything else depends on. We take this seriously without making it joyless.
Lessons are active and enquiry-based. Children work in groups, complete projects, do practical experiments, and regularly reflect on their own learning. The curriculum follows the Zambia MoE framework, enriched with our focus areas in computer science, arts, and languages.
Every student is assessed continuously throughout the term, not just at the end. Parents receive mid-term alerts if a child is struggling — we do not wait until reports.
Grades 5 through 7 deepen and extend what has been built in the lower years. Students take on more independent work, more complex problem-solving, and more responsibility for their own learning — all qualities that will serve them well in secondary school and beyond.
Grade 7 students are registered for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) through the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ). We prepare them thoroughly — but our goal is children who are genuinely educated, not just exam-ready.
Student Voice sessions are held each term from Grade 4 upward — because students who have a say in their school tend to care more about it.
The Zambia MoE national curriculum sits at the core. Around it, we have built an enriched programme that develops the whole child.
Hands-on digital literacy and programming from early grades. Technology is not a subject we teach once a week — it is woven into how we learn across all subjects.
Drawing, painting, crafts, and creative expression. Arts develop the parts of children that no other subject reaches — and they matter whether or not a child ever pursues art professionally.
History, languages, philosophy. Understanding where we come from, how other people think, and why ideas matter — these are not extras. They are the substance of an educated person.
Inquiry, experiments, reasoning. We teach children to be scientists in disposition — curious, methodical, open to being wrong — long before they know what a scientist is.
Problem-solving and logical thinking. We use mathematics to build minds that can reason under pressure, see patterns, and find solutions — skills that apply everywhere.
English as the primary medium, enriched with additional language learning. Communication is a superpower — and the earlier a child builds it, the more doors stay open.
What distinguishes great teaching is not the content — it is how it is delivered and how well the teacher knows the children in front of them.
Lessons begin with questions, not answers. We teach children to wonder before we teach them to conclude.
Group work, discussion, and peer learning are built into every week — because thinking together is a skill.
Every class contains children at different levels. Our teachers adjust, extend, and scaffold in real time.
A morning circle and mindfulness moments are embedded in the daily routine across all year groups.
We welcome applications for all year groups. Start the admissions process today.