HIDDEN GEM: Inside the Joburg inner city school proving what central Joburg learners can achieve

{JSON.stringify(article.attachments[0], null, 2)} --> Behind a bright boundary fence in central Johannesburg, CityKidz is shattering every misconception about inner-city education. Fuelled by dedicated teachers, parent collaboration, and whole-school commitment, this inner-city school pairs global Stem victories with a culture built on safety, kindness and character.

On any given weekday, the Johannesburg inner city is a wall of noise. The pavements are packed with hawkers selling items while minibus taxis edge through heavy traffic, hooting for passengers. The buildings here show the heavy wear and tear of the city, a mix of faded paint and cramped wholesale stores.

Yet, turn onto one particular stretch of Mooi Street, and the typical CBD hustle simply drops away. The street is unexpectedly quiet, separated from the rest of the city by a rainbow-coloured palisade fence.

Behind that bright boundary sits CityKidz Pre & Primary School, established in 2008 to give inner-city children access to top-tier education. With small class sizes and a forward-thinking program rooted in Stem subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), robotics, and the arts, the school offers a high-calibre environment right where it is needed most.

Principal Sharon Reynolds has been at the helm since 2013. Sit across from her for just five minutes and her affection for the place becomes impossible to miss. When she talks about her staff and the learners, she practically beams, effortlessly pulling up a personal anecdote for almost every child she mentions. That level of personal care is a big reason CityKidz is widely regarded as the top independent school in the inner city.

That reputation was backed up earlier this month when the school was crowned number one in the 2026 Matific Olympiad. The global contest brings maths to life for millions of primary school children across 20 countries each year through interactive, game-based learning.

“Being crowned number one requires much more than having a few top-performing learners; it takes whole-school participation and continuous practice. Every learner had to log in and practise consistently, backed by teachers monitoring their progress in class and parents keeping the momentum going at home, and I’m very proud of what we have achieved,” said Reynolds.

That whole-school effort comes down to the environment built by teachers like Nhlanhla Mgobhozi, the head of department for the intermediate phase. Having taught Grade 6 and 7 at CityKidz since 2021, he describes the campus as an inner-city hidden gem and regularly watches visitors’ perceptions shift the moment they step past security.

“Parents walk in and say they’ve worked in the area for years and had no idea a school like this existed,” he says.

In central Johannesburg, student safety is paramount.