Fundamental Brilliance Holdings was established in February 2018 to fulfil a lifelong dream: to create an educational environment where children could develop academically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. From the outset, our vision was to provide an alternative approach to education—one that prepares confident, well-balanced young people to navigate life successfully and make a meaningful contribution to society.

The school was founded by Erika and Izak Theunissen, whose complementary experience provided a strong foundation for the venture. Erika brought 32 years of experience in education, management, teaching and remedial therapy, while Izak contributed 34 years of experience in retail, construction, finance and corporate management.

Our journey began with a house on a single property, a vision on a drawing board, passion in our hearts and, above all, the grace of God. For five years before opening, we planned programmes, sourced and manufactured equipment, developed systems and refined our educational approach. We were determined to establish a school that would provide a well-rounded education, stimulate intellectual curiosity and support the emotional and social development of every learner.

In 2018, our purchased house was converted to accommodate two preschool classrooms. Taking a significant leap of faith, we appointed two qualified preschool educators and one administrative employee. We opened our doors to only three children. Within three months, enrolment had increased to 60 preschool learners. By the end of that year, we had established a baby room and additional preschool classes. We had now employed five educators and two administrative staff members. Our first eleven Grade R learners graduated the end of 2018.

On our first anniversary in February 2019, we celebrated an enrolment of 103 learners. A Grade 1 class was established to accommodate our first Grade R graduates and our total enrolment soon increased to 120 learners. By the end of 2019, 22 learners had graduated from Grade R. We secured an adjacent property and added 1000 m2 to our existing buildings. Expansion of the buildings allowed us to provide more space for our learners.

February 2020, enrolment reached 230 learners. The expanded campus included 15 classrooms, a new kitchen, offices, a canteen as well as a combined boardroom and training facility. Our Foundation Phase, comprising of Grades 1 to 3, was firmly established, and 29 Grade R learners graduated that year. Our commitment and passion to educational excellence, stimulating programmes, extracurricular opportunities and highly qualified staff continued to support strong growth.

In February 2021, enrolment exceeded 300 learners, while the Intermediate and Senior Phases continued to develop. Six additional classrooms were constructed between October and December 2021. These included a science laboratory, robotics and computer facilities as well as dedicated music and dance classrooms. Our reputation now preceded us and we were attracting top-notch educators from a number of private schools.

During the same period, a property in close proximity to the pre- and primary school was acquired by our son and daughter, they had a vested interest in the continued success of the schools. The property was renovated and the Learner Acceleration Programme—or LAP School—was established in 2021. The programme provided specialised assistance to learners who required additional support to cope with the mainstream academic curriculum. It also offered afternoon lessons to learners from other schools who needed to address gaps in their learning.

Since opening in August 2021, the LAP School had expanded to accommodate learners requiring a more specialised educational environment, including learners with Asperger’s syndrome, high-functioning autism and various other learning needs.

In January 2022, Fundamental opened with 403 learners, once again exceeding enrolment expectations. We had then employed 82 staff members, this included academic administrative, kitchen, ground staff and cleaners. We have been privileged enough to align qualified educators with IEB experience who will carry our FET phase forward.

June 2022, enrolment had increased to 530 learners, ranging from babies of six weeks old to Grade 9 learners. A new building was constructed on an adjacent property during 2023. This allowed Grades 7 to 9 to relocate to the dedicated grounds and enabled the school to introduce Grade 10. The relocation also created additional capacity at the primary school. Excess demand resulted in waiting lists being introduced for certain grades. Our facilities and grounds were subsequently extended three times between 2023 and 2025 to accommodate continued growth. The buildings now comprise 8200m2 on 20 000m2 grounds.

The year 2025 marked a significant milestone with the graduation of our first Grade 12 class. During that year, a revised operating model was developed and this allowed us to create a clear separation between the Senior Phase (Gr 7 – Gr 9) FET Phase.

Currently our school is 87% full and Fundamental Brilliance Holdings stretches over four properties and comprising of:   

Fundamental Factory: 6 weeks old – Grade RR (5 years)

Fundamental Faculty: Grade R – Grade 6

Fundamental High School:  Grade 7 – 12                                                                             

We have limited space available for 2027 intake of learners.

May God continue to bless our school as we strive for a better future for all children.