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Lilyfontein School

Registered with the Department of Basic Education as Lilyfontein Primary School

School-confirmed · 12 Oct 2026

Combined · Public · NSC exams · EMIS 200200359

Brakfontein, Buffalo City, Eastern Cape

680 learners 13:1 learners per educator Q5

At a glance

Fees
Fee-paying
Exam body
NSC

Matric: 100% of candidates passed in 2025 (44 of 44). Of the 39 comparable Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape with 2025 results, 31 scored lower. None scored higher; 8 others matched this pass rate.

Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025 · NSC School Performance Report 2025 · Processed 8 Aug 2026

Provided by the school. We've confirmed it comes from the school; we don't fact-check the details. How we verify · Updated 12 Oct 2026

What does Lilyfontein School say about itself?

Founded
1905
Grades offered
Grade RR – Grade 12
Principal
Mr N. Els

Check with the provincial department. · Provincial default, check the school · How admissions work

What kind of school is Lilyfontein School?

Lilyfontein School is a public combined school in Brakfontein, within the Buffalo City education district of the Eastern Cape. EMIS records it as a medium-sized school with 680 enrolled learners and 52 educators, giving a learner-to-educator ratio of 13:1.

It is classified as Quintile 5 — a government classification based on the surrounding community's socioeconomic profile, not a measure of school quality. Fees are set by the School Governing Body, and families who cannot afford fees may apply for exemption. Matric candidates write the National Senior Certificate (NSC) administered by the Department of Basic Education.

The school falls within the Buffalo City metropolitan municipality. EMIS classifies the location as rural.

The school is at Lilyfontein School, Farm 564, Brakfontein Area, 5205, and can be reached on 043 737 4258.

Note: The Urban/Rural classification is sourced directly from EMIS and may reflect historical registration data. See Data Limitations.

School fees at Lilyfontein School

Lilyfontein School is recorded as a fee-charging school. The school governing body proposes the amount and a majority of parents at the yearly budget meeting must approve it.

We do not have the amount. The principal must tell parents the yearly fee when a child is admitted, so ask the school office.

Fee status as recorded by the Department of Basic Education.

If you cannot afford the fees

At a public school that charges fees, parents can apply to pay less or nothing. This is called an exemption. A public school may not refuse to admit a child because the parent cannot pay the fees or has not paid them.

  • You pay nothing if one child's yearly fees, plus any other money the school asks you to pay for that child, are 10% (one tenth) or more of the parents' combined yearly income before tax.
  • You pay less if the fees and other payments are between 3.5% and 10% of that income. Below 3.5%, you pay less only if you have several children at public schools that charge fees: at least 2 children at 3%, 4 at 2.5%, or 6 at 2%. The regulations' table goes up in half percents and does not settle the figures between its rows, so the calculator below shows both rows.
  • Below 2% the formula gives no exemption. If you still cannot pay because of something outside your control, tell the governing body. It may agree to an exemption with conditions.
  • You pay nothing, no matter how much you earn, if you receive a social grant for the child, if the child is placed in a foster home, a youth care centre, a place of safety or an orphanage, if you are a relative caring for an orphan, or for a child whose parents have abandoned them and who has no means of support, or if the child heads the household. You must give the governing body proof: an affidavit, a letter from a social worker, or a court order.

Work out what the formula gives you

Use amounts for a whole year. If you pay monthly, multiply by the number of months the school charges. Nothing you type leaves your device.

How to apply: ask the principal for the exemption form and give it to the chairperson of the school governing body. You apply every year. If the other parent cannot be found or will not give their income, you can say so in an affidavit and apply on your own. The governing body must decide within 30 days and tell you in writing. If you are not satisfied, you can appeal in writing to the head of the provincial education department, within 30 days of getting the decision.

Source: Regulations relating to the Exemption of Parents from Payment of School Fees in Public Schools (Government Notice R1052 of 2006, as amended by Notice 1149 of 2006), and sections 5 and 41 of the South African Schools Act. More about fee exemptions.

Still missing

  • Exact fee amount
  • Admissions process, open days or deadlines
  • Whether the school uses WhatsApp

Or tell the school yourself:

NSC Matric Results

100% of candidates passed in 2025 (44 of 44). Of the 39 comparable Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape with 2025 results, 31 scored lower. None scored higher; 8 others matched this pass rate.

In both 2024 and 2025, no more than 1 in 5 public Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape with at least 30 writers in both years had a higher NSC pass rate. This covers exam passes only. It does not measure teaching, or show how many learners left before Grade 12.

Show the peer dot plot & trend
2023
100.0%
50/50 passed
2024
100.0%
48/48 passed
2025
100.0%
44/44 passed

Each year reflects a different cohort. Year-on-year change does not necessarily indicate improvement or decline.

Pass rate by year (NSC)
YearPass rate
2023100.0%
2024100.0%
2025100.0%
Pass rate distribution: Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape (2025)60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100% Typical similar school: 98% Hexagon High School: 69.4%Daniel Pienaar Technical High School: 78.3%Lawson Brown High School: 87.6%West Bank High School: 88.5%Hoërskool Hangklip: 88.6%Port Rex Technical High School: 91.1%Victoria Park High School: 93.2%Despatch High School: 93.5%Queen's College Boys High School: 93.8%Dale College: 94.4%Union High School: 94.4%Df Malherbe High School: 94.8%George Randell High School: 95.3%Muir College Boys High School: 95.3%Cradock High School: 95.5%Hoërskool Nico Malan: 95.7%Alexander Road High School: 96.0%Hoërskool Brandwag: 96.6%Cambridge High School: 96.8%Port Alfred High School: 97.4%Hoërskool Grens: 97.6%Kingsridge High School for Girls: 97.7%Hudson Park High School: 98.1%Westering High School: 98.1%Aliwal North High School: 98.2%Hoër Volkskool: 98.3%Framesby High School: 98.6%Selborne College: 98.7%Victoria Girls High School: 98.7%Stirling High School: 99.0%Grey Boys High School: 99.4%Beaconhurst School: 100.0%Clarendon High School for Girls: 100.0%Lilyfontein School: 100.0%Queenstown Girls High School: 100.0%Collegiate Girls High School: 100.0%Pearson High School: 100.0%Riebeek College Girls High School: 100.0%Gill College Senior Secondary School: 100.0%Graeme College Boys High School: 100.0%This school: 100.0% This school

100.0% pass rate in 2025. 31 Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape scored lower, 0 scored higher.

Each dot is one school. The dashed amber line shows where the typical similar school sits: half score above, half below. Pass rates each year reflect a different group of students.

Pass rate distribution for Quintile 5 schools in Eastern Cape in 2025
SchoolPass rate
Hexagon High School69.4%
Daniel Pienaar Technical High School78.3%
Lawson Brown High School87.6%
West Bank High School88.5%
Hoërskool Hangklip88.6%
Port Rex Technical High School91.1%
Victoria Park High School93.2%
Despatch High School93.5%
Queen's College Boys High School93.8%
Dale College94.4%
Union High School94.4%
Df Malherbe High School94.8%
George Randell High School95.3%
Muir College Boys High School95.3%
Cradock High School95.5%
Hoërskool Nico Malan95.7%
Alexander Road High School96.0%
Hoërskool Brandwag96.6%
Cambridge High School96.8%
Port Alfred High School97.4%
Hoërskool Grens97.6%
Kingsridge High School for Girls97.7%
Hudson Park High School98.1%
Westering High School98.1%
Aliwal North High School98.2%
Hoër Volkskool98.3%
Framesby High School98.6%
Selborne College98.7%
Victoria Girls High School98.7%
Stirling High School99.0%
Grey Boys High School99.4%
Beaconhurst School100.0%
Clarendon High School for Girls100.0%
Lilyfontein School (this school)100.0%
Queenstown Girls High School100.0%
Collegiate Girls High School100.0%
Pearson High School100.0%
Riebeek College Girls High School100.0%
Gill College Senior Secondary School100.0%
Graeme College Boys High School100.0%

8 other schools in this peer group recorded the same 100% pass rate in 2025. Schools that tie are not counted as scoring lower, so a percentile understates a result that many peers also achieved.

Pass rate by subject and year
SubjectYearWroteAchieved 30%+Pass rate
Accounting202310880.0%
Accounting20241010100.0%
Accounting202599100.0%
Business Studies2023231982.6%
Business Studies2024221881.8%
Business Studies20251919100.0%
Geography202388100.0%
Geography20241212100.0%
Geography20251111100.0%
Life Sciences2023222195.5%
Life Sciences20242727100.0%
Life Sciences2025181794.4%
Mathematical Literacy20232323100.0%
Mathematical Literacy20242424100.0%
Mathematical Literacy20252121100.0%
Mathematics20232727100.0%
Mathematics2024242395.8%
Mathematics2025232295.7%
Physical Sciences2023201995.0%
Physical Sciences2024141392.9%
Physical Sciences2025141178.6%

Source: DBE NSC School Performance Report 2025; subject results: DBE NSC School Subject Reports 2024 & 2025. Methodology

After matric: applying and paying for study

Some universities charge nothing to apply, and some waive the fee. These are their own rules, checked on 7 November 2026. Most applications for 2027 closed in September and October 2026. Rules and dates change every year, so confirm on the university's website before you apply.

  • University of the Free State: No application fee (2027 applications).
  • University of Johannesburg: No application fee for online applications.
  • University of Mpumalanga: No application fee from the 2027 academic year.
  • University of Venda: No application fee.
  • Central University of Technology: No application fee.
  • Nelson Mandela University: No application fee for South African citizens.
  • University of the Western Cape: No application fee (2027 application guide).
  • University of Pretoria: R300 to apply for 2027, waived if your household income is R150 000 a year or less. You upload proof of income with the application.
  • Stellenbosch University: R100 for South African citizens and permanent residents to apply for 2027. The online system asks for R400: pay only R100 by EFT, or pay R400 online and get R300 back. Depending on the quintile of your school, undergraduate applicants may pay nothing: the application then shows the fee as R0.00. South Africans applying to the Stellenbosch or Tygerberg campus who cannot pay can send the university a motivation: the fee guide linked here gives the address. The EMIS record lists Lilyfontein School as Quintile 5; confirm with the university.
  • NSFAS: The government's student funding scheme for study at public universities and TVET colleges. Applications for 2027 funding closed on 31 October 2026; the website has the rules and lets you track an application.
  • Career advice (Khetha): The Department of Higher Education and Training's career advice service: call 086 999 0123 or SMS 072 204 5056.

This list may be incomplete: other universities may also be free to apply, and some charge a fee. It is not a recommendation of any university.

Learner numbers reported to the Department, by year

These counts are not a measure of quality. A number can change because a school adds or drops grades, because new schools open nearby or boundaries change, or because of an error in what was reported.

020040060080020072010201520202025
Learners by year, with the number of learners down the left. A gap is a year we have no figure for.
See the number for each year
YearLearners
2007389
2008339
2009377
2010402
2011429
2012476
2013484
2016599
2018615
2019667
2020680
2021637
2022660
2023671
2025680

These are counts of learners from the Department of Basic Education’s national school lists. A few figures that look like recording errors are left out. We found no list with figures for 2014, 2015, 2017, 2024. How we read these lists.

What is the learner-to-educator ratio at Lilyfontein School?

How many learners there are per educator, compared to schools in the same quintile and phase. The educator count includes teachers, heads of department, and principals, so real class sizes are usually larger than this number suggests.

Among the lowest learner-educator ratios of 9 similar schools

(Q5 Combined schools in Eastern Cape)

Contact

Lilyfontein School, Farm 564, Brakfontein Area, 5205School

Contact details updated by the school · not from EMIS.

This page is maintained by the school. School staff: manage this page

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Web address

https://schoolseek.co.za/school/lilyfontein-primary-school-200200359/

Straight to the matric results

https://schoolseek.co.za/school/lilyfontein-primary-school-200200359/#results

For a web page (HTML)

<a href="https://schoolseek.co.za/school/lilyfontein-primary-school-200200359/">Lilyfontein School on SchoolSeek</a>

Location

Map

Distances & travel Distance to city centres, and travel time from your address

Distance to Major Centres

By road. Driving times are estimates in free-flowing traffic and exclude congestion.

East London21.7 km · 19 min
King William's Town71.8 km · 46 min

Commute Planner

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What other schools are near Lilyfontein School?

Other schools within a few kilometres. Proximity does not imply similarity: these schools may serve different phases, quintiles, or communities.

Bhongolethu Secondary School

Secondary · Public · Quintile 2

620 learners 16 educators 39:1

Fewer learners per educator than 18% of similar schools

Kwelerha · 2.3km away
Kwelegha Public Combined School

Primary · Public · Quintile 2

409 learners 14 educators 29:1

Fewer learners per educator than 23% of similar schools

Woodbrook · 2.9km away
The Study Squad Primary School

Primary · Independent

88 learners 14 educators 6:1

Fewer learners per educator than 94% of similar schools

Buffalo City · 4.2km away
The Study Squad Secondary School

Secondary · Independent

42 learners 6 educators 7:1

Fewer learners per educator than 69% of similar schools

Buffalo City · 4.2km away
Nkwezana Full Service School

Primary · Public · Quintile 3

841 learners 24 educators 35:1

Fewer learners per educator than 21% of similar schools

Sunrise On Sea · 4.3km away

Schools serving similar communities

Other public combined schools in Eastern Cape with Quintile 5.

Grouped by quintile, phase and province. These schools face similar resource constraints to Lilyfontein School. This grouping is for browsing and is broader than the peer group used for the matric percentile above.

Beaconhurst School

Combined · Public · Quintile 5

814 learners 45 educators 18:1

Fewer learners per educator than 50% of similar schools

Beaconbay
Belgravia Art Centre

Combined · Public · Quintile 5

6 educators

Data not available

Milner Estate Lennox Estate & Pan
West Bank High School

Combined · Public · Quintile 5

900 learners 33 educators 27:1

Among the highest learner-educator ratios of 9 similar schools

West Bank

Frequently Asked Questions

School data: DBE EMIS Q3 2025. Matric results: NSC School Performance Report 2025. Subject results: NSC School Subject Reports 2024 & 2025. Infrastructure: NEIMS/EFMS 2021 (historical). Learner-educator comparisons group schools by quintile, phase and province; matric comparisons group by sector and province, plus quintile for public schools. The learner-educator ratio includes all staff classified as educators, so actual class sizes may differ. Learn about our methodology

Some details on this page (each marked “Provided by the school”) were supplied by the school and are not independently verified by SchoolSeek. The official statistics above (learner and educator numbers, quintile, learner-educator ratio, and matric results) are unchanged and come from DBE EMIS Q3 2025 and NSC School Performance Report 2025.

Some data fields may not be available for all schools. Missing data is shown as '—' or 'Not available'. Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025.

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