Kempton Park schools excel at Birch Acres Inter-Schools Quiz

Birch Acres Primary School once again hosted a successful Birch Acres Inter-Schools Invitational Quiz Competition on October 21, bringing together some of the brightest learners from schools around Kempton Park and beyond.

The event, filled with enthusiasm, teamwork, and academic excellence, saw learners impress spectators and educators alike with their knowledge and confidence.

This year’s competition introduced a new twist: junior and senior teams competed separately, each vying for their respective trophies.

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The host school welcomed nine visiting schools, making a total of 10 teams, all competing for the prestigious title of 2025 Birch Acres Inter-Schools Invitational Quiz Champion.

Quiz coordinator Victor Maseko said the event was created to give academically inclined learners the chance to shine, especially those who may not participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.

“Most learners who shine in extracurricular activities are those who play sports. This is a chance for academically gifted learners to also stand on the podium and be recognised at school assemblies,” Maseko said.

“Things were different this year, and most schools seemed to enjoy the new format.

“We’ll likely keep it for 2026. I hope that in the future, we’ll secure sponsorships to reward our top academic performers,” he added.

The quiz featured five categories: spelling, geography and history, science, sports and entertainment, and general knowledge.

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Each school received one question from each category, with varying point values based on difficulty.

Junior teams included: Birch Acres Primary, Laerskool Kempton Park, Norkem Primary, New Millennium College, Bedfordview Primary, O.R. Tambo Primary, Mooifontein Primary, Farrarmere Primary, Lesedi College, and Kempton Park Primary.

Senior teams were represented by: Bedfordview Primary, Lesedi Primary, O.R. Tambo Primary, Farrarmere Primary, Laerskool Kempton Park, New Millennium College, Norkem Park Primary, Birch Acres Primary, Mooifontein Primary, and Kempton Park Primary.

Defending champions Farrarmere Primary entered the competition under pressure, having won the title for three consecutive years. Several schools arrived determined to end their winning streak.

The competition consisted of three rounds for both divisions. Schools with the highest points advanced to the finals, along with the overall second-best team.

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In the junior division, Norkem Park Primary, Mooifontein Primary, and Farrarmere Primary advanced to the finals. At the same time, New Millennium College, Bedfordview Primary, and Lesedi College competed in a tiebreaker round for the remaining spot.

The tiebreaker came down to the Sports and Entertainment category, where Bedfordview secured its place in the finals.
“The experience was incredible. I really enjoyed it and would love to compete again next year,” said Matthew Fraser, captain of Farrarmere Primary’s junior team.

“We’ve won three years in a row, so I had a feeling we could win again. The general knowledge category was the easiest, while sports and entertainment were the toughest. Norkem Park was excellent. We only beat them by one point.”

For the seniors, Bedfordview Primary, New Millennium College, Kempton Park Primary, and Farrarmere Primary battled it out in a highly competitive final round.

When the scores were tallied, Farrarmere Primary claimed its fourth consecutive junior championship title, while Norkem Park Primary finished in second place, taking home the runner-up trophy.

In the senior division, Bedfordview Primary emerged victorious, earning 17 points, the highest score of the entire competition. New Millennium College finished as runners-up.

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“I really enjoyed the experience, from waiting on the sidelines to competing on stage,” said Ethan Weinberg, Bedfordview Primary’s senior team captain.

“The science category was the easiest for us, while spelling proved the toughest.

“We expected to win, and it feels great, especially after defeating Farrarmere, who had a three-year streak. Norkem gave us strong competition, but every school had its strengths.”