When we think about shaping children, we often focus on the big things: the school they attend, the opportunities they are given, the activities they take part in, the results they achieve and the futures we hope they will build.

All of these matter. But my years in education have taught me that children are often shaped most deeply by something far simpler: the steady presence of the adults in their lives.

During my time as headmaster of a boys’ high school, particularly through the Covid-19 years, our school community experienced an unusually difficult season of loss. Several boys lost a parent, and after each loss, I made a point of meeting each boy personally. I wanted to offer my condolences, understand how the school could support him and give him space to speak about the parent he had lost.

In those conversations, I often asked: “What do you think you will miss most about your mom or dad?” The answers were profoundly simple.

One boy remembered Friday milkshakes at Wimpy with his dad after school. Another remembered his mother packing small bags of sweets to hand out to children during family holidays on the Transkei coast. Another remembered the drive home after sport, when his father would simply say, “You really enjoy playing with your friends, don’t you?”

What stayed with them was not extravagance. It was time, attention, kindness and ordinary moments repeated with love. That is worth remembering as parents, educators and community members. Children need opportunity, structure and guidance, but they also need to feel known. They need adults who listen, notice, encourage and are present in everyday moments.

As we build Seaton House, this belief sits close to the heart of the school we hope to become: a place where children are seen, supported and shaped with care.

Applications for 2027 are now open and interested families and education stakeholders can visit seatonhouse.co.za or contact info@seatonhouse.co.za for further information about open events and to register their interest. The school will also provide ongoing updates, event details and key milestones through its social media platforms.