William Oates Primary School

William Oates Primary School is a public primary school in Somerset East, Eastern Cape, in the Sarah Baartman education district. The Department of Basic Education classifies it as a primary school. In 2025 it had 448 learners and 16 educators, about 28 learners per educator. That makes it larger than the average for public primary schools in Eastern Cape (244 learners). It is a quintile 3 school, meaning it serves the middle 20% of communities according to the national poverty ranking. It is a no-fee school, so parents do not pay school fees. As a Section 21 school, its governing body manages part of its own budget.

School facts

School type	Public primary school
Phase (DBE)	Primary School
Sector	Public
Quintile	3 of 5 (what is this?)
School fees	No-fee school
Section 21	Yes
Learners (2025)	448
Educators (2025)	16
Learners per educator	28 (province average 28)
Urban or rural	Urban
EMIS number	200100854

Address and location

Street address	50 Paulet Street,somerset East,5850
Postal address	P O Box 439, Somerset East, 5850
Town	Somerset East
Province	Eastern Cape
Education district	Sarah Baartman
Municipality	Blue Crane Route Local Municipality
Former department	House of Representatives(HOR)

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Admissions

Applications for Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 8 at public schools in Eastern Cape open the year before your child starts school. Contact the school for its application form and dates. Read our guide on applying for Grade 1 and Grade 8.