This is the Life Skills CAPS Document (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) for the Foundation Phase, Grades R-3, issued by the South African Department of Basic Education. It sets out what must be taught, learnt and assessed in Life Skills across Grades R, 1, 2 and 3, and is relevant for the 2026 and 2027 school years. This Life Skills CAPS document is presented in English and covers Beginning Knowledge, Personal and Social Well-being, Creative Arts, and Physical Education.
The following document, Life Skills (English) CAPS Document Grades R-3.pdf, is the full document.
CAPS Document Brief
Life Skills (English) CAPS Document Grades R-3 kavo-105
Life Skills in the Foundation Phase is organised into four study areas: Beginning Knowledge (drawing on Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Technology), Personal and Social Well-being (health, safety, relationships and values), Creative Arts (dance, drama, music and visual art), and Physical Education (perceptual and motor development, games and movement).
This is a 74-page CAPS document with four sections: Section 1 introduces the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements across all phases; Section 2 introduces Life Skills, its specific aims, the four study areas, teaching approaches, resources, time allocation and topic weighting; Section 3, the largest section, outlines the course material term by term for Grades R to 3; and Section 4 covers assessment in Life Skills, including the programme of assessment, inclusion, and recording and reporting.
The document aims to guide the holistic physical, social, personal, emotional and cognitive development of learners through Life Skills. It seeks to build learners knowledge of personal health and safety, understanding of the relationship between people and the environment, and awareness of creative, scientific and technological processes, preparing learners for the subjects offered from Grade 4 onward.
Grade
R-3
Subject
Life Skills
Phase
Foundation Phase
Curriculum
South African (CAPS)
School Years
2026 and 2027