The story of Muriel Brand School started in 1964. That was the year in which the
school's sponsoring body, the Eastern Transvaal Cerebral Palsy Association (now the
Gauteng Cerebral Palsy Association), was formed. Their fundraising, under the inspiring
leadership of Mrs Muriel Brand, made the establishment of a new school for children
with cerebral palsy possible.
Muriel Brand School first opened its doors on 14 January 1969. It started in very
old, barely renovated mine buildings with 27 learners and 18 staff members. As learner
numbers increased, it became evident that larger premises were needed. The Brakpan
Town Council offered land to the new school in August 1970, which the school bought,
and during September 1973 the first sod was turned on the site of the new school
in Brenthurst, Brakpan. September 9, 1977 saw the closing of the State Mines premises
and the move to the modern new school in Brenthurst, Brakpan. The first matric class
wrote their finals at the end of 1981. At the end of the school's 36th year in 2005,
the learner enrolment was 460 and the personnel complement comprised of more than
a 100 professional and support staff members.
The school is classed as a provincial public special school and is subsidised by
the Gauteng Department of Education.