Materials and Methods: The Evaluation-Process and Outcome design was used, with a random selection of a sample of 516 secondary school students and 18 teachers in the Harare Metropolitan. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, was the theoretical framework. The study was approved by respective ethical review boards. All participants gave written informed consent. The SPSS statistical software was used for analysis.

Results: Students who lost one parent more than four years prior to the study performed better. In the peri- urban area, those orphaned for one year or less performed with a significant difference (p< .023). Accompanying the compromised performance was lack of books, which was significantly different (p< .033). Orphans without mothers lacked financial resources, and there was a significant difference in their performance, according to average coursework marks (p<. 001) and average examination marks (p<. 005). Those orphaned for one year or less, (40% n= 15) reported absenteeism caused by accompanying the sick people to the clinic. There were significant perceptions in responses to psychological scale statements; ‘I feel like crying all the time’ (p< .000); ‘I feel lonely all the time’ (p< .008). Those orphaned for one year or less (62% n = 29) and those orphaned for two to three years (62.5% n = 48) had less information on HIV/AIDS prevention.