PLC SYDNEY CHOSEN AS THE CAMBRIDGE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FROM 2023-2026

PLC Sydney is very proud to have been chosen to be the Demonstration School for Cambridge in Australia from 2023 to 2026.

By Ms Lisa Tabuteau Director of Cambridge International Courses

We have been a part of the Cambridge family since 2014 and have increased our courses on offer from three to a smorgasbord of subjects at both International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A Levels by 2025, which is Stage 5 and Stage 6 in The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) terms.

This national launch means that we are sharing our experience with schools all over Australia. We aim to build a network of Cambridge schools because we know that the more minds we can get into one space, the better the conversation. In this case, the conversation will be how to make the most of what the Cambridge courses have for our students, and how we can encourage our students to achieve to the best of their abilities.

Kathleen Lloyd-Parker, Cambridge Australian Senior Manager, flew in to join us at our launch on Friday 24 March. She stood with us in welcoming the four schools who have show an interest in joining the Cambridge family. Our Principal, Dr Burgis, welcomed our guests and gave a brief overview of why he has chosen to introduce Cambridge courses to PLC Sydney.

Firstly, he said that in his time teaching in Zimbabwe, he was impressed by how students were able to achieve whilst studying Cambridge courses even though they were disadvantaged in many ways. They studied hard for the end of year exams and were later accepted into prestigious universities. Dr Burgis noted that the Cambridge courses suited all level of abilities in the students he taught. Later, he said that his eldest daughter, who studied Cambridge when they lived in UK, greatly improved her marks under the program.

We have already spent time working with our brother school, The Scots College, who have recently introduced IGSCE to their suite of subjects on offer. They are very enthusiastic about the depth in the courses available. After the launch we were overwhelmed by interest from other schools all over New South Wales. Our next demonstration day will be Thursday 8 June where we will be inviting schools and important voices in education from all over Australia. I encourage you to view the interview with student, Amy Feng on the PLC Sydney website (under the Cambrige section). Amy has managed to balance NESA and the demands of the Cambridge A Levels over the last few years with such success that she has now been offered a place to study at Oxford, UK. She is a proud student of our college who waves the banner for those who will come behind her into a new future - thanks to PLC Sydney and Cambridge!