Academic Pillar Report

The 2020 academic year started on a positive note with our highest-ever numbers of learners entering the Life Sciences and Mathematics Olympiads. We had just completed our Term 1 academic programme when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and school as we knew it had to undergo some drastic changes. After the extended school closure, during which we ran a distance learning programme, learners returned to school grade by grade.

As we settled in to our ‘new normal’, teachers and learners made use of Google Classroom and Google Meet at a whole new level; teachers learned new skills such as creating videos and learners found out exactly how valuable self-discipline and organisational skills could be.

There were genuine concerns about the impact that the school closure and the system of Grade 8 to 11 learners attending school on alternate days would have on the academic performances of our learners, but the first indicator that we were on track was when we presented a record number of academic colours awards (39 in total) to Grade 12s at the end of the third term. Although many activities could not take place a number of our learners were successful in external competitions or had work published.

Our junior learners were unable to attend school for over one third of the academic year but they acquitted themselves well in their final assessments with 79 of our Grade 8s and 83 Grade 9s averaging 70% or more. Learners in Grades 10 and 11 fared equally well and many found that, with careful planning, they could use the rotational system of attending school to their advantage as they had additional time to complete homework and were always at home to study the day before a test.

When the 2020 National Senior Certificate results were released, our Grade 12s had attained 434 subject distinctions which represented an average of 2.7 distinctions per candidate – a remarkable achievement in a difficult year.

The 2020 academic year presented us with many challenges but our learners, teachers, parents and guardians are to be congratulated on navigating those challenges successfully. Mr David Burrell

TEACHERS LEARNED NEW SKILLS SUCH AS CREATING VIDEOS AND LEARNERS FOUND OUT EXACTLY HOW VALUABLE SELF-DISCIPLINE AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS COULD BE.