English Home Language – Natalie Young

We value and celebrate the achievement of our English Department. The matrics of 2018 achieved 23 distinctions and an average that is 2,63 % higher than the IEB national average. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the fact that so many of our pupils are not English Home Language speakers.

The English Head of Department says the following about their success in the 2018 IEB examinations:

“I attribute the success of the 2018 English results to a strong, motivated group of teachers who are dedicated to their students. Their teaching is consistent and the work is standardised across all classes. We do not use a specific textbook; instead notes and worksheets have been created specifically to explain the various aspects of the syllabus in a comprehensive manner. Past matric results are analysed and adjustments are continuously made to the curriculum in order to address any perceived areas of weakness. Tests and exams are rigorous and mimic the papers set by the IEB – with specific emphasis on questions which require insight and application. Pupils also write weekly spot tests which ensures that they practise their language skills and their ability to answer test questions, on a regular basis. Concepts taught in the lower grades are done in such a way that the pupils are subtly being prepared for what is to come in the senior phase.”

Business Studies – Debbie Prinsloo

The success of the Business Studies pupils can be attributed to a variety if interdependent aspects coming together at the right moment to achieve the following:

23% of the class got distinctions, 40% achieved B symbols with an overall average of 71.59%, which was 6.37% higher than the IEB National average.

 

Firstly, the subject in itself receives a great deal of support from the IEB. We have functional clusters which educators can share resources, benchmark their results and ask those necessary questions. We have a regional moderation process, whereby the validity and integrity of all portfolio tasks are moderated and vital feedback is given to educators.

There is also an IEB conference in February each year where vital information is fed-back to staff regarding the previous year’s examinations.

 

Secondly, my school, Southdowns College. I am equipped with all the resources and support I need. There are systems in place which support my teaching and I am encouraged to innovate within my subject. We are strongly encouraged to utilise global competencies in our day to day lessons to ensure our pupils are ready to face all challenges in the ‘real world’.

 

Finally, my personal strategy, I believe in relationships and as difficult as it is with so many different personalities, I try connecting on an individual level with my pupils. This coupled with a disciplined approach then opens the way to collaborative learning. I ensure that I am involved at the highest levels within my subject with ensures I have all the updated information. Over the last three years, I have spent a portion of my time training new teachers from other schools, which has given me confidence to excel in my own class. Like most teachers, I make sure my class tests are challenging and cover a variety of possible questions as well as only excepting quality answers from the pupils. Fortunately, my subject is ‘real’! I base all my class discussions and work on theme companies, which, helps the pupils to relate their knowledge to real and current experiences. I encourage pupils to discuss the work with their parents at home and to relate it to the field or industry they are in.

 

Without scooping all the credit, I think I am in an environment fill with ambitious, eager, well-adjusted young adults who make my subject most enjoyable to teach. Their openness to learn coupled with a bit of humour is a recipe for success.

 

We are very proud of all the staff of Crawford College Pretoria for their contribution towards the outstanding results achieved by the Class of 2018. We believe that all our staff, teaching from Grade 8 to Grade 12, have an impact on the final results that the students achieve. Our staff are passionate about teaching and working with teenagers, and always have their best interests at heart. They are notorious for going the extra mile by offering support lessons, workshops, extra notes etc, as well as the emotional support that teenagers so often require. We also offer team teaching, where students get exposed to different views and explanations, therefore broadening their view and understanding of a subject. We also pride ourselves on our student-teacher relationship, where students feel safe and comfortable in the classroom and are not afraid to approach their teachers when they are struggling with work. Our staff do not only focus on getting students to achieve distinctions, but also work hard to assist the weaker students to improve their marks and achieve their best. We believe happy and content students have a greater chance of reaching their potential.