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South Africa high School Structure

Find High Schools

Secondary education in South Africa lasts about  6, that is, from grades 7 to 12, and is divided into two phases, lower and upper secondary school. Secondary education here is divided into two phases, Senior phase education (lower secondary) which is from grade 7 to 9, and Further education and training  (FET) or senior secondary school. Let's take a brief look at both phases.

Intermediate Phase Education

  •  Age: 12 to 14 or 15 years
  • Grades: 7-9
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Primary Languages: English
  • Terms                          : 4 terms
  • Admission Term: Beginning of the term- January.

The curriculum for lower secondary school is broad and includes At least one home language (English or Afrikaans), A First Additional Language (English or Afrikaans), mathematics, natural science, social science, technology, economic and management sciences, life orientation, and arts and culture, to mention but a few.

Further Education and Training (FET)

Upper secondary education in South Africa is also known as further education and training (FET), encompassing grades 10 to 12, and is not compulsory. Entry into the FET phase requires an official record of completion of grade nine level.

  • School Type: Senior Secondary Schools
  • Duration: 3
  • Age: 15-18
  • Grades: 10-12
  • Language of Instruction: English
  • Award: Senior Certificate
  • National Qualification Framework: Level 2 to 4
  • Terms                          : 4 terms

To complete this level of education, Students have to take a public examination in a minimum of six subjects to be awarded a Senior Certificate, which is the exit level certificate for high school in South Africa. At the beginning of upper secondary school, grade 10, students will choose one of two pathways, which are the academic (general), or technical. Students who choose the technical pathway must be enrolled in a technical secondary school.

All students in these pathways must study seven subjects. Four of which are mandatory regardless of the pathway taken. These include two official languages, mathematics, and life orientation. The remaining three subjects can be chosen as electives. The subjects chosen here are usually in line with the courses that the students intend to study in higher education. Graduation, upon completion, is dependent on the final performance in the final examination at grade 12 (commonly known as Matric) Let us take a brief look at some of the schools that offer high school or secondary education in South Africa.

 

Alma Mater International School

This is an international Cambridge school located in Johannesburg. Besides secondary education, the school also offers Advanced Level studies for students who want to pursue education in specialized fields like medicine. The school provides a safe, secure, and friendly learning environment where students are built-in social and academic excellence. The school also offers boarding facilities for students in the 7th to the 12th grades. The school offers complete international qualifications including IGCSE, AS Level, and A-Levels.

  • Established: 1998
  • Location: Krugersdorp
  • Address: 1 Coronation St, Paardeplaats 177 IQ, Krugersdorp, 1739, South Africa
  • Fees range: R36 470 to R87 750
  • Grades: Nursery to Grade 12
  • Curriculum: IGCSE (Cambridge)
  • Type: Co-educational

Curriculum: The school offers an internationally recognized curriculum, and has excellent academic standards with certified and highly committed staff. Subjects include sciences, languages, mathematics, accounting, geography, business, studies, and computer science, ICT, to mention but a few.

Sports and Extracurricular activities- sports activities here include soccer, netball, basketball, rugby, swimming, athletics, and cross country. Cultural activities include chess, public speaking, charity groups, performing arts, drama, and the choir. Clubs include the Eagle Christian Club, Global Citizen Committee, and the Science Exhibition, to mention but a few.

Facilities: the school has several excellent facilities including a swimming pool, art, and design studios, homework and research centers, classrooms, playgrounds, boarding, dining hall, lounges, computer labs, stationery and school clothing store, clubhouse, and tuck-shop, soccer fields, rugby fields, hockey fields, tennis courts, netball courts, science labs, to mention but a few.

Tuition and fees

Grade                                                 Annual Fee    monthly Payments x10mnths           Dvlpmnt Fund

Grade 7                                   R78 350                      R7 835                                    R1 800

Grade 8                                   R78 350                      R 7 835                                   R1 800

Grade 9 (IGCSE)                    R82 650                      R8 265                                    R1 800

Grade 10 (IGCSE)                  R82 650                      R8 265                                    R1 800

Grade 11(AS Level 1/A Level 1) R87 750.00            R8 775                                    R1 800

Grade 12 (AS Level 2/ A Level 2) R87 750               R8 775                                    R1 800

A once-off Application Fee of R750 is payable for all applications up to A Levels. A once Registration fee of R3 500.00 is also payable on registration and is non-refundable. Note as well that School fees are payable by the 7th of each month. Students are also eligible to apply for a variety of international scholarships to finance their studies.

 

Courtney College: International High School

This is a Cambridge International Examinations accredited center offering learning for students from Year 7 to A-Level (Post-Matric).

  • Address: 100 Florence Ribeiro Avenue, Bailey's Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0002
  • Grades: year 7 to Advanced Level.
  • Language of Instruction: English
  • Curriculum: Cambridge

At various intervals, students sit for Cambridge International Checkpoints in Year 8, Cambridge IGCSE in Year 10, Cambridge AS-Level in Year 12, and Cambridge A-Levels in Post-Matric, for those who intend to progress further and do specialized programs at university.

Courtney College at a glance

Courtney college high school offers a sophisticated campus with state-of-the-art facilities and resources. It has a fully equipped science laboratory, an ICT lab and computer center, custom, modern facilities, and a Supervised Student Study Centre. The college offers Subject Choices tailored to Individual Interests, Abilities, and Future Career Plans, and specializes in the fields of Languages, Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, and the Sciences. This is a place to be that Focuses on Divergent and Analytical Thinking.

Curriculum

Courtney College offers the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) curriculum which awards an international qualification, opening up a gateway for students to the global community. The school offers a diverse and broad curriculum with subjects as follows:

Core subjects include Mathematics, Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English as a First Language. Other subjects include History, geography, Accountancy, Business Studies, Art and Design, Information and Communication Technology, and Second and Foreign Languages (Afrikaans, French, and Spanish), mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, to mention but a few.

Facilities- the school offers a wide range of international standard facilities including classrooms,  tut rooms, laboratories, student study areas, administrative offices, Computer and Science Labs, and Cubicles, to mention but a few.

Requirements

The following are required to apply at the school:

  • Application forms
  • Contract forms
  • Medical Forms
  • Subject Selection Form
  • Foreign or second languages selection forms
  • IGCSE subject selection form
  • Advanced /AS Level subject selection form
  • In addition, the copies of the following must be submitted:
  • Parent’s or Guardian’s passport (international students)  
  • ID book (locals)
  • Prospective student’s passport (international students)
  • An ID book (South African students older than sixteen)
  • birth certificate (minors younger than sixteen)

 

Michaelhouse Senior Boys School

This is a school that offers an exciting academic, sporting, cultural, spiritual environment allowing for the holistic growth and development of self-conscious, and confident students ready to take on the world. The school has a very low student-teacher ratio, allowing for closer monitoring and one on one tutoring. The school aims to provide a dynamic and progressive education that respects individual needs and embraces diversity and change in pursuit of academic, sporting, and cultural excellence and at the same time providing social and leadership skills and nurturing spiritual growth.

  • Founded: 1896
  • Location: Pietermaritzburg
  • Terms: 4 terms
  • Student-teacher ratio: 1:10

The students sit for the Independent Examination Board examinations upon completion. The school’s educational program offers a balance between academic, cultural, environmental and sporting activities. Students have a variety of sporting activities to choose from including AstroTurf hockey, cricket, basketball, rugby, water polo, swimming, tennis, and squash, to mention but a few. It offers state of the art sports facilities, with 12 playing fields including two Astroturf hockey facilities, seven turf cricket pitches, a cricket oval, an athletics track, eight tennis courts, a six-court squash complex, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a heated swimming pool, a water polo pool, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a golf driving range and a dam for canoeing.

Curriculum

The schools offer a broad curriculum that focuses on areas including:

Languages (English, Advanced Programme English, Afrikaans, IsiZulu, and French), Arts and Culture (Music, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts), Human and Social Studies and Languages (Geography, History, Life Orientation, additional second languages), Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences (Information Technology, Maths Literacy, Advanced Programme Mathematics, Computer Applications Technology), Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Accounting, Economics), and Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology (Engineering Graphics and Design), t mention but a few.

 

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