ACADEMICS
Academics
at Michaelhouse
Academic pursuits receive priority at Michaelhouse. Research shows that a boy’s learning needs are quite different to those of a girl. Michaelhouse places special emphasis on teaching programmes that support this difference.
There are several examining bodies in South Africa. Michaelhouse, along with most other independent schools, has elected to write the examinations of the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), which is fully accredited by the national governing education council, Umalusi. The standards of the IEB are held in high regard by international and South African tertiary institutions.
The National Senior Certificate with endorsement (university entrance) written in A Block (Grade 12) is equivalent to GCE AS level and the Scottish Higher Standard, and the learning outcomes are equivalent to the Australian Senior Certificate which provides admission to higher education.
ACADEMICS
A Fully Resident
Academic Staff
Makes All the Difference
At Michaelhouse our staff are in a different class of educator – they are on campus all day, every day. Their engagement with the boys extends well beyond interactions in the classroom or on the sports field. They bump into each other in the corridors and quadrangles between lessons, they eat meals together, they cross paths in the coffee shop, on our running trails or in the High Performance Centre. Our staff are available and present in the Houses after supper, during prep and if necessary, any time of the day or night. It’s not unusual to walk past a classroom outside of the school day and to catch a glimpse of a member of staff and some boys recapping, brainstorming, catching up on missed work, going over a difficult concept or being extended beyond the syllabus. There is a committed and compassionate teacher in Balgowan for every eight Michaelhouse boys, and they are all in it together pulling in the same direction. The quality of these daily interactions ensure an environment which is happy and geared towards academics, curiosity and confidence.
Classes are small at Michaelhouse and in a boy’s first two years he will participate in the middle school programme where many of the regular core subjects are combined into broader learning areas. This exposure to a wider scope of learning allows our boys to make an informed decision about the subject package chosen for their matriculation course. At the end of D Block (Grade 9), a package of seven subjects is selected for a three year course, from C Block through to A Block (Grade 10 to Grade 12). A stimulating number of subject package options offers the opportunity to gain a National Senior Certificate with university entrance dispensation. Boys sit this National Senior Certificate examination in A Block (Grade 12).