Curriculum

A top class Curriculum is our goal

 

The focus is to provide a high-quality, mainstream education to enable every learner to achieve the best possible qualification that they are able to achieve.

Woodcrest Academy learners follow the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in formal classes from Grade R to Grade 12. The CAPS curriculum is “a single comprehensive, and concise policy document introduced by the Department of Basic Education for all subjects listed in the National Curriculum for Grades R-12”.

We have found CAPS to be an excellent, well-structured and detailed guide to teaching.

 

Teaching Approach

Woodcrest Academy caters for various learning abilities in a carefully structured small-class environment that enables teachers to identify and develop each learner’s strengths and weaknesses. All students are encouraged to perform to the very best of their ability, and extension activities are provided to challenge learners who excel. Interventions are also tailored for children who need assistance to master specific skills. Teacher Aides help provide individual attention where needed. Small class sizes also enable the school to accept a limited number of students with specific learning challenges, who nevertheless have the potential to attain mainstream standards.

 

Homework

At Woodcrest, we understand that parents are extremely busy. To expect you to spend 2/3 unpleasant hours doing homework late into the evenings is not practical or fair. With this in mind, the Woodcrest homework programme is kept to a minimum so you can have quality time with your children in the evenings rather than fighting about homework.

Woodcrest’s homework programme is designed to reinforce the classroom learning processes, teach independence and time-management, and allow parents to track their child’s progess. Each class’s homework programme should take no longer than half an hour to complete, but daily reading aloud is required in the language subjects. Homework is monitored and assessed daily by the class teacher. An afternoon supervision centre is available at the school (for a reasonable fee) where learners can complete their homework with support and monitoring.

 

Assessment

Learners in Grades 1 to 3 are assessed continuously through their daily work and regular testing. No formal examinations are required at this level.

From Grade 4 onwards, examinations and regular testing become important components of assessment. Projects, research tasks and oral assessments provide additional ways for learners to demonstrate their mastery of the concepts.

Termly reports provide one mechanism to ensure that learner progress is closely monitored and to allow for timeous remediation or extension programmes.