Grace Trinity School changes its Cambridge offering

The fully-fledged Independent Examinations Board (IEB)-affiliated and Umalisi-accredited private school, Grace Trinity School for Girls, introduced changes at the school.

The school recently called the parents of learners to a meeting to tell them the school would no longer offer the Cambridge International pathway through high school but as a post-matric qualification.

They also told the parents that the school intended to offer a 13th year for A-levels.

The announcement sparked concerns because at least five Grade 10 learners were pursuing the Cambridge pathway.

Changes looming

Ahead of the new academic year, Conrad Cleary will be the new executive headmaster of St Declan’s School for Boys and Grace Trinity School for Girls.

He has nearly four decades of experience in teaching and education, with a track record of producing matric results with class averages exceeding IEB averages.

Cleary has since set the record straight regarding some of these changes.

“There were five parents whose children are doing International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSE), a Cambridge qualification. The school and I met during the recent winter break. The school wanted to take a decision to ask the Cambridge girls to reintegrate into the IEB group [to do the National Senior Certificate (NSC)],” he explained.

And because the NSC was benchmarked globally, he said he had no reason not to agree.

“The NSC qualification allows SA children to join universities around the world, including sought-after universities. I don’t think there’s a question about the quality of the certificate, but I understand it would be a disappointment to the parents to have that curriculum discontinued,” said Cleary.

From this group of learners, only one of the five intended to study at a foreign university, Cleary said.

“It’s simply not viable to employ Cambridge teachers to offer five or six subjects, and I think that was what the parents struggled with. There are 570 children at the school doing the IEB NSC, and almost everybody at the school is doing the NSC, anyway,” he said.

Cleary said he understood why management discontinued Cambridge.

“They’ve had a couple of teachers leave, like the mathematics, the English, and the physical science teachers, saying it’s too much to prepare for Cambridge and the NSC. I understand four of the five learners reintegrated to the IEB NSC,” he explained.

Sheds more light

One of the five learners would finish the Cambridge qualification this year with support from the school.
To make the path from Cambridge back into the NSC as smooth as possible, and after a year out of the NSC, the school would refund their fees and pay for new textbooks.

Cleary said, “They’re just returning into the same course they have been in for 10 years. They haven’t been doing Cambridge for 10 years. It was a misperception. The learners were in the IGCSE year-two group.”

According to Cleary, the NSC was equivalent to Cambridge AS levels.

“Cambridge International AS and A-levels are internationally benchmarked qualifications providing excellent preparation for university education. But there’s a layer above AS, called A-levels, which is post-matric. A-levels are like post-matric, similar to further studies, and are above matric level,” he explained.

Earlier in the year, the school said Cambridge qualifications would be offered as a post-matric qualification.
Moving forward, Cleary said they would not offer Cambridge to younger children but as a post-matric qualification.

“A letter went out asking children to express interest, and there was no interest because they’re all going to university next year. I think it’s probably going to be from 2025 or 2026. There are many schools offering A-levels in the north, but not so much in the south,” he said.

“What is important for me is delivering quality to young people and doing things properly. My results speak for themselves, and I intend to take the school to better heights and start seeing high matric averages. I know of few teachers who’ll also join the school next year,” Cleary concluded.