Growing today’s learners into
tomorrow’s leaders
committed to excellence
History
Star Schools has been synonymous with supplementary
education since 1968, when it was founded by renowned
and much-loved teacher William Smith to provide valuefor-money education with top-class teachers. Since then,
millions of South African learners have been achieving
improved high school results through our programmes.
At Star Schools High we believe that learning
and teaching should be an exciting, rewarding
adventure for both learners and educators.
To this end, we work in partnership with the DoE, school districts and public and private
sponsors to raise learner achievement and educational outcomes through research-based
curriculum design, education management solutions and a virtual learning environment.
Star Schools High is located in the vibrant city of Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic
Working in close collaboration with the
Department of Education (DoE) for more than
four decades, all our materials and programmes
are developed in line with the national curriculum
and tailored to meet the specific needs of South
African high school learners.
hub, where learners are exposed to an open teaching and learning architecture that
Our flagship initiative, the Incubator School Programme,
Learning is a lifelong experience,
and we expect parents, educators
and other staff members to model
this belief for our learners.
enables organisations to use their corporate social
investment funds in a way that addresses both their own
business needs and one of the country’s national upliftment
priorities, the skills shortage crisis.
Through the programme, organisations sponsor highpotential learners at under-resourced schools in the
communities around them. Although the focus is on
directing learners on an intended career path – for example,
engineering, IT or financial services – learners are also given
life orientation and career guidance instruction. This holistic
strategy seeks to produce well-rounded individuals who
are prepared for the emotional and intellectual adjustment
needed to study and succeed at a tertiary institution.
Star Schools also runs a Saturday School programme for
learners currently in the school system. The purpose of
these classes is to revise what learners have learnt at school
during the week, while paying special attention to sections
in the syllabus that are problematic for learners. Educators
follow the scheme of work as prescribed by the DoE.
Underpinned by our unrivalled success in improving ordinary
South Africans’ access to world-class educational instruction
and resources through the provision of supplementary
educational products and services of the very highest quality,
the next step was inevitable – continue the journey of making
learning an enjoyable and rewarding experience through
the establishment of our own fully fledged high school,
Star Schools High.
comprises a seamless interaction between face-to-face and digital delivery methods.
We view Star Schools High as a community where each individual is important and has
an integral role to play in ensuring the community’s continued wellbeing. We strive to
foster a sense of community spirit, interdependence and respect that impacts favourably
not only on our own environment, but also the broader society.
Vision
To assist learners in becoming qualified, high-potential individuals,
ready to succeed at a tertiary institution and ultimately, the workplace.
Mission
Dedicated to advancing the lives of South Africans and the economic
growth of our nation, Star Schools High is committed to making our
vision a reality by:
Providing a dynamic academic and cultural curriculum through a
powerful synergy of tradition and innovation.
Facilitating the journey of personal discovery through
participation.
Stretching the boundaries of personal discovery beyond the
barriers of perceived limitations.
Encouraging flexible, critical and creative thinking
Ethos
Closely aligned to our vision is our ethos: Growing today’s learners
into tomorrow’s leaders. To this end, we expect our learners to abide
by the following set of values:
Honesty and trustworthiness – be truthful, sincere and reliable.
Integrity – act honourably and ethically, ensure consistency between
words and deeds.
Respect – treat others with consideration and regard, acknowledge
their point of view.
Responsibility – Be accountable, resolve differences constructively
and peacefully.
Service – contribute to society, take care of the environment.
Tolerance – Be aware of others and their cultures, accept diversity
within a democratic society.
that makes for success in the real world.
Nurturing physical and moral courage among learners.
Developing young men and women who are articulate, wellmannered and sensitive to the needs of others.
Equipping learners with problem-solving, research and team-work
skills for use
in future learning and successful careers.
Inspiring academic success so that learners are
readily accepted by tertiary education institutions
and employers.
Principal
Star Schools High’s acting principal, Farida Cassim, aims to bring excellence to the standard of academic
results among the school’s learners, while affording tangible opportunities for holistic development.
“In line with our ethos – growing today’s learners into tomorrow leaders –
I want to create a nurturing environment at Star Schools High,” she says,
“in which young men and women are equipped with not only academic
proficiency, but also the problem-solving, research and collaborative skills
they need to be successful in their chosen careers and life as a whole.”
Farida is not a newcomer to the Star Schools group. She has been involved in the company’s Saturday
School and Matric Rewrite programmes since 2008, while serving as principal of Lenasia South Secondary
School.
Farida’s experience in education spans almost 40 years. After obtaining her Senior Secondary Education Diploma from the Fordsburg College
of Education in 1977, she was appointed to teach Biology (as it was then known) to grades 11 and 12 at Nirvana Seconday School in Lenasia.
In 1987 she was promoted to head of department in science and maths at Lenasia South Secondary School, a position she held for 12 years
until her appointment as the school’s deputy principal.
In 2007 Farida was approached to become the life sciences presenter on the Liberty Learning Channel, an educational television programme created
by highly respected educator William Smith, one of the original co-founders of Star Schools. This first ever live curriculum-focused television
programme covered all subjects from grades 8 to 12 and was broadcast across South Africa and to seven other African countries.
In 2011 Farida was appointed principal of Lenasia South Secondary School. Although she officially retired from this position at the end of 2013,
Farida has remained involved in the Star Schools programmes.
Her impressive career bears testimony to her love of teaching and commitment to the education profession. This, together with her long-standing
involvement in Star Schools, makes Farida ideally suited to the role of principal of Star Schools High.
At Star Schools High we believe that learning and teaching should be an
exciting, rewarding adventure for both learners and educators.
Infrastructure
In conjunction with the progressive curriculum, which also
encompasses e-learning, Star Schools High offers its learners
technologically advanced classroom facilities.
Learners work within a virtual learning ecosystem (VLE) which
harnesses the power of technology to provide a turnkey and holistic
teaching and learning solution in a digital environment. This online
portal allows for interaction between learners, between educators, and
between learners and educators.
Educators and learners are able to communicate more quickly and
effectively using the Star Schools High secure intranet and email
system, which is geared to function as an electronic extension of the
classroom.
Learners also have access to eBlox, a free social network specifically
developed to facilitate knowledge sharing among educators and
Educators
Top-quality teaching is a vital component in the success of Star Schools
High. All our educators are selected on the basis of their ability to
make our vision a reality and carry out our mission and ethos. They are
tasked with creating opportunities for the development of leadership,
while fostering a climate of empowerment and participation.
learners in a secure environment. More importantly, it is a platform
The traditional notion of education holds that an educator imparts
used to motivate learners to contribute to the body of knowledge.
knowledge and skills to learners in a one-way process. At Star Schools
High, however, we believe that the role of an educator reaches far
Following a quick and easy registration process, users can create
beyond this old-fashioned view. Educators have become important
a personal profile and invite their friends to join the network. They can
role models to learners, and their impact remains long after the school
also create and join study groups, upload files, pictures and videos,
day has ended. Furthermore, learning is always a two-way process, with
write blogs, and manage their personal calendar.
knowledge, insight and skills being developed through communication
The end result is an empowerment that expedites a teaching and
and collaboration.
learning experience that is developed by learners for learners.
Consequently, we respect the expertise of our educators.
Designed by studio-cx.co.za
Star Schools High – a community where each individual is important.
Growing today’s learners into
tomorrow’s leaders
Star Schools High offers the following subjects to grade 10 learners,
as per the National Curriculum Certificate (NSC) and Curriculum
and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS):
Teaching methodology
Star Schools High teaching methodology is based on
four key interrelated components, namely, Expose,
Understand, Experience and Assess:
EXPOSE
UNDERSTAND
EXPERIENCE
ASSESS
Expose
Learners are introduced to key concepts and theoretical aspects, which are
broken down into their root components. This enables the learners to develop
a working understanding of the underlying principles of the content.
Understand
Learners are guided through examples and activities so that the application
of key concepts and theory can be demonstrated. This phase also acts as the
first level of assessment, as the educator is provided with a snapshot view
of the learner’s level of understanding and ability to practise the skills that
have been taught.
Experience
The process of learning and understanding is always difficult when what
is taught seems to have no bearing on everyday life. This stage contextualises
learning within the real life context, showing learners how what they are
learning will enrich their lives and understanding of the world around them.
The purpose here is to illustrate that all learning is an interrelated process
of gaining greater insight into oneself and one’s surroundings.
Assess
This stage tests the learner’s competency in key learning areas, with a view to
providing a platform for proactive interaction and continuous corrective action
that effectively closes the loop between ‘Expose’ and ‘Assess’. Assessments
are deployed online, offline and through mobile technology.
Additionally, the assessment framework provides a means of evaluating the
usability and quality of the content, as well as the achievement of learning
objectives.
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English Home Language
Afrikaans First Additional Language
Mathematics
Life Orientation
Physical Science
Life Sciences
Geography
Accounting
Business Studies
Starschools High Campus:
167 Smit Street, Braamfontein 2017
T: +27 861 777 021
F: +27 11 018 4999
[email protected]
www.starschoolshigh.co.za
A subsidiary of
Starschools High Registration No · 2013/123926/07
www.starschools.co.za