Innovative International Curricula (see also Programmes)

                
“Having pioneered the introduction into Botswana the University of Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education (HIGCSE) syllabi into Botswana, in recent years Legae Academy students have also enjoyed notable examinations success. During the past couple of years the Academy’s HIGCSE, that is Form 6, results have been at the very top. Since adopting the IGCSE the school has enjoyed an overall Form 5 pass rate of 99% in all subjects with nearly three quarters of all grades being credits (grade “C” or better.” –)    ..........................................                                        
The Honourable Minister of Education speaking on the occasion of the Academy’s 10th Anniversary.

In keeping with its commitment to provide world class education that meets the competitive demands of the 21st century, the Academy in 1994 became the first school in Botswana to adopt both the International General Certificate of Education (IGCSE) and Higher International General Certificate of Education (HIGCSE). The Academy started offering the Cambridge A – level course from January 2006. These three established University of Cambridge externally monitored, international curricula give students the opportunity to go beyond Botswana’s local examinations standard.

Speaking on the occasion of the Academy’s tenth anniversary, the Honourable Minister for Education, Mr. George Kgoroba, paid tribute to the school’s success in adapting to the the demands of both curicula:

Our continuing commitment to academic excellence is reflected in the 2005 performances of Academy students in their Cambridge IGCSE (Form 5) and HIGCSE (Form 6) examinations.
Altogether 111 students received 882 grades in 18 subjects. The total number of credit grades was 730 (82.8%), while the total IGCSE passing grades were 879 (99.7%). The following subjects enjoyed 100% credit pass rate: First Language English, Additional Mathematics, French and Computer Studies.
Our Form 6 students who sat for the HIGCSE examinations October 2005 achieved a higher credit pass rate of 91.8% and a higher pass rate of 99.3% than in 2004.

Comparison between Legae Academy and the World in terms of 2006 IGCSE Results

The Academy’s commitment to academic excellence can further be substantiated by the statistical information provided by the University of Cambridge. According to the statistics of the general performance of all the IGCSE schools around the world our graduates performed much better than the rest of the world in all the subjects we offer.

Since the Academy became the first school in Botswana to introduce the University of Cambridge HIGCSE examination in 1997 its Form 6 students have consistently achieved among the highest results in the world.
From a total of 67 candidates that were entered for the examination, 56 students achieved a commendable 100% pass in ALL the subjects examined. There were improved credits in English as a Second Language from 97.8 % in 2003 to 100% in 2004;Physics, from 81.8 % in 2003 to 84.6% in 2004,Accounting from 73.7% in 2003 to 88.9% in 2004; Economics from 73.7 % to 85.2% in 2004; History from 75.0 % in 2003 to 100% in 2004.
Legae’s tradition of success in external examinations has been further recognized by MOE, which commended the school “for its high performance in both IGCSE and HIGCSE examinations”. Ministry of Education further noted that:

“This good performance is attributed to a number of factors such as highly qualified staff, small class size, reasonable teaching loads, good and adequate physical facilities and resources, and a conducive teaching and learning environment. The highly qualified teachers of the school are optimally utilized.” (1998 Inspection Report)

“Legae Academy is focused on students achieving academic excellence and has a good organization structure in place to enable the school to deliver its objective. Inspection findings revealed that the school has many strengths, particularly in producing good grades at final exams.”

“The principal provides good guidance and strong leadership and he is well supported by the senior management team and the motivated teachers who work arduously to maintain the good academic results of the school. The atmosphere within the school is conducive to learning and the general staff is very receptive to new ideas and improved ways, to further enhance an existing good system”
“The students of Legae Academy are eager for learning, participate well in school activities and are provided with good quality education.” (2004 Inspection Report)

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Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education

IGCSE is Cambridge’s international equivalent to the British GCSE, which replaced the “0” level in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. IGCSE has been fully accepted as an entrance qualification by the University of Botswana, as well as other tertiary institutions. The Examination has been adopted by many schools in Africa and the rest of the world.
The IGCSE has also been adopted as the standard for the new Botswana GCSE currently being phased into local government senior secondary schools. Over the years many Legae teachers have been able to share their GCSE teaching experiences as members of various Ministry of Education Curriculum Development Unit GCSE Task Forces.

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Cambridge International Certificate of Education

In pursuing their IGCSE studies, Academy students are further encouraged to qualify for Cambridge University’s International Certificate of Education (ICE), a programme that requires schools to offer a balanced IGCSE curriculum across a wide range of subjects and skills.

The ICE provides for “Merit” and “Distinction” passes, which can be the key to opening doors to further education around the world.

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Cambridge Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education

HIGCSE is a globally recognised one-year post GCSE or “O” Level programme designed by Cambridge as a southern African alternative to equivalent to Commonwealth standards such as the South African Matric, Australian Higher Secondary Certificate, and Scottish Highers. In accordence with the South African Government Gazette, students qualify for university entrance with four HIGCSE passes plus an additional lower level IGCSE pass.

HIGCSE has also been recognised as an entrance examination by universities in many other parts of the world, including Britain and North America. A growing number of American Universities have awarded HIGCSE graduates with Advanced Placement (APT) credits.

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Cambridge Advanced level - AS and A2 in 2008

Legae Academy will offer The Advanced International Certificate of Education, (A Level) programme. Legae Academy will now be able to provide a wider choice to its students and parents. The successful IGCSE, BGCSE and equivalent graduates will be ready to progress to the International General Certificate of Education Advanced (A) Level, which has formed part of the Cambridge qualifications framework for over 50 years and is widely recognized worldwide, as a leading requirement for entry into higher education.

The two – year A Level course has two parts; Advanced Subsidiary (AS) first year and Advanced Year Two (A2).
The layout of the new International A levels permits students to pursue both AS and A2 routes at the same time.
The A and AS levels are constantly reassessed and upgraded to ensure the quality of the qualification keeps up with worldwide expectations.

The two- part structure of the award gives the student’s choice, in the following options:

A. Take both parts of the course in the same examination, usually at the end of the year.
B. Complete A level in two sittings. AS in the first year and A2 in second year.
C. Do the AS qualification only at the end of either year one or two.

A level is recognized as a direct entry qualification into Universities in countries worldwide.
AS enables direct entry into Universities in Southern Africa.
A combination of AS and A Levels can gain entry into UK Universities.
AS and A Levels gain extra 2 points per subject over the South African Matric.
Locally, it attracts the highest points on both the University of Botswana’s Point Scale System and the Ministry of Education’s Department of Student Placement and Welfare Point System for assessing qualifications. For Example an A at A level attracts 14 points on the UB scale while Senior Higher Matric equivalent grades are assigned 9 Points.         

                                            
On the Matrix Table for Grading Certificate for the Department of Student Placement and welfare system an A for A level is rated 12 Points while the Higher Grade Matric equivalent is rated 10 points.
IGCSE, HIGCSE and A-level curricula emphasise the importance of student centred self-learning, while promoting such invaluable skills as problem solving, the development of an investigative approach, the ability to undertake both group and individual project work, and the enhancement of communication skills.

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