Academic Overview
At Darling College we pride ourselves on the fact that we are able to bring country living into the classroom. We make outdoor education part of classroom activity and we regularly undertake excursions to a variety of different venues. We offer extra tuition to those who need extra help as well as to those who need extension.
As part of preparing our pupils for the transition to high school, we regularly expose them to external examinations. Through this process we can gauge both teaching and learning at the school and it helps us to identify best practice.
Culturally Darling College participates in Eisteddfods and we encourage our pupils to be creative by writing and performing their own drama mini-productions. Service to the community is encouraged throughout the school and many of the curriculum themes are put into practice through community involvement.
GRADE 1 – 6
Darling College in both the Foundation (Grades 1 to 3) and the Intermediate (Grades 4 to 6) phases, embraces the best practices of CAPS, which we believe best serves the needs of our pupils as they face a changing world.
We place great emphasis on the acquisition of skills and an awareness of attitudes and values in all our teaching. This is reflected in the variety of teaching strategies that are used. Our aim is to equip our learners to solve problems creatively and communicate the solutions effectively.
Learners are encouraged to develop interpersonal skills and to collect, analyse, evaluate and use information efficiently.
Moreover, small classes (no more than 23) allow for meaningful interaction between teachers and learners, to ensure that they perform to the best of their ability.
The CAPS serves as a guideline, but our academic programme strives to challenge our pupils in all learning areas, such as Languages, Mathematics and Natural Science. Although each learning area has its own importance and worth, we believe that cross-curricular themes integrate the curriculum and make it more relevant.
Assessment is an integral part of CAPS. Pupils are assessed in many different ways (designed to fully recognise and credit different learning styles and abilities) throughout the year.
We believe that through a system of continuous evaluation, our pupils will develop an understanding that they must work to the best of their ability at everything that they do, and not only to achieve good results in tests. It must be said that past results from the ANAs and systemic testing were amongst the highest in the district and well above the provincial and national averages.
Our reporting system gives full feedback on the various outcomes that have been achieved by learners, as well as the results of summative assessments. We regard personal and social development as extremely important, and individual comments on all aspects of the pupils are included in the report. In addition, parents are invited to meet the teachers individually each term.
GRADE 7
Grade 7, whilst still part of the primary school structure, is the beginning of the senior phase of schooling. We structure the academic programme in such a way so as to ensure that there is a smooth transition into senior school education.
Our school appoints pupils to formal leadership positions and the school offers a leadership programme for all Grade 7s. This programme is designed to stretch and challenge pupils in the area of leadership. It encourages pupils to take initiative, which will inspire and challenge their lives as well as the lives of their peers, while allowing them to develop and grow, as they aspire to achieve their personal goals.
Pupils are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and take risks, and in doing so they will learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Akademiese Oorsig
By Darling Kollege is ons trots daarop dat ons in staat is om die buitelewe na die klaskamer toe te bring.
Ons maak buitemuurse opvoeding deel van ons klaskamer aktiwiteite en gaan gereëld op uitstappies na verskillende plekke. Ons bied ekstra onderrig aan diegene wat ekstra hulp nodig het, sowel as dié wat verryking benodig.
Ter voorbereiding van ons leerlinge vir die oorgang na hoërskool, stel ons hulle gereëld aan eksterne eksamens bloot.Deur hierdie proses kan ons beide onderrig en leer by die skool peil en dit help ons om beste praktyk te identifiseer.Kultureel neem Darling Kollege aan Eisteddfods deel en moedig ons leerlinge aan om kreatief te wees deur hul eie drama-miniproduksies te skryf en op te voer. Diens aan die gemeenskap word regdeur die skool aangemoedig en baie van die kurrikulum temas word in die praktyk deur gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid toegepas.
GRAAD 1 – 6
Darling Kollege, in beide die Grondslagfase (Grade1 tot 3) en die Intermediȇre Fase (Grade 4 tot 6) erken die beste praktyke van KABV, wat ons glo in die behoeftes van ons leerlinge voorsien terwyl hulle ‘n veranderende wêreld in die gesig staar.Ons plaas ‘n groot premie op die verkryging van vaardighede en ‘n bewustheid van gesindheid en waardes in al ons onderrig. Dit word weerspieël in die verskeidenheid van onderwys strategieë wat gebruik word. Ons doel is om ons leerders toe te rus om probleme kreatief op te los en om oplossings effektief te kommunikeer.
Leerders word aangemoedig om interpersoonlike vaardighede te ontwikkel en om inligting te ontleed, evalueer en effektief te gebruik.
Daarbenewens maak klein klassies (nie meer as 23 nie) voorsiening vir betekenisvolle interaksie tussen onderwysers en leerders, ten einde te verseker dat hulle tot die beste van hulle vermoëns presteer.
Die KABV dien as riglyn, maar ons akademiese program strewe daarna om ons skoliere in alle leerareas uit te daag, insluitende Tale, Wiskunde en Natuurwetenskap. Alhoewel elke leerarea belangrik is en sy eie waarde het, glo ons dat kruis-kurrikulȇre temas die kurrikulum integreer en meer relevant maak.
Assessering vorm ‘n integrale deel van die KABV. Skoliere word op verskeie maniere geassesseer (ontwerp om ten volle verskillende leerstyle en vermoëns deur die jaar te erken.)
Ons glo dat deur ‘n stelsel van deurgaande evaluering, ons skoliere sal besef dat hulle te alle tye tot die beste van hulle vermoëns moet werk, en nie om alleenlik goeie resultate op te lewer nie. Dit moet gemeld word dat vorige resultate van die ANA’s en sistemiese toetse onder die hoogste in die distrik was, en heelwat hoër as die provinsiale en nasionale gemiddeldes.
Ons rapport sisteem gee ten volle terugvoer aangaande die verskillende uitkomste wat deur leerders bereik is, sowel as die resultate van summatiewe assesserings. Ons beskou persoonlike en sosiale ontwikkeling as uiters belangrik, en individuele kommentaar ten opsigte van alle aspekte van skoliere word in die rapport ingesluit. Daarmee saam word ouers genooi om onderwysers elke kwartaal individueel te ontmoet.
GRAAD 7
Graad 7, hoewel deel van die primȇre skoolstruktuure, is die begin van die senior fase van skoolgaan. Ons rig die akademiese program so in dat daar ‘n gladde oorgang na senior skoolonderrig kan plaasvind.
Ons skool stel leerders in formele leierskap posisies aan, en die skool bied ‘n leierskap program vir alle graad 7‘s aan. Hierdie program is ontwerp om skoliere in die area van leierskap uit te daag uit te brei. Dit moedig leerders aan om inisiatief te neem, wat sal inspireer, en hulle, sowel as hulle groep, uit te daag, terwyl dit hulle die geleentheid bied om te ontwikkel en te groei, soos hulle aspireer om hulle persoonlike doelwitte te bereik.
Leerders word aangemoedig om uit hul gemaksones te beweeg en risko’s te neem, en sodoende meer van hulself en die wȇreld rondom hulle te leer.