Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ambleside admit students with special needs?
What qualifications do your teachers have?
Do I need to be a Christian to put my child in Ambleside?
Are you planning to expand the school to include Grade 12?
What extra-mural activities does Ambleside offer?
How much homework will my child be expected to do?
Why is there tuck-shop only on Fridays?
How does Ambleside assess student performance?
What kind of reports does Ambleside give?
Why do teachers need 'Report Days' to prepare student reports?
What happens during Exam Week?
What can I expect at my child's end-of-year awards ceremony?
Does Ambleside offer an After-care facility?
How well does Ambleside prepare students for High School & University?
How are School Board members appointed?
Does Ambleside admit students with special needs?
According to Bill St. Cyr of Ambleside Schools International, the Ambleside method is suitable for 98% of children - when presented with a rich feast of ideas, even weak students can find the intellectual nourishment they need. Also, many students who struggle in a large class will naturally find our small classes more beneficial. In light of this, Ambleside School of Hout Bay is prepared to consider applications from students with special needs. However, the practicalities of a classroom situation have to be taken into account. Students whose behaviour compromises the atmosphere of the classroom (through being disruptive, or by requiring excessive personal attention from the teacher, etc.) cannot be accommodated. We also require that any student be competent at the same level as his/her classmates in skill-based subjects, such as Mathematics. The class teacher is able to provide up to 1 hour per week of additional tuition to bring struggling students to the required level, but if they do not make sufficient progress they may require further help outside of school.
What qualifications do your teachers have?
Our pre-school teachers have Educare diplomas, and our primary and high school teachers have teaching diplomas or degrees and/or degrees in other fields of study (English, Psychology, Theology). The Ambleside method is very different to the educational methodology taught at traditional teacher-training institutions, and thus we regard a demonstrated ability to engage with academic materials more important to a teacher's suitability than any particular 'teaching' qualification. All our teachers receive on-going training in the Ambleside method, which is critical to their success in the classroom.
Do I need to be a Christian to put my child into Ambleside?
No. However, you need to be aware that Ambleside School of Hout Bay is committed to bearing witness to the person and principles of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the New Testament, the Nicene Creed, the Ambleside Charter, and the Ambleside Code of Personal Conduct. We do not require that all Ambleside families fully share these beliefs, only that they agree to be respectful of our institutional commitment to them. Parents should expect that their children will be taught in accordance with these beliefs and teachings.
Are you planning to expand the school to include Grade 12?
Yes! We are delighted to announce that we are launching our first Grade 10 class in 2011, with students who will write the National Senior Certificate examinations in 2013. The school is now affiliated with the IEB (Independent Examination Board), which provides a tremendous amount of support to high school students and teachers and has a track record of achieving outstanding Matric results. Obviously this growth will incur some additional expenditure as we increase the capacity of our facility - if you are interesting in investing in this exciting project, please contact the School Office.
We are mindful of a desire in our community, among all language groups, for students to learn Xhosa. Our long-term plan, once we go to Grade 12, is to introduce Xhosa as an optional alternative to Afrikaans. We believe that this would be particularly beneficial for those of our students who speak Xhosa at home. At present, however, not all high schools in and around Hout Bay offer Xhosa as a Grade 12 subject. As Grade 12 students are required to study two languages, we are currently limited to Afrikaans as our only 2nd language subject.
What extra-mural activities does Ambleside offer?
At Ambleside, we believe that children need regular periods of unstructured time - to play, pursue personal interests, and spend time with friends and family - and so we do not cram our calendar with excessive demands on students' time. We do, however, believe in providing a rich and varied curriculum, and so we integrate many traditional 'extra-mural' components into the normal school day. All students participate regularly (usually weekly) in art, music, drama and computer studies, as well as our Lifelong Sports program. In addition, all students are required to undertake two handwork projects each year, such as woodworking, needlework, paper-craft, mosaic, clay etc.
At present we also offer chess on Fridays from 1-2pm, and periodically our Principal, Gavin Smith, offers a 6-week extra-mural art course. Additional sporting activities vary from term to term - please contact the School Office for details.
How much homework will my child be expected to do?
Relatively little! Research has shown virtually no benefits of traditional homework to students below Grade 7 (Alfie Kohn, The Homework Myth). We expect our students to apply themselves wholeheartedly to the learning process during class, and in most cases students are not given daily homework, aside from 20-30 minutes of reading any book of their own choosing. (Students in Grades 1-3 read aloud to a parent, while older students need read only to themselves). Students need to spend a little time preparing for spelling and dictation tests, but other than that students below Grade 7 usually only have homework if they have not completed their assigned work during class time.
In Grades 7-9, students will have more regular assignments of class-related reading, writing, or other work. Grade 7 & 8 teachers will limit this to a maximum of one hour per day in addition to the daily reading requirement. Grade 9 students will have about 10 hours per week of homework.
Why is there tuck-shop only on Fridays?
By limiting our tuck-shop to a once-a-week treat, we are able to encourage our students to develop the habit of eating healthier, home-prepared food (we strongly discourage parents from sending fast-food, chocolates, sweets, crisps or fizzy drinks to school). In addition, we have students in our school from across the socio-economic spectrum, and we feel that a more frequent tuck-shop would be damaging to the egalitarian relational atmosphere in the school. Finally, we rely on parent volunteers to run the tuck-shop, and as we are a small school it eases the burden on these parents to operate the tuck-shop weekly rather than daily.
How does Ambleside assess student performance?
At Ambleside, we consider the process of student work as important as the end product. We believe school is not just an institution to get through, but rather a place to develop habits that will serve children the rest of their lives. Rather than developing persons who are able to study well for the next exam, we are interested in helping students develop a life of study. Through daily observation and interaction, Ambleside teachers assess students with regard to giving proper attention, giving of their best effort, and being thorough in the completion of tasks. Skills-based subjects (maths, spelling) are tested regularly, and students are assessed twice a year during Exam Week.
What kind of reports does Ambleside give?
Reports are issued twice a year. Each report has two major sections. The first section provides a detailed assessment of the quality of the student's relationship to self, others, ideas, and work, noting both strengths and areas where growth is to be encouraged. The second section provides a personal narrative for each subject studied, detailing the student’s progress. The reports indicate the degree to which the child has satisfactorily met the requirements of each subject, and does not show marks/symbols/percentages for subjects. However, a schedule of marks per subject can be obtained on request from the class teacher, if required for external purposes (such as applying for admission to another school).
Why do teachers need 'Report Days' to prepare student reports?
An Ambleside report is much more than just a 'scorecard' of test or exam results. Each report is a detailed assessment, and cannot be properly completed piecemeal during a teacher's spare time. It takes a full day for teachers to complete reports for an entire class - considering each student as a whole person, rather than a collection of marks.
What happens during Exam Week?
Students are given broad questions covering aspects of the material studied in each subject. Younger students provide oral answers (which are sometimes scribed); older students write their answers. Exams in disciplinary subjects may also include solving equations and reproducing maps, tables, nature study specimens, and works of art.
Prior to Grade 8, there is no need for extra study or review in anticipation of exams. Each student’s exam is to reflect what the student has truly learned during the course of a term's studies. In the upper grades, the quantity of material covered is so extensive that preparing for exams is helpful in facilitating an integration of the material. Thus, Grade 8 & 9 students should expect to spend two to three hours in preparation for each exam. Examination results and the exams themselves are returned to the parents approximately two weeks after exam week to give parents and students an opportunity to review the results.
What can I expect at my child's end-of-year awards ceremony?
Awards Ceremonies are held on the last day of the school year. Each class holds its own ceremony - the schedule for the day will be advised a few weeks in advance. This very special event is a highlight for each child, and parents are urged to make every effort to attend. The class teacher presents each child with a carefully considered personalised memento of the year, and a commendation for personal achievements and progress made. The presentations are followed by tea/coffee and biscuits in the coffee shop, after which your child is free to go home.
Does Ambleside offer an After-care facility?
An informal supervised after-care is offered for students up to Grade 2 until 2pm, Mondays to Thursdays only. An additional fee, payable per day, is charged for this facility. Should you require a more extensive after-care service, there are a number of options available in Hout Bay. Further details can be obtained from the School Office.
How well does Ambleside prepare students for High School & University?
The richness of the Ambleside curriculum exposes students to a wealth of academic material and ideas. The Ambleside method teaches students to assimilate ideas and information quickly, in any context. This training in academic skills provides students with an excellent foundation for higher education. The Ambleside high school curriculum (Grades 10-12) is specifically designed to prepare students for university.
Governing authority for Ambleside School of Hout Bay resides with the School Board. The School Board appoints the Principal, who runs the school in accordance with policies established by the School Board. The School Board assists the Principal with regard to financial and personnel management, as well as marketing and fundraising. Further details are contained within the ASHB Parent Handbook, which is available on request from the School Office.
How are School Board members appointed?
The original School Board was established by the leadership of Hout Bay Church International, in accordance with requirements set by Ambleside Schools International. New Board members are now appointed solely by a unanimous vote of current Board members, in accordance with requirements set by Ambleside Schools International.
The Parent Volunteers of Ambleside is the vehicle through which parents are able to be of service to the school. The volunteer work of parents is essential for the life of Ambleside, and all parents are invited to serve. Parents work under the leadership of the Director of the PVA. The Director is a parent volunteer who works in collaboration with the Principal of Ambleside and the Ambleside School Board Liaison to the PVA. Members of the PVA are involved in areas such as Events, Fundraising, Classroom Parents, Communications and the Tuck-shop. Further details are contained within the ASHB Parent Handbook, which is available on request from the School Office.
Why is there no school library?
As we are a small school, it is not cost effective for us to stock and run an adequate library. However, good literature is the cornerstone of an Ambleside education, and in addition to the excellent books used during lessons, each classroom has a selection of books that students may borrow to read at home. We also encourage students (and their parents) to make use of the Hout Bay Public Library. It is well stocked and fully staffed, and its central location and extended opening hours make it easily accessible to students from all areas of Hout Bay.
Umalusi (meaning "shepherd") is the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education. It is a statutory body that sets and monitors standards in public and private schools, for the purposes of continually enhancing the quality of education and training in South Africa. Further information is available on the Umalusi website.
Is the school accredited by Umalusi?
We are currently in the process of completing the requirements for Umalusi accreditation. This should be finalised by the end of 2010. Updates on our registration status are available from the School Office.