THE education required to engage successfully in the 21st century is very different from what has been required in the past. Students need to be flexible, curious and resilient, as they experience the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, according to Christo de Wit, Managing Director of
Pinnacle Colleges
He adds, “Our group offers every student the opportunity to excel in today’s modern world as each school places the child at the centre of its offering. This comes with a competitively priced education which does not compromise on quality, and is supported by the same Central Academics Team that has seen ADvTECH’s premium school brands become some of the most sought after schools in the country.
“Our schools have a long and proud history of excellence supported by their insistence on the quality of input from skilled teachers who are supported with extensive and ongoing professional development programmes.”
Each custom-built and Wi-Fi enabled campus has been designed to meet the needs of Pinnacle’s modern curriculum, with general purpose classrooms complemented by specialised centres for Art, Biology, Science and Technology.
He says, “Building on the foundations which have been laid through the excellence of Pinnacle College Pre-Primary and Preparatory schools, a holistic approach to sport, culture and academic programmes is enhanced by a Global Competencies programme which includes 21st Century skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity and analytical thinking. The High school environment further supports this holistic development of the child through academic, sporting, leadership, cultural, and service extension opportunities.”
The environment nurtures students, allowing them to come into their own. By virtue of this, and the exceptionally dedicated ethos of learning engendered by the staff, four brand promises are made about the student environment, campus, extracurricular offering and our communication.
He assures, “We measure our adherence to these promises regularly and a principal’s report is then sent to students and parents so that together we can ensure the best possible outcomes. We value the voice of our students and one of our core promises - alongside the strong academic and co-curricular programmes - is to allow them to mould and shape what we do on a daily basis”.
Student and staff output is therefore at the heart of the offering.
De Wit says the goal is for each student to progress incrementally through the grades, ensuring that each benefits optimally from his or her individual developmental journey.
Within this journey is a triangular and cohesive team including students, teachers and the organisation, whereby each student is encouraged to identify and work towards his or her goals. Progress is carefully tracked and assessed, and consultation and mentoring are ongoing.
“Children come to us naturally curious about their world and wanting to explore it. Their imaginations are vast and untamed. As teachers we need to continue to nurture them to develop their curiosity and imagination, as well as teach them how to apply them creatively and purposefully,” says De Wit.
“While the future is never certain,
Pinnacle College
has the advantage of knowing what skills students will need to thrive optimally, including to think critically and creatively, to work as a team, but most of all to be curious and excited not just about the learning, but to also experience the journey of becoming life-long learners.”