Overview
CORE VALUES
We are committed to encouraging the following attitudes and values essential for understanding, learning and achieving our best.
To tolerate and understand the diversities of all people.
Social Injustice
Through our scholarship programme, we endeavour to address issues of social injustice.
Trust
To have trust in each other – the learners, the educators and the education system.
Integrity
To deal honestly with each other to honour our commitments.
Respect
To demonstrate an appreciation of the dignity of each human being.
Commitment
To excel in all one’s endeavours – education, sport, culture and Information and Communication Technology.
Accountability & Responsibility
To be accountable for our actions and to make responsible decisions.
Independent Thinking
To promote and encourage independent, thinking individuals.
Pride
To be proud of who we are and of our actions, and to strive for excellence in all our endeavours.
MISSION
We are committed to promoting a culture of learning and thus an improved quality of life for the youth of South Africa through an education that embraces: non-discrimination; the guidance of learners and learner support; critical, independent and creative thinking; Information and Communication Technology; nurturing and encouraging talents; flexibility and progression; a passion for learning; the recognition and valuing of our human resources and capacity; ethical practices.
VISION
It is our aim to be the ‘College of Choice’ on the Western Seaboard throughout all the stages of learning, from Pre-Primary to Grade 12. We strive to provide the best education, sporting and cultural activities to ultimately produce well balanced, empowered and confident future citizens of South Africa.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The quality assurance process at Parklands College is two-fold. Externally, all independent schools are accredited through the national statutory education quality assurance body, Umalusi. Umalusi monitors the quality of General and Further Education and Training in South Africa. This includes the monitoring and verification of curricula and learner achievements, and the capacity to deliver to expected standards of quality. Internally, Parklands College has a rigorous self-evaluation process which includes aspects such as survey questionnaires to parents, learners and staff which provide valuable feedback to ensure a friendly and happy academic environment. Various policies and guidelines, and continued staff development provide the framework for the College’s quality management and review system.
NQF OBJECTIVES
Parklands College has aligned itself with the objectives of the NQF which are to:
a) create an integrated national framework for learning achievements;
b) facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within education, training and career paths;
c) enhance the quality of education and training;
d) accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities;
e) contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the nation at large.
These objectives encapsulate a number of key principles that underpin the NQF: integration, access, mobility, progression, quality, redress and the development of the individual and society.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
At Parklands College, appropriate learning programme delivery and assessment is at the forefront of our curriculum development programme. Our academic staff are conscious of delivering an appropriate curriculum for today’s marketplace as well as stimulating the academic curiosity of our learners. Curriculum implementation is guided by research and aligned to national structures such as higher education entry levels and the National Curriculum Statement. Great value is placed on promoting a well rounded scholar, paying attention to the academic, as well as the sporting and cultural components of curriculum delivery. The integration of knowledge, skills and values in a rich technological environment prepares our learners to enter the adult world with competence and confidence. The language of instruction is English. All learning material is provided in English, unless it is specifically for another language study. Afrikaans, Xhosa and French are offered as core subjects. The mode of instruction is direct contact.
THE EDUCATION
Parklands College provides an all round education at the highest level. The approach to education is modern and in line with the DoE requirements in the Foundation, Intermediate, GET and FET phases. Staff members have extensive experience as examiners, markers and moderators. We endeavour to ensure that the choice of subjects offered is as wide as possible, providing for the needs of each learner. It is this breadth and variety, along with an opportunity to pursue subjects of choice, which encourages our students to become ‘life-long’ learners, seeing knowledge as intrinsically worthwhile. We have based our approach to the curriculum around a group of core life skills such as literacy, numeracy, coping with the world of work, adaptability, skills, leadership and Information and Communication Technology. Our approach to learning is innovative, enriched and flexible, with the emphasis on success. Achievement, in all areas of learning, is recognised and rewarded with merits. Learning, however, is not just about gaining certificates; it is a preparation for life
