High School
Academics
St Cyprian’s School’s High School offering comprises two rigorous academic streams for senior students. The Independent Examination Board (IEB) and Cambridge A Levels are given equal importance, shaping how teaching is structured, timetabled and delivered.
Individual, student-centric academic counselling and nurturing is ongoing to support students in their personal choice of which stream to pursue in the senior phase. By offering two distinct streams, our offering considers students’ circumstances and intentions around post-school academic selection, in South Africa or internationally, at foreign universities.
The junior phase, Grades 8 to 9, is referred to as the General Education and Training (GET) Phase and Grades 10 to 12 comprise the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase. For girls pursuing the IEB stream, the final matriculation examinations culminate in the IEB National Senior Certificate being written at the end of Grade 12. Final Cambridge-exit level examination results in A Level certification at the end of Grade 12.
The IEB programme
The GET phase is generalist and broad in its scope. Our offering at this level includes an integrated, project-based, real-world approach that encourages and facilitates experiential, independent and collaborative learning. Our approach incorporates and solidifies the proven foundational knowledge and skills students have developed and attained in their learning journey.
Current compulsory learning areas:
- Home Language: English
- 1st Additional Language: Afrikaans, or 1st Additional Language: isiXhosa
- 2nd Additional Language: isiXhosa
- Mathematics
- Life Orientation
- Natural Sciences (Life Science and Physical Science)
- Social Sciences (History and Geography)
- Coding
- Social Justice
All Grade 8s and Grade 9s are introduced to the concept of subject choice in the GET phase and can elect one subject from each of the groups below:
- Group 1: French, Entrepreneurship, Design, Drama, Art, Music
- Group 2: Art, Design, Drama, Programming, Entrepreneurship, French
The FET academic offering is in line with current national requirements for matriculation. Four compulsory subjects – Home Language, First Additional Language, Mathematics/Mathematical Literacy and Life Orientation – comprise the mandatory aspect.
Choice is extended to include a further three subjects, across three “line” options. Subject choice falls into the categories of Humanities, Sciences, Commerce and the Arts and students can elect to explore either a generalist or pursue a specialist focus through their combinations.
Students have the further opportunity to take up the IEB Further Studies Programmes in Mathematics and English as an eighth subject option. Students who write final Grade 12 examinations in the Further Studies subjects will receive an International Secondary Certificate (ISC). This certificate is comparable to the A Level standard.
Four compulsory subjects offer:
- Home Language: English
- First Additional Language: Afrikaans, or First Additional Language: isiXhosa
- Business Studies for students with immigrant status
- Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
- Life Orientation
Three choice subjects offer (across three lines to facilitate combinations):
- Sciences: Life Science, Physical Science
- Commerce: Business Studies, Consumer Studies, Accounting, Economics
- Humanities: Geography, History
- Languages: French (Second Additional Language)
- Arts: Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, Design, Music (selection process applies)
Further studies programmes:
- English
- Mathematics
Why Cambridge?
The Cambridge International Education (CIE) programme provides students with the skills they need to be ready for the world. The curriculum sets a global standard for education and is recognised and highly valued by universities and employers, both in South Africa and worldwide.
CIE is the world’s largest provider of international education for three- to 19-year-olds and part of the University of Cambridge, with more than 160 years’ experience in delivering fair, valid and reliable assessments to students worldwide. The curriculum is flexible, current, intensive and challenging.
The programme places an emphasis on a deep understanding of themes and concepts, combined with the development of key skills for tertiary study and beyond. The entire programme focuses on higher-order thinking skills, including collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking and independent research.
The Cambridge AS and A Levels programme
At the end of Grade 10, students can choose to move from IEB to the Cambridge International Curriculum, culminating in the final A Level exit examinations in Grade 12.
Grade 11/AS Level
Mandatory subjects include:
English Language and Literature AS Level
Mathematics AS Level
Afrikaans IGCSE
Choice subjects (minimum of two, maximum of three at AS Level)
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Economics
Art and Design
Drama
History
Geography
French (DELF and IGCSE in Grade 11 and AS in Grades11/12)
Music
Grade 12/A Level
Students may pursue any three of their Grade 11 AS Level subjects to complete at A Level and meet the requirements of A Level certification.
Post-school opportunities: Rhodes Scholarship
St Cyprian’s School is one of a handful of partner schools eligible for the historical Diocesan College Rhodes Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University were founded by the will of Cecil John Rhodes and have been operating since 1903 but was only extended to St Cyprian’s School in 2014.
The advantage of this scholarship is that the pool of eligible students is smaller than that of the South African Rhodes Scholarship proposal. This means that our girls have a double opportunity to be selected.
This highly prestigious scholarship for full-time postgraduate study covers the costs of tuition fees and provides a living and travel allowance for successful candidates.
There is nothing we enjoy more than celebrating alum success and St Cyprian’s is proud to honour two alumnae who have been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship.
Ashley Pople, Class of 2010, was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for 2015
Ashley was the first female recipient of the Diocesan College Rhodes Scholarship and the first student from St Cyprian’s School. Ashley has always been interested in the intrinsic links between social development and economics, resulting in her decision to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Cape Town, before specialising in Economics. In 2016, she completed a MSc in Economics for Development at Oxford University. Thereafter she was invited to continue with a PhD in Economics at Oxford through the Rhodes Scholarship – an amazing achievement by an extraordinary alumna.
Ashley’s reflections on St Cyprian’s School
My learning experience was by no means conventional throughout my five years at St Cyprian’s School. Being taught by strong, independently minded teachers encouraged me to think differently about the world. For instance, I will never forget our passionate Science teacher who taught us the basic principles of physics and chemistry with such rigour and enthusiasm, yet who was deeply rooted in her faith.
We read novels drawn from the broadest spectrum of genres, which continue to serve as reference points today. History was brought alive through videos and songs, while we lived the languages we were taught by embracing its associated food and culture.
In addition to being inspired by teachers, I was nurtured by warm and loving friendships throughout my schooling at St Cyp’s. These women continue to ground me to this day. St Cyprian’s School enables its students to develop self-awareness through its emphasis on life outside academics and its multitude of opportunities, be it in sport or community involvement.
Beyond the classroom, my learning also took place during a three-month student exchange in the United States and a Round Square residential service project in India. Perhaps more importantly, my involvements with initiatives that served our communities close to home bred a sense of purpose to engage with both local and global injustices today.
Niamh Ahern, Class of 2020, was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for 2025
Niamh proudly became St Cyprian’s second Rhodes scholar, heading off to the University of Oxford as a scholar of the Class of 2025.
Niamh has lived her life in the context of the Rhodes Scholarship mantra that to whom much is given, much will be required. She hopes to explore her desire to create social change through her love for intellectually stimulating humanities research. While her award takes her north, she is adamant that she will put all she is given into the development of the African continent, whether that be through scholarship, service or enterprise.