Author: Sandra Barbu

Communications Coordinator

Excellent results at Cambridge exams

Posted on by Sandra Barbu

Andrew Sutton, High School Coordinator, talks about our students’ results at IGCSE and A level exams and about the news of the year for 6th form students (grades 11 and 12).

“Dear students and parents,

It is my great pleasure to congratulate you all on the amazing exam results that you achieved this summer – Avenor’s best ever.

I was so pleased and so proud for Romania to see Simona Halep triumph at Wimbledon this year.  It even coincided with some warm weather in the UK! Her victory immediately struck me as an analogy for the challenge our students face with their exams each year.  With the right aptitude, the right training, focus and preparation great results can materialise. 

The challenges of A level are an even closer analogy – the difficulty and complexity of those A levels are such, that even with hard work and preparation students don’t always end up with the result they hoped for. Simona can’t always expect to be the Wimbledon Champion. 

Indeed, A grades at A level are what get you in to Oxford and Cambridge university – such are the challenge they pose. With this in mind it was particularly significant that this year, Avenor students managed to achieve a full set of A grades at IGCSE, AS and A2 level. These are wonderful and rare achievements.  

I am looking forward to the significant developments this year. 
 
One of them will bring our older students the privilege of using the facilities of our new 6th form centre. 
 
Moving to A level requires an even greater sense of maturity, responsibility and self-discipline. To reflect this, we have converted the clubs building in to a 6th form centre with a common room, classrooms and two study rooms. 
 
We aim to provide the environment in which they will flourish and develop in to young adults, supported in their aims, plans and ambitions.

Finally, I wish to emphasise that as well as academic success that opens doors to the next stage in a student’s academic career, I am pleased that we have developed an LOTC (Learning Outside Of the Classroom) programme to provide experiences beyond the study of IGCSE or A level and support building wider characteristics that will be equally important in these young people’s lives.

I look forward to working with you all this coming year.”

Avenor Scouting Summer School – a learning experience based on the scout values

Posted on by Sandra Barbu

For over 100 years the scout movement has been the largest and most relevant movement for children and teenagers because it is based on two factors that inspire those who wish to create an impact in the society through education: an educational method and values. Avenor College has incorporated this educational system for over 10 years in order to create ‘The Best Future’ for its community: students, parents, teachers, staff, and partners.

From this “Character Match”, four years ago we created the “Avenor Scouting Summer School” concept. We have let ourselves be enthused and inspired by learning in and around nature and planned weekly trips and educational activities in order to raise an appetite for exploration and knowledge among children. We primarily use the symbolic scouts’ framework “The Jungle Book”, by Rudyard Kipling, to guide children about friendship, courage, the beauty of small things, the importance of rules, and creativity during the personal development sessions. We are inspired by the scouts’ laws and the very well known scout promise to communicate to children the ideas of ‘making everything possible’, ‘to leave the world better than they found it’, to ‘always be prepared’ for action and to fulfil all of the aforementioned, not forgetting ‘One for all and all for one’. We have adopted‚ the ’learning through action’ principle in order to discover and educate future abilities in society: leadership, public speaking and teamwork.

The children who attend Avenor Scouting Summer School live a learning experience inspired by the scout movement, but they will not become scouts. Looking towards the future, we imagine that they will let themselves be inspired and will choose to contribute to a better world with the help of the scouting movement.

Avenor travels on its own path and when it encounters other travellers who aim for their best possible future, it feels even more confident that co-creation is always the best direction.

This year, Avenor Scouting Summer School will take place between July 9th  and August 10th at the nursery location. Find out more about registration, types of programme and activities by accessing this link.

By Cristina FARCAȘ

Avenor Summer School Coordinator

Deputy Educational Coordinator & Nursery Green Teacher

Our high school students have started their Cambridge exams session

Posted on by Sandra Barbu

Avenor High School students will sit more than 70 Cambridge exams this year. Our high school students started this week the written exams session, six intense weeks with tests and individual study.

At Avenor College, we have started this week the written Cambridge exams session. Students in Grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 will sit the following exams:

  • Cambridge Checkpoint

This is the evaluation exam at the end of Grade 8 for students following the Cambridge line at Avenor College. These tests highlight students’ strengths and areas where they can develop their skills further during high school. This year, there are 16 students from Avenor College taking part in the Checkpoint examinations in Mathematics and English as a Second Language.

  • Cambridge IGCSE

This is the most popular international certification for pupils aged 14-16. It is recognised by major universities around the world, employers worldwide, and it represents an international passport for development and success.

IGCSE exams are taken this year by 14 Grade 10 students, 18 Grade 9 students and one student from Grade 8. In total, our students will sit 42 IGCSE written examinations on 17 syllabuses:

Biology, Computer Science, Coordinated Sciences, English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement), Enterprise, First Language English, Foreign Language German, Foreign Language Italian, Foreign Language Spanish, Global Perspectives, History, Literature, Mathematics (Without Coursework), Music, Physics, Art and Design.

Another 7 oral examinations were held in March and April: IGCSE Speaking and IGCSE Art and Design.

  • Cambridge Advanced

This is designed for students aged between 16 and 19 who need advanced studies to prepare for university. It includes two stages: Cambridge International AS and A2 Level. Universities around the world appreciate and recognise the Cambridge International AS and A Level certificates.

Avenor International High School is hosting for the first time an AS Level Exam session. This year, 16 Grade 11 students sit the AS Level exams on the following subjects:

Computer Science, Economics, History, Literature in English, Mathematics, Media Studies, Physics, Psychology, Spanish Language, Art and Design.

Also this week, the AS Level Speaking exam will be held.

At last year’s IGCSE exams, 80% of our students received scores ranging from A * to C, achieving a 100% pass rate. You can find more information about our students’ results can be found here.