Swales Online Academy: Exploring a new way of learning.
First term to go ahead as scheduled at new Swales Online Academy.
Swales Online Academy, the brand new innovative, contemporary educational platform, is ready to welcome fulltime students for the 2021 academic year, proceeding with first term start-up as planned.
Swales Academy is a co-ed institution offering comprehensive CAPS curriculum based, holistic online education for learners from Grade 4 to Grade 9 who can study from the comfort of their own homes.
First term for Government schools have been pushed out to prepare for COVID protocols, whereas online schools are able to proceed as previously scheduled.
“The response to the COVID pandemic played havoc with the education structures and systems last year, and it seems as though this year won’t be much easier,” says Winston Owen, Director of Swales Online Academy and Business Development Manager for Digi-Central, KZN. “We have made the decision to stick to the original schedule of terms to allow for maximum (online) classroom time for our learners. Being digital, we can do this without posing a COVID risk to the learners and their parents.”
“We have started our online orientation programme this week, inviting the new learners and their parents to meet the teachers and admin team at Swales, with our first lessons starting on Monday 1 February as scheduled.” confirms Lauren Jacquin, Business Head / teacher: Swales Online Academy. “Our approach is that although we encourage new learners to join us timeously, we do not close for enrolment for the duration of the term as we have a system in place on our portal for learners to catch up with the lessons they have missed.”
Swales Online Academy has its own classroom block: bespoke classrooms; offices; meeting rooms; staffroom etc operating out of Durban’s DHS campus. Swales is developing and approach to extra curricula activities that to ensure that their learners benefit from peer engagement and social activity.
Swales Online Academy is powered by DigiCampus, which offers a comprehensive digital learning platform to take education into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“COVID has taught us many important life lessons,” considers DHS Head Tony Pinheiro, “One of them is the acceptance and viability of online education as a counterpoint for the tried and tested mainstream, classroom-based schooling model. Our experiences of responding to lockdown has affirmed our intuition that the educational landscape is ready for a home-based alternative. We have adapted what we have learned in our hugely successful Nonpareil Academy of integrated, blended learning, and taken it online.”
Swales Academy requires the learner to ‘manage’ his / her learning style and adapted to an online environment using a variety of lesson types and structures to support learning. The online portal has been designed to teach students using videos, digital media, but has an emphasis on live lessons. Swales will be headed by online educational specialist, Lauren Jacquin supported by a team of top educators (and teaching assistants). The team are employed to teach on a full-time basis at Swales.
They currently cover grades 4-9 and use high standard assessments while taking a modern approach to exams and study. On offer is the CAPS Curriculum online subjects:
Grades 4-6: English, Afrikaans, Mathematics, Natural Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Life Skills. Grades 7-9: English, Afrikaans, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Sciences, Technology, Economic and Management Sciences, Sciences, Life Orientation and Creative Arts.
Grades 10-12 will be phased in annually from 2022, with plans for the Cambridge curriculum to be added in the future.
Swales Academy is named after DHS old boy, Major Edwin (Ted) Essery Swales VC DFC – a South African pilot and Second World War hero; a ‘Master Bomber’ who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and posthumously the Victoria Cross and is remembered for his extraordinary courage – he gave his life that his comrades might live.
For more info on Swales Academy visit https://swalesonlineacademy.co.za / ph 0871523611 / info@swalesonlineacademy.co.za / 255 St Thomas Rd.
Exploring A New Way Of Learning
