Ashton International College – Benoni

October 27, 2022

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ACADEMICS AT ASHTON

Latin “Sedulus Praestantia” translates to “Excellence Belongs to the Zealous” – the Ashton motto that echoes through echoes through the lives of all our Ashtonians. Amidst tranquil surroundings and unique Cape-Dutch architecture, Ashton International College Benoni is a private, independent Christian College that opened its doors in 1998. The College flourished under the expert care and guidance of its founding members, Mr André Buys (Proprietor and Chairman) and Mrs Reena Snelling (Founding Member). As an educational institution in the Republic of South Africa, we fully embrace our role of providing quality education to our students. We strive for excellence in preparing our students to take a leading position in the building of a united South Africa. We provide an education that challenges each student to think, question and strive for excellence of mind, body and spirit in a happy, nurturing environment. In addition, we uphold and practise the South African Constitutional values of human dignity, democracy, equality and multicultural diversity. The Ashton campus is home to the Ashlings Early Learning Centre (Grade 0000 – R); Foundation Phase (Grade 1 – 3); Intersen Phase (Grade 4 – 7) and the Senior College from Grade 8 (Form 1) to Grade 12 (Form 5).
Ashton International College Benoni can be described as a school of opportunity and choice; offering a ‘uniquely different’ amalgamation of subjects, state-of-the-art facilities and an experienced and efficient administration. At Ashton we encourage all students to participate in the variety of Cultural, Academic and Sporting extra-curricular activities; including our community responsibility and specialised clubs. As are all aspects of Ashtonian life, our extra-curricular activities are deeply rooted in our College Ethos and Philosophy. Our Ethos of kindness, respect and responsibility, combined with our Philosophy to encourage each student to develop their unique talents, allows us to assist our students in unlocking their full potential in life.

Ashlings Early Learning Centre: Grade 0000 (Age 2 turning 3) to Grade R (Age 6)
The Ashlings’ Early Learning Centre – where the adventure begins – is a place for children to be nurtured; to expand their love of learning, by learning through play; to expand their general knowledge, their social skills and their interest in the amazing world around them.
At the Ashlings’ Early Learning Centre, we believe in providing a stimulating and creative environment in which our Ashlings can learn and play. Our rich hands-on teaching style and specially designed curriculum help our Ashlings to develop optimally and find their wings.
The Ashlings’ Early Learning Centre curriculum has been designed to suit the specific needs of socially and emotionally ready little ones, to prepare them for the more formal schooling environment of Grade 1. The curriculum includes fantasy play, puzzle building, and the development of perceptual skills through fine and gross motor activities. Our Ashlings also use the Knowledge Network Computer Studies curriculum, which introduces them to the world of computers.
Junior College: Grade 1 to Grade 7
Foundation Phase (Grade 1 – 3) is an introduction to formal learning and at Ashton, we believe in making it an exciting experience. Our curriculum includes the Cambridge International Curriculum from the University of Cambridge; encourages creative thinking, problem solving and instils a love for art, culture and sport. At the end of each term, Foundation Phase students undergo structured English, Mathematics and Life Skills assessments.
In the Intersen Phase (Grade 4 – 7), our students are guided to cope with more advanced formal academic work, equipped with essential study skills and given greater independence. From Grade 4 to 6, our students follow the Cambridge International Primary Checkpoint Curriculum in preparation for external Cambridge exams in English, Mathematics and Science at the end of their Grade 6 year. In their final year of Junior College (Grade 7), our students follow a combination of the South African National Curriculum and the Cambridge Secondary Curriculum.
All our Junior College students from Grade 1 to 7 engage with the exciting world of computers and robotics through our Knowledge Network Computer Studies Curriculum in our Computer Lab and on-campus robotics curriculum in our state-of-the-art Nano-centre. These lessons provide students with important skills and knowledge that will benefit them in the technologically and digitally driven future.
Senior College: Form 1 (Grade 8) – Form 5 (Grade 12)
At Ashton, we embrace a relatively new concept in education by offering our Senior College students the choice of two different academic curricula. In Form 1 (Grade 8), our students are introduced to a broad spectrum of subjects offered on a combined curriculum of the international Cambridge Assessment International Examinations (CAIE) and the South African Independent Examinations Board (IEB). At the end of Form 1 (Grade 8), our students select their Form 2 subjects and either the CAIE or IEB Curriculum, based on their Form 1 results.
The beauty is in the detail because out our Form 1 students, on selection of their subjects and curricula, reduce their twelve-subject load to seven in their Form 2 (Grade 9) year. This has proven to be greatly beneficial as students are able to focus on the subjects that best suit their talents and interests. This also allows students the time and energy to embrace all the facets of school life by participating in the sports, culture and a variety of clubs all on the school campus, making for well-rounded and dynamic individuals. Furthermore, this allows us to provide further education and career guidance to students and assist them in making informed decisions about their future.
The success of this model is reflected in our 100% pass rate for both the IEB and Cambridge Curricula for the past twenty-four years. In addition, we have had students placed top in the world in the Cambridge curriculum and top in South Africa in the IEB curriculum.