Purpose built Academics

UCT Online High School puts learners first

Our learning analytics and engaging content ensure that learners are brilliantly equipped to excel in an increasingly digital world.As a learner, you’ll be able to work from wherever you want, with regular feedback from your Support Coach, keeping you accountable and on track to meet your goals.

A word from our Executive Head of School

It is an incredibly exciting time to be at the forefront of education in South Africa. At UCT Online High School we have a unique opportunity to innovate teaching and learning to ensure that all learners who join us have equitable access to high quality education that unleashes their potential. Our mission is to ensure that every willing learner, regardless of their background, is able to thrive, achieve their goals and ultimately become a driving force for change in our country. At UCT Online High School our commitment to our mission is shown through our data-driven teaching, our sound online pedagogy and our nurturing support. It is an extraordinary privilege to lead this school of the future into the future.

Tessa Venter
‍Executive Head of School and Chief Academic Officer

This is how we do it

Intuitive Online Learning Platform

Our Online Campus is at the centre of it all. Every day, your child logs in and sees their weekly work plan; a live, interactive view of everything they need to complete in a week, for every subject. It’s the most comprehensive timetable they’ll ever need!

This is how we do it

Learning pathways

Every subject is designed as a course, with a defined learning pathway. Learners work through each week’s module in a series of 45 minute lessons using a research-backed approach: “I do, We do, You Do”.

This is how we do it

"I do, We do, You do"

Under “I do”, a subject expert will always demonstrate. Under “We do”, there is an opportunity to practice, and then under “You do”, learners get an opportunity to put their learning to the test — and all towards a weekly deadline for each subject.

This is how we do it

Dynamic Academic Support

Where learners fail their weekly assessments or get stuck, they have access to weekly live streams with Learning Facilitators and a dedicated academic discussion forum. It’s a very structured approach, but with all the flexibility in between.

This is how we do it

Caring Support Coaches

And the best part — you’re not alone. This is where our Support Coaches come in, because every learner deserves a champion. Our Support Coaches are our superheroes — they hold learners accountable through weekly group check ins and a learner priority system based on at-risk behaviours.

This is how we do it

Gamification and Rewards Programme

And because learning behaviour is where it all starts and ends, UCT Online High School has a gamification and rewards programme that rewards learners for good learning behaviour. Logging in to the Online Campus, accessing course materials, attempting assignments — all of these actions accumulate rewards points that can be redeemed in a bespoke storefront — just wait for drop days!

This is how we do it

ConnectED: Parent App and Portal

Even though we’ve designed our school to drive the right learning behaviour, we know that success lies in the learner, guardian and school working together. This is why we give you a window into your child’s learning behaviour, with a guardian portal that acts as a mission control for all learner information, and the ConnectED guardian app that sends push notifications when there is something to be concerned about. And when these three parts come together, we’re unstoppable!

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How it works

Through our unique approach, UCT Online High School offers an action-oriented, transformative education outlined in our seven Learning Pillars

Structured Flexibility

At UCT Online High School, we know that no two learners are the same. We provide the structure that allows our learners to excel according to their own strengths and capabilities. No learner should ever be bored (because spending hours sitting in a class that you’ve already mastered is as pointless as a broken pencil) and no learner should ever get left behind.

Our structured approach sees modules released weekly, with weekly assignment deadlines. Cycle Tests and Examination blocks are fixed throughout the year and learners are given recommended study timetables. Our expert team of Support Coaches check-in with learners to keep them accountable — ensuring that they are working through their modules at the required pace to meet their deadlines.

Individual Mastery

Much like building a strong house, a good education requires a solid foundation. If a learner misses too many building blocks, their whole knowledge structure can become unstable.

Where learners have not mastered their weekly content, they are placed in a mastery live stream to ensure that they do not progress with substantial gaps in their learning, which is imperative for success in subjects like Science, Technology and Maths.

Motivating Support Coaches

UCT Online High School puts learners first by placing them in the centre of their very own superhero movie. Our multi-layered support system gives them all the encouragement, tools and support they need to master their own destiny.

Having a bad day is par for the course, but having too many can take you off course. Our incredible Support Coaches are there to motivate and encourage learning habits that make the difference.

Dynamic Academic Support

Our aspirational Subject Specialists and Learning Facilitators unpack concepts in dynamic pre-recorded videos that learners can rewatch until they have that “aha” moment. If learners want to go deeper, subject specialists encourage the use of forums and Ask Me Anything sessions where pre-curated questions are answered for the benefit of all.

Responsibility and accountability

School isn’t about promotions, demotions, or being in class for a set amount of time; it’s about mastering the skills necessary for life. One of the most important skills that learners develop on their journey towards self-mastery is discipline.
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We know that fostering the art of self-discipline takes time, which is why our Support Coaches are the ultimate accountability partner. They’ll tell learners the hard truths when they need it and motivate them to pursue the goals they’re chasing.

We also educate guardians on how to effectively oversee their high school learners, and we equip guardians with the visibility and tools to intervene if necessary.

Data-driven
support

In a traditional classroom, there is a front row and a back row — it’s easy to get lost in the middle. At UCT Online High School, our platform looks at each learner individually and uses nudging mechanisms to alert learners when they are falling behind, and prompt guardians when they need to intervene.

The science of online learning

Many COVID-era online schools have been retrofitted to “go online” as a temporary fix. UCT Online High School was born online! We are the school of the future, designed to meet the needs of an ever-changing world.

Our expert team of Learning Designers, Learning Technologists and Data Analysts have worked with the best teachers in the country to design engaging learning paths that are purpose-built for online learning. Our learning paths provide robust scaffolding, building on key concepts through integrated course materials, dynamic video lessons, study notes, practice questions and assessments.