in house counsellor

The school has the advantage of services of a registered counsellor whose prime functions are to evaluate the following: scholastic progress, educational difficulties, school readiness, aptitude, interest; career, study direction and guidance.

Assessments

The main purpose of assessment should be seen as how the child can best be assisted in his/her academic career. Assessment usually consists of proposed ways to improve a learner’s learning or behavioural approach. In addition, identification of a learner who may experience learning difficulties/obstacles is equally important. The knowledge gained through assessment may equip a learner with the necessary knowledge to cope best with the different challenges presented to him/her in their academic career and environment.

The following assessments should be seen as a guideline of possible assessments that can be administered to the learner.

School readiness

6 tests are conducted during this assessment. For a child to be regarded as school-ready he/she should be able to display adequate intellectual, emotional, perceptual and conceptual development to be able to cope with the demands of formal schooling. In addition, professionals regard a child as school-ready when he/she scores at the mental age of 6 years 3 months on a standardised school readiness assessment. It is thus for the benefit of the child to establish whether he/she is ready to comply with these demands, before enrolling in Grade one.

School placements

5 tests are conducted during this assessment. Some learners need guidance in school placements if they are not coping with their current academic environment. Finding the right school for a learner can be a tedious task, especially when the learner displays learning difficulties and/or learning backlogs. Assessment is done to establish whether the learner will be better suited to a gifted, mainstream, remedial or special educational environment.

Subject choices

4 tests are conducted during this assessment. Near the end of Grade 9 year, learners are expected to choose which subjects they would like to continue studying in the FET phase (Grades 10-12). There are four compulsory subjects that learners have to take and a minimum of 3 optional subjects they have to choose. The three optional subjects are limited to subject choices different schools or institutions offer. The four compulsory subjects are limited to subject choices different schools or institutions offer. The four compulsory subjects learners are required to study is two official languages, Mathematics (Academic Math or Mathematical Literacy) and Life Orientation.

Learning Styles

4 tests are conducted during this assessment. A learner’s learning style refers to the way a learner prefers to approach new information. Even though there are some shared learning patterns, preferred style of learning will not only enhance his/her academic performance, but will also equip the learner with the necessary learning skills throughout their life.

Study skills and strategies

This topic will be discussed in greater detail during the presentation.

Career Counselling Assessment

4 tests are conducted during this assessment. The purpose of career choice assessments is to guide individuals in their choice of career. This enables them to have better insight into their own strengths and personal preferences. Career assessments are mostly administered to learners who are nearing the end of their school career. This type of assessment is also beneficial to people who have established careers but who may need to make decisions regarding their future career paths.