Bright young mathematicians at Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast are the first in Queensland to achieve top results in a globally-renowned extension program.
The Cambridge IGCSE Curriculum is the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds, and is offered in Years 8 and 9 at Flinders.
Developed over 30 years ago, the Curriculum sets a high global standard for education, and is recognised by employers worldwide and the world’s best universities, including Cambridge, MIT and Harvard.
Of the 15 students at Flinders to sit the extension test, eight students were awarded A* grade (90%+), three students awarded an A (80%+) and four students a B (70%+).
The IGCSE grade is equivalent to those received by students in the United Kingdom at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11) when most of them have turned 16.
The majority of the Flinders students were 14 and 15 years old, and will now jump past Year 10 and commence Unit 1 of Maths Methods.
Student Aiden Chumbley was the youngest at 13 years of age when he sat the exam.
Principal Stuart Meade said the College proudly provides a quality education with high academic standards.
“Students with a passion for Mathematics join our College to access top extension opportunities and personalised learning programs with guidance by our quality teaching staff,” Stuart said.
“Flinders was the first school in Queensland to gain accreditation to teach the Cambridge IGCSE Curriculum, which is offered in 18 leading schools across Australia,” he said.
“We joined the Cambridge network of schools in 2019 to gain access to a more rigorous and internationally recognised qualification in the IGCSE.
“As a result, we have been able to extend our top Maths students by a full calendar year beyond what they might normally experience in the Australian Curriculum by the end of Year 9.
“These top results demonstrate that these students are inspired by deep-learning and are keen to challenge themselves, which are great skills for lifelong learning.”
The College thanked Flinders Maths Teachers, Mr Dave Lanskey and Mrs Annette Colwell for preparing the students.
Mr Lanskey taught the curriculum in the United Kingdom where he previously worked at a school where all students completed the GCSE and most continued on to study A Level Mathematics in their senior years.
Cambridge programs encourage students to master subjects in depth and develop higher-order thinking skills - problem solving, critical thinking, independent research, collaboration and presenting arguments – which are transferable skills for study and work in the future.
Matthew Flinders Anglican College is one of Australia’s leading co-educational schools with a student population of 1,350 students from Prep to Year 12.
Located on a charming 22-hectare rainforest-fringed property at Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, the College is planning for the future with a Flinders Masterplan of innovative new learning spaces opening in 2021 and beyond.
