Allow us to introduce ourselves and our Study Centre to you and briefly outline the evolution of our centre.
There are four founding members and co-owners of the centre, Dimitra, Anne, Helen and Tracy. All four of us come from home-schooling and educational backgrounds, either in primary /secondary education or adult training. Our passion for education and our unhappiness with the state of traditional education lead us down the home-school path with our own children. All our children are either currently at our centre or have completed their studies with us. Alpha Study Centre grew out of a need to create a small social setting for our children while supporting our children and each other through the challenges of getting a Matric certificate.
It was after six months of working towards this goal that we started receiving calls from other homeschool families and even traditionally schooled families, asking us if we would take their children in and mentor them to help them achieve their Matric with the British system. It very quickly became apparent that there was a need for this sort of opportunity and we felt inspired to share our unique environment and system with other families and students who felt they didn’t fit into the traditional school mould.
So, what is alternative education?
Firstly, allow us to clarify the difference between ‘homeschooling’ and what we are, which is a ‘micro school’. Home-schooling, by definition and by law, is done at home with a minimum of 60% of the teaching being done by the child’s parent or legal guardian. Since we are not the students’ legal guardians, we are classed as a ‘micro school’. This is a common mistake.
However, we have endeavoured to create an environment that feels as close to a home as possible. That is why we run our programme from a home and it is why we aim to keep the ratio of student to tutor to a maximum of 10:1. This allows a close and personal relationship to form between each child and their tutor ensuring that the individual child is nurtured and encouraged to reach their full potential.
Alpha Study Centre has been operating successfully for 4 years now and we have had parents bring their children to our centre for different reasons. For some it has been a general dissatisfaction with the level of education found in traditional schools today; for others it is that the immense pressure being placed on their child which has resulted in the child being diagnosed with anxiety or depression; for others still, it is the sad case of a child being bullied; for some it’s the simple need for a more stimulating academic environment.
Whatever the reason, our environment has been successful in helping every child who has come through our doors to find their happiness and their individual excellence. You now come to us for your own reasons and we are confident that, whatever the reason, ASC will be able to provide what you and, most importantly, what your child is needing.
Fast forward four years and we have moved out of the small cottage we started in, into an entire house dedicated to the growing needs of the Centre. We have mentored our own children through the system and helped them obtain their Matric and – yes – move onto tertiary education of their choice. What began as a high school only, has now expanded to include a primary school catering for students from grade 1. We are about to expand once again to include a second campus in order to accommodate the ever increasing demands for more space to accommodate more students.
So, if you are looking for an alternative educational journey for you and your child, we invite you to take that journey with us.
Please fill in the application forms and email those to us and we will set up an interview date and time.