We are very proud to share the recent achievement of our 11th grade student, Santiago Martínez, who received the Top in the Country award in Colombia for the highest score on the Cambridge IGCSE History exam. Santiago took his exams in May 2019 when he was in ninth grade. 

 The outstanding Cambridge Student Awards Programme celebrates the success of students taking Cambridge International exams in more than 40 countries around the world. Cambridge puts students at the center of its international education programs and qualifications, inspired by the best of educational thinking. 

 Lucila Marquéz, Senior Manager, Cambridge International, Latin America said: “It is extremely gratifying to congratulate the students and teachers of St. George’s School who have worked determinedly to achieve great success on the Cambridge IGCSE exams. The results are a reflection of the enormous talent in Colombia, among students, and within the teaching profession. The students of St. George’s School have a bright future ahead of them and I wish them every success in their future.” 

 Cambridge International has five elements that are the essence of an excellent international education: international curriculum, teaching and learning, assessment, international recognition and the global community. 

 The first is the international curriculum, this implies a deepening of subject knowledge and conceptual understanding, along with a multilingual education. At St. George’s School, students learn and develop knowledge, abilities, and skills with clear, age-appropriate learning objectives. This learning is built in a spiral, allowing students and their teachers to deepen their opinions and ideas. At SGS, Spanish, English and French are taught from a global communicative approach, in which the development of the students’ competencies are the same regardless of the language being learned. 

 Our first language is Spanish, English is a second language that has positioned itself as an international academic language and French as a foreign language. Students begin learning English in Pre-K and French in third grade. 

 The second, teaching and learning, refers to methodologies used by teachers and students to promote the most successful learning experiences and possible outcomes. Cambridge International incorporates methodologies that include active learning, collaborative learning, and metacognition around five student attributes: confident, responsible, innovative, reflective, and engaged. 

 The third is assessment, which includes formal exams – which can be designed at the school or are typical of Cambridge – taken at the end of an academic term or year, as well as formative assessments which are ongoing assessments that provide ongoing feedback to students. 

Fourth, to ensure international recognition of programs and exams, Cambridge International works with universities to review how Cambridge exams contribute to university admissions processes and course recognition or credit. In Colombia, Cambridge Schools collaborate with the British Colombia Council so that local universities can validate the value of student experiences and exam certifications. 

Finally, Cambridge International promotes and supports a global learning community. Teachers and students have the opportunity to connect through digital platforms, online courses and discussion forums, in addition to participating in national and international training meetings or conferences. 

 Learn more at www.cambridgeinternational.org.