Newsletter June 2026
Announcing School Holidays Programs
Dear Learning Unlimited community and friends,
It is a simple fact that students are pressured to find their way in an uncertain world. This winter, in addition to the normal challenges of balancing the pressure of preparing for exams with art and laboratory practicals and extramural activities that result in a schedule similar to that of a CEO, we have had some of the worst flu bugs circulating in many a year.
The switch from the NSC to the Cambridge curriculum, now offered by an increasing number of schools, remains problematic for many students who have to step up to the bar with a whole new set of skills and deal with a level of academic rigour they are unused to.
I continue to be amazed at the skill, care and understanding our tutors demonstrate with assisting these students to bridge the divide between the two curricula, building conceptual knowledge and building our students’ confidence at the same time.
TESTIMONIAL
Our family has had the privilege of working with Sharon and the Learning Unlimited team over the past few years. From the outset, Sharon has remained focused on supporting our son’s personal needs in the best way possible. She has always gone the extra mile to help and find solutions to challenges such as last minute curriculum shifts between Pearson and Cambridge! The quality of Learning Unlimited’s tutors is exceptional, with each one taking a personal interest in our son’s success and really inspiring him around their particular subject. A great example is that he went from really not enjoying English as a subject at IGCSE level, to looking forward to his weekly sessions with Norman, his tutor, and finally choosing to take English to AS level. He thoroughly enjoys his time with his Physics and Chemistry tutors, who keep him engaged and interested in the subjects and who are able to extend and work with him as he explores concepts outside the core curriculum. We strongly recommend Learning Unlimited as an education partner, especially for homeschooled learners and those in the Cambridge system.
Nicky van Hille
SA UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND PLANNING YOU’RE A LEVEL PATHWAYS
If you are preparing to embark on your A levels, be sure to check in with Katherine Bennet regarding SA University entrance requirements and your two -sitting strategy. Katherine has kindly written an article for this newsletter and provides her contact details should you require a personal consultation with her.
OVERSEAS ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
If you are looking to study overseas, I highly recommend Ashleigh Blume of Global Education to assist with entrance requirements and application procedures..
CHOOSING YOUR SUBJECTS BASED ON YOUR INNATE ABILITIES
If you are not sure of your subject choices, I highly recommend you do the Highlands Assessment Battery HAB career test with Diana Ritchie, our consultant who is based in Switzerland.
LESSONS DURING THE JULY HOLIDAYS
Yes, we are continuing with lessons during the coming school holidays. This is an excellent opportunity for students to catch up missed lessons and move ahead either to get a taste of the next level of their Cambridge studies or prepare for the October 2026 exams.
We provide introductory overview courses in several subjects for those who will be starting their IGCSE, AS and A level studies in September 2026 as well as revision courses for those who wish to write their exams in the October/November 2026 exam session.
Given the difficulties of balancing so many commitments, it cannot be stressed enough that those who have targeted help for the next stage of their academic lives have a big advantage over those who do not.
Be sure to look at our LU website homepage for the booster course dates we are running as well the dates for upcoming AS Physics practicals which will commence on Saturday 1 August at 1pm and be held weekly thereafter.
If you know of other students who are struggling to catch up and make headway with their studies please let them know about us. We are offering a 10% reduction on your fees for successful referrals.
Sharon Levy
BSc, HDE, MEd,
Tomatis Practitioner, Sophrology Instructor, Feuerstein Mediator (IE Basic)
www.learningunlimited.co.za
Making your AS levels work for you
Embarking on the AS level curriculum is a great choice as it’s a curriculum that challenges you, deepens thinking processes, encourages the development of analytical skills and develops learners as independent, critical thinkers. All fantastic preparation for further studies.
As it is not the official state school-leaving qualification, there are a few extra steps families need to take to ensure that the final AS or A level certificate contains all that is needed to meet the matriculation board’s matric exemption requirements. That’s where I can help!
With 16 years experience behind me as the academic head at a Cape Town-based international school and also a Cambridge exams officer, I love to help young students (and their parents) find their way through what can be a confusing path of completing an international school-leaving qualification in a South African context.
While in, and since leaving the formal education sector, I have enjoyed
- Assisting students with their subject choices at IGCSE and AS level to align with South African matriculation requirements and degree course requirements.
- Assisting with planning the exam timeline to ensure the two-sitting rule is met.
- Assisting students and parents with USAF application advice
- Assisting students with research and applications for local and international degree and diploma study options
Here are some comments from happy clients:
‘Really appreciate your insights and information – a really useful discussion to have had early! We are now in a position to make sensible, ‘correct’ subject choices for our daughter.’
‘Throughout the years as a principal of a tutor centreI have learnt to listen more and more to Katherine’s expert advice, especially when dealing with the intricacies of the Cambridge system and how it fits in with the South African educational system. I am so glad she has an advisory service so my students, parents, tutors and I can have access to her knowledge.’
You can contact me via my website https://academicadvisor.co.za. We set up an online appointment and tackle all your questions. My goal is to help each student have a smooth, successful academic journey.
Katherine Bennet
katherinelbennet@gmail.com
The Highlands Ability Battery (HAB)
HAB – Ashil Singh, Cambridge AS student 2026
It is a phenomenal test, to put it plainly. I would highly recommend taking the HAB to all students whether you understand your career trajectory or not. It allows you to discover what you should do based on who you are and what you enjoy.
Which way up?
Being “successful” at school may not necessarily be a good thing! I have written in a previous newsletter about the danger of educating a child to fit into society in a career or profession chosen for him/her by others.
Over the years I have witnessed children embarking on careers just because… (you can fill in whatever reason you want here)
Overriding the child’s innate abilities and natural predispositions can cause serious harm to the child internally as well as to relationships between the child and significant others. Sometimes the pressure is so strong that the child will sabotage his/her success in a gatekeeper subject (such as mathematics) to ensure that he/she will not get accepted into a university program that will lead to an unsuitable and unwanted career.
There is a certain inner agony experienced by the young adult who finds him/herself adrift and unsure of the direction he is taking in life. Too often I hear reports of undergraduate students who feel this way. As Kierkegaard pointed out: “The most common form of despair stems from choosing to be someone other than oneself.”
The converse is also true. Parents who have supported their children to find their own paths have never been disappointed. Over the years I have watched parents agonize over their decision to support their child’s calling or destiny.
With this in mind, I have sought time and again to ensure that the A level subjects chosen by the child are commensurate with his/her actual preferences.
To this end, the HAB (Highlands Ability Battery) career assessment is a tried and tested means of ensuring that the subjects chosen are in keeping with the child’s innate abilities and chosen career path. Whenever I detect hesitancy or uncertainty on the part of the child regarding the subjects they wish to pursue, I recommend doing the HAB.
Diana Ritchie has been working with Learning Unlimited since 2020 to ensure that the things that really matter to the child are taught. Over the years Diana has successfully administered this assessment to over 30 students (over 14 years of age), many of whose testimonials can be found on the LU website. Although
I have asked Diana to write an introductory article to the HAB and why it provides such accurate and insightful information for the child and parents. Click here to read Diana’s article called ‘Your Natural Talents, Gifts & Abilities’.
The students themselves testify to the ways in which the HAB differs from other career assessment tests they have previously taken, as can be seen in the testimonials accompanying Diana’s article.
Below are some of the stories of Learning Unlimited students who in the course of their LU studies were able to pursue careers that best suited their innate abilities and passions.
Click here to read our students testimonials.
TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR STUDENTS
IGCSE MATHEMATICS
I started working with Sharon two months before my maths IGCSE exam. My marks at the time were very low and my motivation to get them up was even lower. I hated math. Sharon warned me that it would take lots of work to get to where I wanted to be with my marks in the amount of time I had and at first I wasn’t sure if I could do it. However, when I started working with Sharon I quickly gained a lot of confidence in myself and maths.
The way she teaches is not the traditional style of teaching math – she made me feel safe enough to admit when I didn’t understand a concept which is something I previously struggled with and worked with me tirelessly until I was completely comfortable with the topic.
I am incredibly grateful to Sharon as she showed me how to fall in love with math and see it in a new light. By the end of the two months and exams rolled around I was confident in my abilities and felt good about the exam which is a rare occurrence for me. I got an A* for math which I owe all to Sharon and her incredible abilities. I couldn’t recommend her enough to anyone who would like to love math again.
Erin Haylle-Dick. January 2025
AS BIOLOGY
Working with Tapuwa over the past six months has been a genuinely transformative experience for me—academically, personally, and motivationally. His deep knowledge of Biology, paired with an ability to explain things clearly and thoroughly, has helped me understand the subject in a way that really makes sense. He doesn’t just teach what’s in the textbook—he gives you a complete, connected understanding of Biology and how it applies to real life.
He’s incredibly patient and supportive. If something wasn’t clicking, he’d happily go right back to basics and explain it again without a hint of frustration. Each lesson felt engaging and focused, and his consistent encouragement helped me develop confidence I hadn’t had before. Rather than just cramming facts, he taught me how to think biologically and how to approach exam questions with the right structure and terminology.
I also had the chance to do practical work with him previously, and what really stood out was how clearly he explained each step of the process. He made the more technical parts feel manageable and gave great feedback throughout. His calm, encouraging approach helped me feel capable in the lab, and that made a big difference to how I viewed the practical side of Biology.
What truly sets him apart is that he teaches with genuine care. He wants his students to succeed not for his own validation, but because he believes in them. His passion for Biology, paired with his enthusiasm in every lesson, made learning something I looked forward to everyday—and that has made all the difference.
Myra Granelli
AS Biology student