About a week ago I received e-mails from two former Scuola Vivante students who have both passed the Cambridge First Certificate examination in English. They have both achieved an excellent, high B grade. I am delighted for them – for many reasons. The exam provides a language qualification that is recognised around the world by education establishments, training colleges and employers. For the two students themselves, it means they have achieved this level and are now exempted from certain English modules on their apprenticeship schemes and further education courses. I am also led to believe that as they were just 16 years old, my students were younger than many other candidates taking the exam. They deserve many congratulations for their hard work and determination over the course of an academic year.
For the Scuola Vivante, their success also shows how conventional courses of study and qualifications are possible in the life of the school. It made sense this time for the students to sit the exam in early July before they left the school to begin the next chapter in their lives. However, the exam can be taken at any time of year. This allows students to learn at their own pace. They study the course with me but do not take the exam until they are confident of delivering their best performance. In this sense, the course fits perfectly with the ethos of the Scuola Vivante – where students develop their own talents and skills in their own individual ways. We now hope to be able to report more success stories in the future.