At UCT Online High School, we strive to accommodate the diverse needs of families by offering flexible start dates. While we are pleased to welcome learners who join after the official start of the academic term, it is critical for guardians to understand the implications of late enrolment.
This waiver outlines those implications and defines the responsibilities placed on guardians and learners. By signing this document, you acknowledge and accept the terms below.
Key Responsibilities of Guardians and Learners
Late enrolment will place your child behind the standard academic schedule. It is your responsibility, along with your child’s, to manage the necessary academic catch-up.
⚠️Important: The school will not take responsibility for managing your child's catch-up process or for the consequences of falling further behind.
Academic Catch-Up Process
Upon enrolment, your child must:
Complete the General Orientation Course (GOC) by 5:00 PM on the day of enrolment via the Online Campus.
Begin the first Module of their academic subjects immediately afterward.
Follow a catch-up plan, which will be made available to them via the Online Campus.
The catch-up process will demand significant additional time and effort from your learner. This intensity will increase the further into the term they enroll. Failing to catch up adequately may negatively affect your learner’s termly and final academic results.
⚠️Note: No additional support or interventions will be provided if your child fails to adhere to their catch-up plan and falls further behind.
School Based Assessments (SBAs)
Your child is required to submit all School Based Assessments (SBAs), also known as Formal Assessments, for the term in which they enroll, regardless of the date they join the school.
School Based Assessments are compulsory academic tasks in the form of assessments that count towards a learner’s final mark for a subject. These assessments are a standard part of the curriculum and are required to be completed by learners for the term in which they are enrolled, irrespective of their specific start date within that term.
As a guardian, you are responsible for:
Monitoring and ensuring your child’s submission of all SBAs.
Using the Guardian Portal to check on outstanding SBAs regularly.
If your child has outstanding SBAs for the term, it is your responsibility to assist them in catching up.
🔒 Assessment Deadline Policy:
All SBAs must be submitted by the official termly hard deadline. No extensions will be granted. Any missed assessments will receive a 0-grade which will negatively impact their termly report.
Cycle Tests – Terms 1 and 3
If your child joins during Term 1 or 3, they will be automatically excused from any cycle tests conducted prior to their enrolment. An excusal refers to a formal permission granted to a learner, allowing them not to complete a specific assessment, without penalty. These missed tests:
Will not count toward their termly or final mark. However,
The content for these tests must still be reviewed and understood by the learner to ensure continuity of learning.
All cycle tests that take place post their enrolment must be completed and submitted by your learner.
Important: How an Excusal Impacts Your Child's Term Report
When your child is excused from an assessment, they will not receive a mark for it. While this prevents a penalty, it's important to understand that their term mark is calculated as a weighted average of all completed formal assessments for that term.
If an assessment is excused, its weighting is redistributed among the remaining assessments your child completed. This means:
The term mark will be based on fewer assessments.
The performance on these remaining assessments will carry more weight in the final term calculation, potentially making the final mark higher or lower than it would have been if all assessments were completed.
In essence, an excusal avoids a penalty, but it alters the basis of the term mark calculation, as it's derived from a smaller pool of your child's submitted work.
Examinations – Terms 2 and 4
If your child joins during Term 2 or Term 4, they are expected to participate in all scheduled examinations at the end of the academic term. The learner remains responsible for catching up on all examinable content. Missing a Term 2 or 4 examination will result in a 0-grade, significantly impacting their overall academic success.
Weekly Progress Notifications
Our data-driven interventions are sent weekly to guardians and learners to highlight learner progress and areas of concern.
📌 Please note: These prompts are based on the original term schedule and are not adjusted for late enrollers. Interpreting them within the context of your child’s enrollment date is advised.
Academic Live Sessions
Academic live sessions are focused on each subject's current week's module content. Consistent attendance and active participation in these sessions are crucial for building a strong foundational understanding and significantly contribute to overall academic success.
Therefore, please note:
Your child would have missed any live sessions held before their enrolment date.
To ensure no content gaps, recordings of all past sessions will be made available for viewing at their convenience.
Guardians are responsible for ensuring learners watch all necessary recordings promptly to catch up on missed content.
Furthermore, consistent attendance at all future live sessions is paramount. Failing to attend can lead to learning gaps, negatively impacting comprehension, formal assessment performance, and ultimately, their final grades.
Support Pit Stop Live Sessions
Support Pit Stops are vital for learner success. Guardians are required to:
Ensure that learners attend all Support Pit Stop sessions scheduled from the date of enrolment onward.
Acknowledgment and Agreement
By signing this waiver, you confirm that:
You have read and understood all responsibilities outlined in this document.
You agree to take responsibility for your child’s academic progress and adherence to deadlines after enrolling post-term start.
You accept that the school will not intervene in individual catch-up situations outside of standard support channels.