22/08/2019
Innova Schools – one of Latin America’s largest chains of schools – is planning to offer its pupils internationally recognised language certification, following a successful pilot study.
With over 42,500 pupils in its 54 schools Innova Schools aims to show how the private sector can lead the transformation of a society by investing in education, a key element in national economic development. Innova Schools promotes the development of soft skills like critical thinking, autonomy, leadership, teamwork and also ensure digital literacy as well as English as a foreign language.
As part of their commitment to enhancing the teaching and learning of English, the chain entered a group of students for the prestigious B1 Preliminary examination from Cambridge Assessment English, a department of the University of Cambridge. More than 80% of the pupils achieved a result of Pass with Distinction, and Innova Schools is now planning to roll out the programme more widely.
As well as offering its pupils the opportunity to develop their communicative skills and gain a valuable certification, Innova Schools plans to use the results as feedback to their teaching system, to help them understand how to have a better balance of skills in the teaching practice, and they also expect this adoption to promotes among teacher the desire for professional development.
Isabel Tabja, Senior Business Development Manager, Andes at Cambridge Assessment English in Peru said: “We are delighted that Innova Schools has decided to offer its pupils access to these life changing qualifications. In preparing for the exams, pupils will develop effective communicative skills in English which will be useful throughout their education and working lives.”
Tabja added that “Our mission is to help people learn English and prove their skills to the world, and by offering its pupils these qualifications, Innova Schools shows that it shares this commitment to giving pupils an excellent experience of learning English.”
Arturo Bravo, one of the English coordinators at Innova Schools, said: “One of the competences developed in our pupils is Effective Communication in English and we are delighted to expand the Cambridge Assessment English initiative to our schools of 11th grade. Being certified will not only prove their English level internationally but will also open personal and professional doors to enrich their future”.
Cambridge Assessment English provides language assessment for more than 5.5 million people every year in over 130 countries.