Question 1

How does your programme benefit my child?

Accepted Answer

After more than ten years of refinement, our Critical Reading & Writing (CRW) Strategy has helped hundreds of students improve their English results by at least one grade, with several achieving Distinction (A and A*) for PSLE, O Levels and A Levels. The CRW Strategy is adapted from the Critical Thinking framework that is being used to teach students in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). We have infused the essence of the Critical Thinking approach and created the CRW Strategy that has an impact on students’ Comprehension Open-ended, Comprehension Cloze Passage, Comprehension Short Answer Questions (SAQ) and Summary. The CRW Strategy also develops students’ writing ability, helping them in their Continuous Writing and General paper essays. We are proud to share our students’ essays with you in our Blog. For more information about the CRW Strategy, you can see Our Strategy, Primary English Programme, Secondary English Programme and General Paper Programme.

Question 2

How qualified are teachers at Cognitus Academy? Are they NIE-trained?

Accepted Answer

Cognitus Academy shares the same concern with the parents of all our students. We want the teachers teaching your child to be the best at what they do and demonstrate the professionalism befitting an educator. All Cognitus Academy teachers undergo a stringent interview process, rigorous training programme and aptitude tests before they are allowed to teach our students. All our teachers have completed university education with high achievements and have wealth of experience teaching English, including writing. Guided by Dr Daniel Chua, an NIE-trained ex-teacher and a former NIE lecturer himself, our teachers meet weekly for professional development and mentoring.

Not all our teachers are former MOE teachers. While we believe that the training and experience of a former school teacher can be invaluable, our observation has been that students taught by former school teachers may not always do well when it matters. Otherwise, parents would have sought their children’s school teachers for guidance. Armed with our strategy and teacher development programme, we believe that our team of teachers will help your child improve and excel.

Question 3

Do you offer a trial lesson for new students before they commit to termly lessons?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer a 90-minute immersion session for students who are new to Cognitus Academy. We understand that parents need to know that our programmes can meet the needs of their children before they commit the time and resources at our centre. Therefore, we will arrange for an immersion session in one of our available class slots for new students to try out the teaching approach, lesson material and classroom environment before joining us. The teacher will conduct a brief diagnostic session with the student 15 minutes before the lesson. After the lesson, the teacher will conduct a 15-minute feedback session with the parent. Please note that the teacher may conduct these sessions over a phone call due to the teacher’s lesson schedule.

Question 4

Do you offer replacement lessons if my child misses a lesson?

Accepted Answer

To fully benefit from the programme, students are strongly encouraged to attend lessons consistently. In the event that students are unable to attend a class due to school events or medical leave, we offer replacement lessons to be scheduled within the same lesson week. Students are allowed to join an existing class of the same level if there are available seats. Should your child be unable to attend a replacement lesson during the week, lesson materials will be passed to him/her in his/her next lesson. While Cognitus Academy will try our best to schedule a replacement lesson for our students, we regret that replacements classes are not guaranteed. We also seek your understanding that fees collected are not refundable because resources have been committed to provide the lesson for your child on the scheduled time.

Question 5

Do you conduct lessons during School Holidays and Public holidays?

Accepted Answer

We do not conduct lessons during gazetted Public Holidays because the centre will be closed.

We do, however, conduct lessons during MOE-designated School Holidays. Regular weekly lessons will continue during the 1-week holiday in March and September. During the 1-month holiday in June and December, we will be conducting our popular enrichment programmes and regular lessons, which are optional for students to attend.

General Paper

GP Essay: Environment and Society

Technology Affects Learning (Part 2)

Technology Affects Learning (Part 1)

Cognitus Academy Lecture Series: Singapore’s Foreign and Defence Policies

Cognitus Academy Lecture Series: Peacekeeping Operations & Responsibility

Cognitus Academy Lecture Series: Major Powers in the Asia Pacific

Importance for people to be aware of current events in countries

Do films offer anything more than an escape from reality?

General Paper

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