Frequently Asked Questions

Crimson Global Academy has been built to accelerate academic achievement. CGA connects ambitious high school students with the best teachers in every subject, either part-time in addition to their current schooling, or full-time.

We prepare students for the real world – a student-centric, problem-based approach to learning using the very best that technology has to offer; and integrating all your studies into a modern, internationally recognised curriculum. CGA offers flexibility, learning at your own pace, superb teachers, anywhere you are.

In many respects, online schooling removes much of the inefficiency and rigidity that is common in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. No time wasted in the physical coordination of large groups, no paper-based administration, no limitations on a student’s progress in a big class, no barriers to acceleration, no passive learning, no school uniform and no one-size-fits-all approach.

At CGA, you can’t hide in the back row. Every student is seen and heard, and no one is left behind. Learning time is precious, and learning analytics help CGA keep track of a student’s cognitive and behavioural development. The same discipline that exists at a brick-and-mortar school is valued online, and your academic support team will help you stay on track every step of the way.

CGA uses the International GCSE and International Advanced Level (A-Level) curriculum, as well as offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

The International GCSE and International Advanced Level (A-Level) curriculum is provided by Pearson Edexcel. This qualification is internationally recognised and, currently, Pearson Edexcel exams are sat by over 3 million students in 6500 schools in 120 countries. The International Advanced Level qualification is usually a two-year programme. International AS exams count for half of the final International A-Level grade.

AP courses allow high school students to take classes at the US university level. They allow students to study 38 subjects in-depth and prepare them for college level work. Most US universities recognize AP credit as college credit. The AP Program offers several awards for high achievement. Each year, over 2.8 million students take AP exams, with most students taking multiple APs during the course of their high school careers. AP is one of the most recognized curricula for top universities and CGA is looking forward to launching this program.

This is a tricky question to answer, however the answer is usually ‘No’. This is not because students are not academically challenged, but rather because Crimson Global Academy can be more accomodating and personalised to the demanding or unusual schedules of our students and families. This often means that our students are able to achieve more, faster.

The intended age range for CGA is 13-18, however we believe education should not be based on age but rather that admission and progression should be based on competency and diagnostic testing of student ability. You can expect exceptions to be made for extraordinary achievers.

The school generally serves students who are self-motivated with highly engaged parents and a desire to be a future world leader. As a result, we do not accept students who are not academically motivated and talented relative to their normal school age expectations.

We believe geographical barriers should not limit access to the best learning opportunities. Students can enrol from around the world and schedule courses to allow for a diverse, global student class and instructor team.

The CGA team is built on experience and achievement. Our Academic staff have an average teaching tenure of over 20 years in leading schools from around the world, with qualifications from the world’s top universities, such as Cambridge.

Our Academic staff have: tutored for the National Olympiad teams, taught students that achieved the Top in Country and/or in the World for relevant subjects, educated students with perfect scores for the Standard Assessments Tests (SATs) and more. Their dedication, depth and passion for teaching inspires and builds confidence in students to achieve their potential.

CGA has 2 calendars:

• Southern Hemisphere school calendar (Feb – Dec)
• Northern Hemisphere school calendar (Sept – July)

New classes start in February and Sept and each class lasts for roughly nine months, followed by an examination period. Examinations are usually held in June/July and October/November.

There are two streams of classes:

• Full-time classes: Scheduled during the day and take place 5x per week.
• Part-time classes: Scheduled in the afternoon/evenings and take place 3x per week.

Regardless of whether classes are full-time or part-time, students will be expected to complete, on average, 2-3 hours of homework per week for each subject.

We know how important scheduling is to our CGA families as an organised timetable enables students to achieve their goals outside of the classroom. Students will submit their schedule availability before each term and the schedule will be set with these considerations in mind.

We know that students may have extended commitments outside of the classroom (e.g. competing at major sporting events or participating in Model United Nations). In these cases, students and parents will be responsible for the student keeping up with any coursework that is missed.

Students are required to complete a consistent amount of coursework per delivery week and are required to attend all classes.

Students will receive regular and timely CGA Academic Transcripts, which detail grades and likely or expected final examination grades.

Each class will have a combination of examinations, mid-term tests and project-based assessments (individual and group).

In order to officially graduate from High School, a student must meet the NZQA High School Graduation requirements. The requirements usually involve taking at least 3 A-Levels and 5 International GCSE subjects. Specific subjects must be taken from different subject groups and graduation will depend on their full subject completion.

Our Academic Advisors will ensure that students select the right subjects to meet graduation requirements and provide the best opportunities beyond high school.

In New Zealand, examinations have to be sat in a physical property approved by Pearson Edexcel. Initially, this will be in Newmarket, Auckland. Additional examination centres will be approved throughout New Zealand.

Internationally, there are hundreds of approved examination centres. You can find an examination centre near you on Find a Pearson centre.

Pearson Edexcel examinations will be held in January, June and October for most International AS/A2 subjects, and January and June for most International GCSE subjects.

English Literature will be examined in January and June.

Crimson Global Academy recognises that a students’ academic ability may not align with the year level they are placed into at a traditional school, and our grouping of students according to competency is reflective of this. Therefore, we are flexible about the age that a student starts each course. However, for ease of converting your current schooling Year to the US/UK equivalent, please refer to the table below.

Experienced teachers will teach all classes in real-time. This means you can ask questions, discuss issues and receive feedback. Classes can be interactive with follow-up tutoring and video presentations.

CGA classes are limited to 12 students to ensure engagement and interaction.

A list of hardware requirements will be provided to each student upon enrolment. As a general rule, a laptop that is less than 3 years old should be fine for CGA school. Students may opt to purchase additional gear, such as headsets, electronic pen, and webcams to enrich their online experience.

A minimum internet connection speed of 800kpbs (up/down) is required. To share and view 1080p HD video quality, we recommend 2.0Mbps (up/down).

CGA is excited to offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses beginning this November. AP courses allow high school students to take classes at the US university level. They allow students to study 38 subjects in-depth and prepare them for college-level work. Most US universities recognize AP credit as college credit. The AP Program offers several awards for high achievement. Each year, over 2.8 million students take AP exams, with most students taking multiple APs during the course of their high school careers. AP is one of the most recognized curricula for top universities and CGA is looking forward to launching this program.

Yes. Students should talk to a CGA Enrolment Team about University Entry requirements and subject choice.

Edexcel and Cambridge International are examination boards. The two are essentially equivalent. Most universities will accept a mixture of both Edexcel and Cambridge results. In the UK, it is highly common that multiple examination boards are often used within a single school in the UK.

Edexcel has additional advantages, including: more examination sitting dates and modular exams where a student can sit a module of the subject rather than the whole subject.

Yes. Please reach out to our Enrolment Team to create a plan that ensures the student is able to catch up on missed classes.

Yes. Although we prize flexibility and individual pathways, there are prerequisites for some subjects – please contact our Enrolment Team for more information.

The standard duration for International GCSE and International AS-Level courses is 12 months each, and a further 12 months for International A-Level courses. It is possible, however, for highly motivated students to complete the qualification more quickly.

You can take as many subjects at different levels at any given time.

If needed, you can sit your examination at a later date. This is something that can be explored with your academic support team.

During each term, assessments will be undertaken. Results and feedback will be made available directly on the CGA Learning Management System.

For each subject, students are typically required to undertake externally set and marked assessments and these are typically in the form of in-person written exams. These assessments are administered and graded by Edexcel. Timelines and instructions on how to access these results will be provided closer to the time of assessment.

Classes will be a maximum of 60 minutes per session.

A list of teachers and a brief biography can be made available upon request. All of our staff have had extensive experience teaching a variety of curricula, held senior positions in outstanding schools both in New Zealand and across the world.

All are NZ registered and resident teachers.

All students must attend classes. However, if this is not possible for an acceptable and valid reason, all lessons are recorded and so it is possible for students to access missed classes.

We encourage students and their parents to direct any questions directly to the relevant teacher or Dean through the various methods provided: email, office hours, phone call and more. Students will also have access to their tutors regarding academic queries. If the matter requires escalation, then the Principal or Deputy Principal should be contacted.

Start your application by visiting the Apply page under the Admissions Menu.

The fees cover the core requirements for a given year. Any resources or activities over and above this are not covered by the fees – by way of example, this would include textbooks, voluntary field trips, memberships for sports clubs, examination re-sits.

CGA will carefully assess a student’s likelihood of being successful in any course of proposed study. CGA will use information provided by the student (school report, competition results for example) and an interview to determine the appropriate placement. An entry test in some circumstances might be required, especially for younger students.

CGA has a health and wellbeing programme that aims to keep students fit and healthy. Students have access to 30-minute group fitness sessions 4 times a week and receive ongoing advice and support on their health and wellness habits.

CGA has partnerships and connections with various sports clubs. The CGA team through our dedicated sports co-ordinator can help connect students with sports clubs and activities near them as well as enter students into sports competitions as representatives of the school.

CGA has a range of activities available for online arts and culture activities which includes a debating programme where students can access top quality coaching and a book and movie club where students can discuss.

Yes, you will be well prepared to apply to enter any university in the world. As always, university entrance is competitive and successful entry will be dependent on not only a successful academic background but a breadth of co-curricular activity, which is encouraged and supported at CGA.

CGA will ensure that all students will be provided with a safe learning environment.

CGA has experienced and talented teachers and specialist counselling staff who have worked in many of the best schools in NZ and across the world.

CGA runs meetups to allow CGA students to meet each other in person. There are also opportunities for students to travel on international tours and activities to meet CGA students from around the world.

CGA also has a range of extracurricular and leadership opportunities available for students. Students will get together to participate in events, training and competitions where appropriate.

Class lessons, when completed via the web, will involve considerable interaction with other students. Active participation in lessons will be a key ingredient to student success and enjoyment. This will be passionately fostered by CGA staff.

All children require their parents and caregivers to take a healthy interest in their studies.

Parents need to ensure their children lead an active and balanced life. Encouraging them to be involved in a number of activities is critical to student wellbeing and all-round development. Students benefit greatly from the sheer enjoyment that participation in a wide range of pursuits provides.

Regular reporting and feedback will support parents to monitor, transparently and easily, their child’s progress in assessments and class learning activities.

All CGA classes are recorded for the protection of students. The school has robust policies regarding the inappropriate use of the online space. The students will be inducted into the school’s expectations of behaviour.

Yes. Students will attend group classes on important social development topics. Students will also have private access to a trained counsellor when required.

CGA provides you with the platform and opportunities to have a rich and diverse social life. You’ll be entering a community of like-minded students, and we aim to help you make lifelong friends along the way.

You will become familiar with the students in your regular classes, but you’ll also have the opportunity to join online clubs and societies, plug into a network of local sporting clubs and organise social meetups with students in your area, as well as the option to attend a variety of field trips and tours.

We also encourage students to participate in local community groups, such as internships and volunteering, to build a positive social link to the community.

CGA runs meetups to allow CGA students to meet each other in person. There are also opportunities to participate in CGA international tours which bring together students from across the globe,

CGA also has a range of extracurricular and leadership opportunities available for students. Students will get together to participate in events, training and competitions where appropriate.