CONQUESTA PRIMARY SCHOOL OLYMPIADS

• Conquesta Olympiads was originally started in 1998 by Lillian Hoogervorst as an external activity for primary school children – and now includes learners from grade 1 through to grade 9.
• The Olympiads are intended for children from all walks of life, in all the provinces of South Africa, as well as neighbouring African countries – so that ALL children, no matter what their academic abilities, have an opportunity to be encouraged by the excitement of participating in an external Olympiad and being rewarded for their efforts.
• Conquesta Olympiads are multiple choice question papers which challenge learner knowledge in the various subjects on offer (like a written quiz).
• New papers are written each year by teachers currently teaching that subject / grade. Past papers are available for revision, both at home and in the classroom.
• The Olympiads do not interfere with the school’s curriculum nor with the examinations. Learners can participate in all or any number of the Olympiads.

All learners, regardless of their academic capabilities, should be given the opportunity to participate. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Conquesta website at www.conquestaolympiads.com or you can contact Melanie Mengel on 031 764 1972 to email you the entry forms. Entries must be submitted on the Conquesta Excel entry forms and need to reach them by the closing date displayed on their website – usually around mid-year.

Conquesta Olympiads are coordinated by Conquesta. The schools invigilate the Olympiads on the given dates unless separate arrangements are made to write earlier or later. Please note that no teacher training is required.

Every child can be exposed to the excitement of participation in an external Olympiad. The layout of the papers is set to encourage rather than disenchant – and is aimed at learner participation and enjoyment.

• Every participant will receive an A4 Colour Certificate in time for year-end prize-giving, no matter what their results.
• The school also receives a Certificate reflecting the average achievement, calculated from the top 10 results in each subject/grade.
• The Results List, which participating schools receive together with their certificates at the end of October each year, reflects each child’s results and the school’s averages by grade and subject.
• A separate listing of statistics for grades 4 – 9 in Mathematics, Science & Technology is also provided to participating schools to assess their strengths and weaknesses in these subjects by grade and learning area. These are called MLA, SLA and TLA Reports.
• Educators can compare their results to the National Averages (computed from participating schools), which are posted on the website early the following year.
• Conquesta recognizes the Top 20 Schools by subject and grade. The schools who achieve this prestigious status will receive a Top 20 Certificate to hang in their foyer. These results are posted on the Conquesta website early the following year. There have been learners from the poorest and most remote areas, who have shone and brought their schools recognition.
• Conquesta has many years’ worth of Past Papers available, which can be used to prepare the learners for the Olympiads, as well as for use in the classroom throughout the year. These past papers can be ordered online, you can download manual order forms, or you can contact Marelize Heyneke on 031 764 1972.

Conquesta Olympiads are open to every single learner, from grade 1 through to grade 9, in South Africa and neighbouring countries (Namibia, Botswana and eSwatini/Swaziland).

• Conquesta supplies EVERYTHING by courier to schools within South Africa, and by email to schools in neighbouring countries (unless alternative arrangements are made).
• There is minimal work or expense from the school’s side. For schools collecting fees from parents, a typed Letter to Parents is provided for you to copy and send home with the learners, so they can select subjects and collect fees. Just follow the simple procedures, which will be provided.
• Exam papers are sent to participating schools towards the end of July each year. Participating learners receive personalized exam papers for grades 1-3 and personalized answer sheets with exam papers for grades 4-9. All the simple instructions are included.
• Educators do not need training and only need to invigilate each Olympiad on the given date. At the end of the final Olympiad, all the grade 1-3 papers and grade 4-9 answer sheets are to be returned to Conquesta for marking.
• Conquesta marks the papers and then sends certificates and results back to the schools by the end of October, in time for the end of year prize-giving.
• Should you have any queries regarding paper content or any Olympiad questions, kindly contact Claire Allen on 031 764 1972.

R25 once-off registration fee for each learner, plus R28 per learner for each subject being written.

E.g., If a student takes part in 2 subjects, his fees will be R56, made up as follows:

Registration is R25 + (R28 x 2 subjects = R56) = R81.

The Olympiads are written and invigilated annually at the schools, in August (4-Term Schools) and in September (3-Term Schools). However, Conquesta accommodates schools who are unable to write on the given dates.