The M-PESA Foundation Academy is now a fully registered centre for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The Academy has also been accredited for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the United Kingdom (UCAS) examinations.
As the most popular English Language proficiency test in the world, the IELTS exam enables speakers of English as a second language to prove their proficiency to universities, employers or government bodies. The exam is mandatory for getting a travel, work or study visa for countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the United Kingdom (UCAS) exam is internationally recognized as proof of academic and professional English for students wishing to study in the UK. The M-PESA Foundation Academy is now able to offer these exams through a partnership with Uni-Abroad and IDP, the co-owner of the IELTS test. The academy is now part of the network of approved test centres that deliver the IELTS exam in Kenya.
The Academy will have a capacity of 40 candidates per sitting and will offer both paper-based and online tests. Registration is available online and will be open to the public in three months. The academy targets those living near the Thika region. Additionally, the Academy will provide tools to help manage applications, give access to the latest information and advice on available services. It will also allow higher education providers to track where students have come from.
“This is a place of genuine transformation, where children from the humblest and challenging of circumstances learn that through determination, dedication and a commitment to learning, they can actually create their own destiny and influence the destiny of others. I’m glad we are now opening up to the public to assist people to fulfil their dreams of working or studying abroad,” said Alan Adlington-Corfield, Executive Head of School M-PESA Foundation Academy.
The M-PESA Foundation Academy is a co-educational residential high school for economically disadvantaged students otherwise unable to further their education after primary level. Applicants come from humble backgrounds and are aged 13 to 15 years. The institution is an authorised International Baccalaureate World School and delivers innovative education through a holistic curriculum.