The Hilton Journey

Grade 11

The Hilton Journey is our bold, intentional strategy to understand each boy and challenge him appropriately to develop his unique inner compass.

Select a grade from the dropdown below.

Charting his own path

For every Hilton boy, the journey until now has helped him understand himself and others, and express himself authentically.

In Grade 11 every boy learns to dive deep, consider his options, make the best choices for himself, and concentrate his energy on the next chapter in his story.

Finding true north

Grade 11 is a year of academic acceleration and rigor. Every boy begins planning for life after school, focusing on applying for tertiary studies. Career guidance is a priority, with a dedicated team supporting him to find the best institution, locally or internationally. Hilton College offers SAT testing on-site for those interested in studying in the United States, and is also a National Benchmark Testing centre, ensuring a wide range of South African university
options.

Critical thinking is critical

Grade 11’s flagship project offers a choice between the Hilton Research Essay or Cambridge International Project Qualification, a term-and-a-half-long endeavour where each boy immerses himself in a topic of personal curiosity or passion. He will carefully weigh evidence and deliver a 3,000-4000-word academic research paper.

Topics have included the ethics of cryogenic sleep for space travel, mental health implications of social media for adolescents, and obstacles facing large-scale solar energy projects in South Africa. Each boy works with a personal supervisor to develop metacognitive skills, academic research expertise and form informed opinions.

Big cities, big thinking

During the week-long Grade 11 tour to Gauteng, boys explore diverse occupations and organisations. They visit corporates, nimble entrepreneurs, and historical landmarks, choosing from a menu of 10 to 15 experiences. These include Joburg Theatre, law practices, telecommunications and engineering firms, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Investec, Olympic rowing medallist Shaun Keeling, fine dining at Marble, the Apartheid Museum, PwC, Liliesleaf Farm, artist Pitika Ntuli, marketing expert Khaya Dlanga, Soweto, Circa/Everard Read gallery, the Constitutional Court, Wonderboom, and Onderstepoort.

Learning to lead

The Grade 11 leadership week prepares boys for their upcoming matric year and beyond, equipping them with essential tools for the wider world. The programme includes workshops on running meetings effectively, maximizing leadership impact, and using their powers of influence. Grade 11s also participate in sports with the open age group, shadowing Grade 12s and learning from their experience. The year culminates in the Grade 11 dance and Speech Day, where leadership roles are announced.

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