Candidates Retreat 2026: Accra Campus Students Gear Up for Exams at Eco Safari Park
Students in Year 11 and Year 13 from the Accra Campus gathered at Eco Safari Park on Friday, 27th March 2026, for the annual Candidates Retreat. This year’s event was themed “The Exams Confidence Retreat”.
The retreat is organised each year to support students preparing for their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Cambridge Advanced Level (A Level) examinations. Rather than increasing academic pressure, the programme focuses on helping students feel prepared and confident ahead of the April examination season.
The session was facilitated by Mr. Godwin Adu Afful, a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Academic Coach, and certified memory trainer. Mr. Adu Afful centred his session on evidence-based strategies for exam preparation, with a particular focus on memory retention.
Central to his facilitation was the RIDWMs Rule for Memory Consolidation — a structured, spaced-repetition framework built around five stages:
- R – Read (Obey the 3077 Gordish Cycle)
- I – Immediate Review (Active Recall)
- D – Next Day Review (Solve Questions)
- W – Next Week Review (Review & Teach it to Somebody)
- M – Next Month (Review and Solve Questions Again)
The approach is grounded in the principle that revisiting material at deliberate intervals deepens retention far more effectively than concentrated last-minute study.
Words from the Parent Community
Two parents also addressed the students — Dr. Ama Edwin, a Physician, Clinical Psychologist, and Bioethicist, and Mr. Agyapong. Both spoke with clarity and purpose.
Dr. Edwin focused on managing exam anxiety, offering students practical techniques to stay grounded during the examination period. She encouraged them to convert their preparation into concrete, actionable plans and reminded them that their individuality is a strength. She closed by urging students to pray and trust in God through the process.
Mr. Agyapong reinforced the role of mindset in performance. His charge to students — “Your words train your brain” — underscored the importance of how students speak to and about themselves in the lead-up to exams.
A Deliberate Change of Pace
Beyond the formal sessions, students took part in a guided tour of Eco Safari Park and spent time at the recreational centre, where they engaged in games and activities. The inclusion of these experiences was intentional — giving students the space to decompress and approach the examination season with a settled, focused mind.
The Exams Confidence Retreat reflects the school’s commitment to preparing students in the fullest sense: academically, mentally, and personally.
IGCSE and A Level examinations begin this April. We wish our candidates every success.
