Sri Lanka 6 March 2025: School leaders and owners from across Sri Lanka came together in Colombo on Thursday 27 Feb to find out why OxfordAQA is the world’s fastest growing international exam board and how the board’s focus on student-focused curricula, higher order critical thinking skills and global perspectives can bring further success to education on the island.

One of the real challenges for educators today in Sri Lanka is to inspire and engage students, focusing on meaningful learning rather than mere retention. Emphasizing conceptual understanding, analytical skills, and real-world application. Empowering students to become independent learners and preparing them for success in the world beyond the classroom, in higher education and in careers that impact the globe.

OxfordAQA combines the expertise of two of the UK’s largest not-for-profit education organisations Oxford University Press, a department of the University of Oxford, and AQA, the largest provider of GCSEs and A-levels in the UK to offer a fresh and fair approach to assessment for international students.

The event, which was held at the Shangri La Hotel, included presentations from Andrew Coombe, Managing Director for OxfordAQA, and Luke Sweetman, Head of Global Partnerships at OxfordAQA. It was rounded off with a panel discussion with three local school principals: Dr Harsha Alles, Chairman of the Gateway Group of Organizations, Simon Northcott, Principal of Stafford International School and Nick Hardcastle, Head of School, The British School in Colombo.

School Leaders who attended commented:

“OxfordAQA brings a fresh perspective to international education in Sri Lanka. Their focus on global skills and critical thinking aligns well with our goal of preparing students for top universities worldwide.”

 “With OxfordAQA, we now have another strong option. … Their approach to assessments ensures students develop real-world problem-solving skills rather than just memorising content.”

Panchalika Kulatunga, OxfordAQA Country Director for Sri Lanka reflected on the event, saying, “We know that young people today face a highly competitive landscape for further education and the workplace, and we are proud to present OxfordAQA as an exam board that can provide the real-world skills that will set them up for success.”

About OxfordAQA

OxfordAQA is a partnership between Oxford University Press – a department of the University of Oxford, and AQA – the UK’s largest provider of GCSEs and A-levels. This means OxfordAQA is built on unrivalled knowledge, experience and expertise in education and high-quality assessment. As a result, we offer high-quality British curriculum International GCSEs and A-levels to students around the world. OxfordAQA qualifications are designed especially for international students, to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in the future, both at university and beyond.