💂🏻♀️ Cambridge 2026: 100% Again
On June 2, 2026, 25 of our students sat for their Cambridge English exams—13 for A1 Movers and 12 for A2 Flyers. Both groups achieved a 100% pass rate in the Speaking section, with every single student earning the maximum number of shields. In Listening, Movers reached 85% and Flyers hit 92%. But the certificate is just the tangible proof—what truly matters begins long before first grade.
💂🏻♀️ How to Interpret the Results
Cambridge doesn't give traditional grades or points. Instead, each part of the exam is evaluated using shields—a student can earn up to five shields in each of the three components, totaling 15 shields. Earning four or five shields means the student performed exceptionally well in that area.
A2 Flyers (12 students – 5th grade and a few 4th graders)
Speaking: 100%
Listening: 92%
Reading & Writing: 90%
Average: 14.1 / 15 shields
A1 Movers (13 students – 3rd grade and a few 2nd graders)
Speaking: 100%
Listening: 85%
Reading & Writing: 55%
Average: 12 / 15 shields
In the Flyers group, nine out of 12 students earned maximum shields in both Reading & Writing and Listening. Among Movers, it's clear that Reading & Writing takes a bit more time for younger learners than Speaking and Listening—which is exactly what we expect at this age. English enters their ears and speech long before it hits the page. This is also an area we will purposefully target next year so they can build momentum for A2 Flyers just as smoothly as this year's fifth graders.
Achieving 100% in Speaking across both levels is no coincidence. It’s a recurring result with a very clear foundation.
💂🏻♀️ Why Speaking Is Our Strongest Suit
Because language development doesn't start when a child learns to write—it starts much earlier.
English is a natural part of daily life right from our preschools at Olivka, Smíchov, and Strašnice. Our youngest children (from age two) encounter it first in ordinary, real-life situations: "Clean up," "Wash your hands," daily greetings, and simple instructions. No testing, no correcting. Gradually, nursery rhymes, songs, and active play are introduced.
Older children move into a more structured bilingual program combining Czech and English learning blocks using Cambridge English materials. At this stage, the focus is primarily on receptive learning. Children understand and communicate basic ideas, while fluent conversation develops over time—always adapting to where each child is in their journey.
When these children start first grade, English isn't a brand-new subject. It's a language they’ve already been using for years. So when they sit down years later with an official Cambridge examiner who speaks only English, it doesn't faze them at all.
💂🏻♀️ The Proof That Takes Five Years to See
Parents who invest in private preschool find themselves in a unique position. Beyond standard premium care, they are investing in their child's education at an age when immediate outcomes can't really be measured. There are no English report cards, nor any metrics to show how much further ahead their child is compared to elsewhere.
All parents get are glimpses—and those usually happen on family vacations.
We hear these stories all the time: a five-year-old daughter orders her own drink at a snack bar, or a son comfortably chats with his ski instructor. Watching cartoons in English feels completely natural to them. Hearing and using English is simply second nature.
These small moments are often the most meaningful confirmation parents experience all year, and they share them with us with genuine excitement.
The Cambridge exam is the first objective moment where that long-term investment is formally validated—independently, against international standards, and completely free of our internal influence.
Ten out of the 12 students who took the A2 Flyers exam this year attended our preschools. Their average score was 14.5 out of 15 shields, with seven achieving a perfect score across all three components. Furthermore, across both exam levels, every single one of our preschool alumni achieved 100% in Speaking. Our students reached similar benchmarks in previous years as well.
This is the proof. It takes five years to arrive—an uncomfortably long wait—but it comes. And it clearly answers the question every preschool parent secretly asks: is it worth it?
💂🏻♀️ Teaching Expertise Matters More Than Native Speaker Status
Here, we chose a slightly different path than you might expect: we prioritize an experienced English teacher over a native speaker who isn't a trained educator.
A native speaker looks great on a website. But simply being a native speaker isn't enough to teach a language. Teaching is a craft and a profession. Without pedagogy, classroom management, and an understanding of how children acquire language, "natural English" can easily turn into a fun lesson where everyone has a good time, but no real progress is made.
That's why our teachers speak exclusively in English during lessons, even though they understand Czech. In-house, we call them "pseudo-native speakers." To a child, it's indistinguishable—they hear only English for the entire hour, with no option to revert to Czech. The real difference shows when a young child gets stuck, feels shy, or needs something explained. The teacher understands them, grasps what the child is trying to say, and guides them through that moment without ever switching to Czech themselves.
In our experience, this approach is crucial for young learners. A child who feels trapped in an English-only dead end with no support walks away believing that English is frustrating.
Of course, we also have native speakers on our team who are outstanding teachers—because teaching skill is always our number one priority.
This practice has proven itself over the long term and, in our view, is one of the main reasons why Speaking remains our strongest exam component across all grade levels.
💂🏻♀️ Building on This in Primary School
Students use English daily, not just during designated language classes. In addition to regular instruction, they have conversation lessons conducted exclusively in English and are encouraged to speak English during after-school care as well. Across both primary and lower-secondary levels, selected subjects are taught in English, reflecting how bilingual schools operate.
Exams are a compulsory part of our curriculum starting at the end of third grade. An objective, external assessment provides valuable feedback for students, parents, and teachers alike, confirming our expectations.
Language Certification Timeline at GENIUS School:
A1 Movers — end of 3rd grade
A2 Flyers — end of 5th grade
B1 PET — end of 7th grade
B2 FCE — end of 9th grade
In September 2026, we opened our lower-secondary school, meaning we can now take this learning pathway all the way to B2 FCE in ninth grade for the first time. For students who started with us in preschool, this offers a complete, seamless language journey from two years old to a qualification recognized by universities and employers worldwide.
💂🏻♀️ Who Deserves the Credit
To our team in our preschools, who speak English with the children every single day—even though no one is testing them and the results won't be visible for five years. To our primary school teachers, who patiently build upon that solid foundation. And to the parents, who understand that investing in their children's education is always worth it 💙.
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