Edufundi

Our program implements a three-tiered complementary support approach, engaging with teachers in the classroom, school leaders responsible for supporting teachers effectively, and department officials tasked with ensuring the functionality and attainment of quality results in schools. This multi-level engagement across the education ecosystem underscores our commitment to addressing the diverse needs of educators and institutions, thereby maximizing the impact on learner outcomes.
 

Our teacher support programme; internally known as "Teach Like a Champion"; provides in-classroom, one-on-one intensive teacher mentorship by local education experts. This programme is based on international best practice that has been adapted to meet the unique needs and challenges of the South African educational environment. Importantly, the programme is designed to seamlessly integrate with teachers' existing workloads, ensuring that it serves as a support mechanism rather than an additional burden. Aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and Quality Management System (QMS), it contributes to teachers' continuous professional development in a sustainable manner. Mentors follow a structured curriculum, delivering   real-time support, targeted feedback, and comprehensive mentorship guidance to teachers throughout the program duration.

Our Leadership Support Programme empowers school management teams to prioritize Instructional Leadership—focusing on the core aspects of teaching and learning within their schools. Through mentorship provided by local education experts following a specially-designed curriculum, school management teams are equipped to enhance the learning culture within their schools and, consequently, improve academic outcomes for learners. This program enables school leaders to shift their focus from administrative tasks to the philosophy of education, allowing them to become effective advocates for quality teaching and learning practices. By concentrating on Instructional Leadership, schools can transform into hubs of educational excellence, fostering an environment conducive to student success. To enhance this practice, we establish four provincial school leadership networks, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among school leaders within each province. These networks provide a platform for leaders to derive support, share solutions, and glean insights from their local community of practice. By facilitating peer-to-peer learning and professional exchange, these networks further empower school management teams to implement effective instructional leadership practices and drive positive educational outcomes within their schools.

Edufundi takes pride in its 'homegrown' approach, as our team of mentors comprises local former teachers and school principals with extensive experience in education spanning decades. Recognizing that quality mentoring is fundamental to our success, we make substantial investments in equipping our mentors with the necessary skills, resources, and support to excel in their roles. Our mentoring program for training staff is SACE accredited, ensuring that our mentors receive professional recognition for their expertise and commitment to advancing education. This accreditation underscores our dedication to upholding high standards of mentorship and professional development within our organization.  

Our Methodology

Edufundi is a SACE accredited school mentoring programme. Our programme is implemented through workshops and weekly in classroom mentoring and support visits to school teachers by an Edufundi mentor. In order to best support teachers, Edufundi has adapted methodology from the internationally recognised guide to excellent teaching practice “Teach Like a Champion” (TLAC) by Doug Lemov.  We have adapted 19 of the 62 techniques from the book for South African teachers and their environment. Edufundi has filmed these techniques in isiXhosa, isiZulu, English and Afrikaans to make our training materials relevant and accessible for our teachers. 

The purpose of these techniques is to improve teaching practice. Evidence of the success of these strategies to improve learner achievement has been documented in our recent evaluation by the University of Johannesburg.

In order to sustain the support that we provide to teachers it is vitally important that School Leadership teams (SMT) are also given the practical tools they need to fully support their teachers.

We have partnered with renowned school leadership researcher and practitioner Dr Allistair Witten to further develop our support to leadership teams, we are calling this added component Lead Like a Champion (LLAC). We have also recently hired Vuyokazi Vinqi, a former school principal from Intshinga Primary who will be supporting with the development and roll-out of this programme.  

The purpose of this programme is to provide school leadership teams with the tools they need to bring their schools’ vision, mission and values to life, work as a team and guide and support teachers to deliver excellent education to all the children in their school.

The role of a mentor

Teaching is one of the few professions in which the individual is thrown in the deep end – new and experienced teachers need guidance and encouragement and direction, otherwise they flounder.

What is unique about our project is that we visit schools on a weekly basis and our mentors become a part of the school. Schools are provided with the weekly support of a Foundation and Intermediate Phase mentor who work with 3 teachers during each visit.  These regular visits allow for a trusting and supportive relationship to be developed between the Edufundi mentor and the teacher that they are supporting.

Each class visit is followed by a feedback session with the teacher. Each teacher is provided with a reflective journal to guide this session and the teacher’s professional development journey with Edufundi. Teaching can often be a lonely profession and having this regular support makes a very big difference to the teachers we support.

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Workshops

1.  Teach like a Champion Workshops

Techniques are introduced to teachers through three workshops. The workshops are focused on the following critical areas of Teaching and Learning:

Classroom Behaviour and Culture (classroom management techniques).
Creating a classroom culture that is suitable for learning and teaching to take place

Academic Ethos (teacher planning techniques)
Setting high academic expectations, planning for success, lesson structure, pacing of the lesson and implementation of the CAPS document.

Checking for Understanding and Ratio
Provide teachers with tools to gather data on whether what they have taught has been learnt by their learners and tools to act on that data, as well as building ratio through questioning, writing and discussion.


2.  Lead like a Champion Workshops

The programme will be rolled out through two workshops with all SMT members each year, followed by regular support visits from a school leadership coach. The workshops for School Management Teams (SMT) will run parallel to our TLAC programme and focus on the following broad themes.

Building up the School Management Teams
Starting with the invisible aspects that guide school leadership teams such as moral purpose, vision, mission and values. Supporting the SMT to look at their own assets, explore ideas on how to work together as a team, enhance trust and introduce practical tool for effective developmental supervision.

Supporting our Teachers
Revisiting supervision and building this in to the timetable of the SMT to ensure that there is ongoing professional development for all staff. Building a supportive school culture and exploring how the SMT are living their school values. Revisiting leadership styles in a complex world.

Mindfulness and the reflective practitioner
Leadership as a role vs leadership as practice. Using data for school improvement and working as a team to improve teaching and learning. Revisiting the vision, mission and the values to reflect on how the SMT are doing as a team and exploring effective partnerships. Exploring what other support does the school need to support the core i.e. the teacher and the learner.

The greatest resource in any school is its teachers; to invest in teacher development is to invest in the future of our country.

By supporting Edufundi you will be investing in the future of South Africa. Edufundi is currently seeking funding to enable us to continue to provide direct in-classroom support and mentorship to teachers and school leaders across four provinces in South Africa. To read more please download our brochure.
 

VIEW BROCHURE
 

Annual reports

To learn more about our impact, footprint, schools and teachers and to gain a more in depth look and insight into our project, take a look at our Annual Reports:
 

2022 REPORT

In 2022, Edufundi continued to make a profound impact on education, it was also a year of transition as we said goodbye to our former CEO Taryn Casey and welcomed Setungoane Letsatsi, our new CEO.

VIEW 2022 REPORT
 

2021 REPORT

2021 was the year Edufundi brought back the joy of teaching and learning. Edufundi also completed it’s Lead Like a Champion programme which went on to be SACE accredited. Read our highlights and stories.

VIEW 2021 REPORT
 

2020 REPORT

While 2020 presented enormous challenges to all of us, it also provided opportunities for our organisation. Despite Lockdown, Edufundi was still able to provide support to teachers and leaders across South Africa.

VIEW 2020 REPORT
 

More Annual Reports
 

FUNDING

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If you require additional information about our projects, want to make a donation or wish to initiate a partnership or sponsorship proposal, please contact admin@edufundi.org.za or see direct donor details here:
 
Account name: SACTWU Edufundi
Project Bank: Standard Bank
Account number: 070856265 | Branch code: 020909
Branch: Claremont | Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ

Where your money goes  :   Edufundi is a public benefit organisation (Association incorporated under Section 21),
Reg. No. 1998/025276/08 PBO No: 130002420.

We are independently audited each year.