Training workshops

In Mar 21 we held our first ‘all teacher’ 2-day workshop and since then we have steadily improved and grown the program. This is now well established and fully attended.

Our ‘Teacher Training & Development Program’ is now regarded as a national leader at the ECD and has 4 strands:

  • developing the leadership skills of the head teachers
  • improving the capabilities of the qualified teachers
  • enhancing the nursery level day care and child socialisation
  • bringing forward our best trainees and fund them until they qualify

The schools have moved away from rote learning and now follow a pedagogy based on the MoBSE ‘Early Child Development & Care Curriculum’ (2013) and the tenets of ’The Luminos Method’ (2025). The curriculum provides a structured framework for the teachers to follow, the Luminos Method fosters joyful, activity-based instruction, teacher/pupil interaction and a learning approach that plays to the pupil’s local culture (and language).

At present, our program of workshops combined with follow up ‘on the job’ coaching, is improving the skills of all 108 Head Teachers, qualified teachers and trainees. Every term the GSP runs a one-day workshop for the HT’s and a 2-day workshop for all teachers/trainees.

This is followed up with on-the-job coaching in the classroom carried out by the GSP project leader and his team of 3 ‘cluster monitors’ who travel from school to school.

 

Sponsoring teachers

Every year we select our most promising unqualified teachers, and sponsor them to qualify as teachers with the UEG (University for Education, The Gambia).

Annual cost of their fees, books, travel etc for each student for their three-year course costs c. £3k

UEG placement programme

On 25 Aug 2026 we signed an MoU launching a link up with the UEG with a project designed to provide much needed classroom experience to those students who do not yet have placements at pre-primary schools. To qualify, they must come from the local community of one of the schools we assist.

The pilot will offer places 20 classroom assistant places, two at each GSS school in for 3 years, the duration of their course. GSS will fund their course fees £415 for 3 years plus a stipend of £430 per year. Cost per student = £1.705k. Total 3-year cost for 20 students = £34.1k

If successful we plan to offer a further 20 places in 2027-28 and 10 in 2028-29

Following qualification, we expect to offer the best students permanent posts at their local GSS assisted school.