By Jimmy Oluoch | Project Leader
Dear Friends and Partners,
During Quarter 3, our teachers continued the demanding work of moving learners across the curriculum while also responding to foundational learning gaps. School reports show broad instructional coverage across the early years, primary and junior school, together with targeted literacy and bridge support for learners who need additional help. At the same time, the quarter surfaced an important next step for Acres of Mercy: teacher development must move beyond completing content toward consistent, learner-centred practice that helps children think, inquire, explain, apply and work independently.
What teacher effort made possible this quarter
Teachers reported progress across 86 learning-area entries from Play Group to Grade 9. Twenty-six learning areas were reported as fully covered, while the remaining areas were being completed. The reports also showed differentiated literacy support, Grade 6 learning-area assistance and a Grade 7 bridge programme. Learners receiving intervention were reported to be improving in sound recognition, familiar-word reading and classroom participation.
Teacher impact seen in Quarter 3
Why it matters for learners
Sustained curriculum delivery
Most reported learning areas were close to completion, helping protect learners’ opportunity to access the full curriculum.
Differentiated intervention
Learners with foundational gaps received additional literacy, comprehension, spelling and bridge support rather than being left behind.
Closer attention to learner evidence
Teachers are being asked to use oral, written and practical checks—not coverage alone—to see what learners can demonstrate independently.
Growing instructional accountability
The school identified inconsistencies in some coverage calculations and is strengthening how teachers document lessons, progress and completion plans.
The challenge behind the progress
The school’s own review makes a useful distinction: curriculum coverage tells us what has been taught or made available, but it does not by itself prove participation, understanding or mastery. This is especially important where learners still need support in reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, written expression, vocabulary and independent work.
For teachers, the next stage is therefore not simply “more training.” It is sustained coaching that helps good intentions become consistent classroom habits. Acres of Mercy is prioritizing three connected areas of support: constructivist teaching, inquiry-based teaching, and teacher mental well-being.
Priority 1: Consistency in constructivist teaching
We want classrooms in which learners do more than receive information. Teachers need support to consistently activate prior knowledge, structure meaningful tasks, use questioning and discussion, scaffold difficult work, give timely feedback, and gradually release responsibility so learners can work and think independently.
Planned support: short professional-development cycles on learner-centred lesson design; model lessons; peer observation; coaching conversations; use of the 5E lesson structure where appropriate; differentiation and scaffolding; and simple reflection tools that help teachers examine what learners actually did, said and understood.
Priority 2: Inquiry-based teaching that develops thinking
Inquiry-based teaching is especially important within competency-based education because learners must learn to ask questions, investigate, reason from evidence, collaborate, explain their thinking and apply knowledge in unfamiliar situations. Our challenge is consistency: inquiry should not be an occasional activity, but a deliberate feature of everyday learning across subjects.
Planned support: coaching teachers to design better questions, create structured investigations, use practical and locally available materials, facilitate productive group work, assess reasoning as well as answers, and close lessons with reflection and application.
Priority 3: Teacher mental well-being at school level
Teaching under pressure can carry a significant emotional load. Teachers manage curriculum deadlines, learner needs, behaviour, parent expectations, professional accountability and their own personal responsibilities. Acres of Mercy therefore sees teacher well-being as part of educational quality—not an optional extra.
Planned school-level interventions: regular staff check-ins; facilitated peer-support spaces; clearer workload and communication routines; access to confidential referral pathways when deeper support is needed; practical sessions on stress regulation, boundaries and recovery; and leadership practices that encourage early help-seeking rather than waiting for burnout or conflict.
How donor support can strengthen this work
Donor investment in teachers has a multiplying effect: one supported teacher influences many learners each day and over many years. During the next quarter, Acres of Mercy seeks support that can help us turn professional development into an ongoing coaching system rather than a series of isolated workshops.
Support area
What support would fund
Expected change
Instructional coaching
Observation, feedback, coaching cycles and demonstration lessons
More consistent learner-centred practice across classrooms
Constructivist & inquiry PD
Workshops, planning clinics, materials and collaborative lesson design
More questioning, investigation, application and learner agency
Assessment for learning
Teacher tools for short checks, error analysis and progress tracking
Earlier identification of misconceptions and better-targeted reteaching
Teacher well-being
Facilitated staff sessions, peer-support structures and referral resources
Healthier coping, stronger professional relationships and greater sustainability
Evidence & reflection
Simple tracking tools and coaching records
Clearer evidence of what changes in teaching practice and learner response
What we will look for next
A note on evidence and accountability
This quarter’s academic evidence is based primarily on teacher-reported syllabus coverage and narrative observations. It does not yet provide comparable learner-attainment data across the school. For this reason, Acres of Mercy is strengthening its reporting so that future updates show not only what teachers covered, but also what learners can demonstrate and how teacher coaching is changing classroom practice over time.
Thank you for investing in the people who make learning possible.
Your partnership helps Acres of Mercy support teachers not only to teach more, but to teach better—with curiosity, reflection, consistency and care.
By Jimmy Oluoch | Project Leader
By JImmy Oluoch | Project Leader
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
