Sparks Schools open 19th and 20th schools
SPARKS Schools have broadened their footprint in the South African educational landscape, with the opening of two new schools in Midrand and Rivonia.
Sparks Schools co-founder and CEO Stacey Brewer said their vision and aim was to make the country a world leader in education.
“South Africa is an inspiring place, and we want our education system to also inspire the world. At Sparks Schools, we are confident that we can become the benchmark for how schools can compete internationally. We incorporate global best practices, push boundaries, and strive to deliver the greatest possible value for pupils, parents, and teachers,” said Brewer.
Brewer said that they were thrilled to announce that they were opening their 19th and 20th schools this year, in just nine years.
“Part of what Sparks does differently is rethinking the traditional ‘lecture hall’ or ‘parrot-learning’ style of teaching. At Sparks Schools, learning takes place through different modalities throughout the day, and each pupil is given individualised attention without impacting on the time or opportunities of other pupils,” added a statement from Sparks Schools.
It said teaching that facilitated by multiple specialised educators, it includes a combination of whole group instruction, small group instruction and targeted interventions, to meet the needs of each child.
“Some classroom teaching happens in the learning lab, where pupils interact with adaptive software to allow for extension, review and reinforcement of what was introduced in the classroom,” added Sparks schools.
“In South Africa, teacher training is a seemingly insurmountable skills gap. Sparks Schools have a strong focus on the professional development of our academic teams, and are always fluid in the way we educate and empower our teams to progress.
“As a Sparks Schools staff member, you will be in a very exciting, stimulating environment, that will mean personal and professional growth throughout the academic year.
“All our schools have professional development for our team members – 245 hours for the year, per person. In the future, we hope that working at a school will be the most sought-after profession in our country.”