Senior School of Excellence in South Africa

The Senior School of Excellence (SSE) is a pathway to higher success in sport and education for those children graduating from the Junior School of Excellence (JSE). The program is split into two separate elements; Former Model C scholarships and continued township education.

Former Model C School Scholarship

Once graduated from the Junior School of Excellence, as many children as possible are placed at former Model C schools for their high school education (from grade 8 to 12). The extra mentoring, life skills and academic support from the program should allow the children to adapt smoothly and contentedly from township primary school to their new top level high school.

Once at high school, United Through Sport South Africa continues to support the children with individual needs such as food, transport and extra tuition as well as school fees and uniform. Here the children have the opportunity to develop to their full potential by gaining access to top level education and sporting development from some of the top schools in the country.

These children are expected to ‘give back’ to the community by assisting in United Through Sport holiday programs as well as helping to mentor children in the Township School of Excellence.

From these schools 97% of children go on to tertiary education compared to just 3% as the township norm.

Township School of Excellence

This program caters for those children graduating from the Junior School of Excellence who do not manage to get a place at a former Model C school. The program invites them to take part in an after-school programme, which runs daily to enhance their holistic skills and offer them the best possible infrastructure to reach their potential in life and equip them with life skills that will lead to the eventual uplifting of their families and the community around them. Moreover, once selected for the school, children are given a scholarship that includes a meal every day, transport to and from school, school uniform, books and school fees.

Sports Coaching (for both elements)

Coaching takes place after school hours with two-hour sessions three times a week. The sessions are geared to cover every aspect of the sport and, with a high coach to student ratio, careful attention can be paid to the specific needs of the individual sportsperson. Special focus is placed on development and progression of all individual and team skills. Playing weekly competitive fixtures has benefits for the students and also for the greater good of the school. Regular competition gives the students something to work towards and a reason to train hard as a team. It also encourages them to feel proud to be a part of the school. The students are taught about tactics and game plans and how to respect their role and the importance of teamwork. Students are given the chance to learn about the finer details of sport and given advice on biokinetics to help their performance and fitness. To create elite athletes, the students are advised to follow a set diet that will build strength and fitness during their teenage years as their bodies reach maturity.

Life Skills (for both elements)

The aims of the school are to not only to enhance sporting ability, but to offer a rounded and holistic education that equips young people with the necessary life skills to become mature adults. Students are given the kind of attention and education that is hard to achieve in a regular school. Our life skills programme is facilitated to include education in HIV / AIDS and how to successfully manage relationships in life. The students are educated on all issues that face young people today and taught about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, crime and gangs. Our life skills classes include a practical education on issues such as dealing with money, writing a CV and applying for jobs.

Students are taught in smaller classes where they are afforded closer interaction with their mentors. The focus is on dealing with the pressures of adult life and how to handle the responsibility that comes with their talent. Through the School of Excellence, we are confident that our students will form part of South Africa’s sporting future and become role models for a new generation.

The Senior School of Excellence project's basic aim is to provide the children at the centre of the programme with the skills, knowledge and awareness that will see them on their way to achieving the potential in themselves that otherwise would not have been acknowledged. This unlocked potential is not only life-changing, but has the power to influence those in the subject's immediate social sphere. We are committed to helping these children become young adults who can function as the building blocks for genuine social change in society.

Our holistic education, with a primary focus on sport, results in the beneficiaries of the project achieving improved physical health, greater emotional well-being and improved life skills such as teamwork, leadership and decision making. The opportunity we provide to those with the will and desire to achieve is considerable; by providing these children with a quality education, we are setting them firmly along a path with the best start to life after matriculation.

Associated Projects: