Welcome to the Schools Development Unit (SDU) – Your Partner in Teacher Professional Growth.

HFSA Learner Programme Celebrates Learner Achievement and Growth

On 17 November, the Healthy Futures South Africa (HFSA) Learner Programme brought the year to a celebratory close with its annual Awards Celebration, recognising learners’ academic achievements, personal growth and contributions to the HFSA community.

The awards recognised excellence across a range of categories, including academic performance, Peer Support, Participation and Engagement, Attendance, Courage, and maturity (From Clown to Crown). 

A special addition this year was the Tutors’ Choice Award, presented to a Grade 12 learner whose maturity, focus and commitment to hard work exemplified the values of the programme.

The celebration was attended by 83 Grade 12 learners and 76 Grade 11 learners, alongside 20 guests, including teachers and school principals.

The event opened with a warm welcome, followed by messages of encouragement and motivation from Dr Patti Silbert, Mrs Tembeka Mzozoyana and Mrs Ferial Parker. The programme also showcased the creative talents of the HFSA learners, with poetry performances by three learners and a mentor. A particularly heartfelt moment was a poem presented by a Grade 12 learner, expressing gratitude for the support and opportunities provided through the HFSA programme.

The celebration was a fitting tribute to the learners’ achievements, perseverance and personal development, and an opportunity to recognise the growth and potential that the HFSA Learner Programme seeks to nurture.

Empowering Educators: ACT

Since 2000, the SDU has been a leading provider of teacher professional development programs. Over the past two decades, we have proudly graduated more than 1,800 teachers and school managers through our Advanced Certificates in Education (ACE) and Advanced Certificate in Teaching (ACT) programs. In addition, our university-approved short courses have attracted over 3,000 registrations, equipping educators with vital skills and knowledge.

Empowering Learners: 100UP

100UP is the University of Cape Town’s flagship outreach initiative, dedicated to identifying promising learners from disadvantaged communities and supporting their journey into higher education.

Through mentorship, academic guidance, and steady encouragement, the programme has cultivated incredible success stories – young people who have grown in confidence and gone on to thrive at UCT and beyond.

Why Continuous Professional Teacher Development (CPTD)?

Our extensive experience affirms that ongoing professional development is the most effective way to enhance teaching quality and improve educational outcomes. As articulated by the South African Council for Educators (SACE):

“Activities undertaken individually or collectively by educators throughout their careers to enhance their professional knowledge, understanding, competence and leadership capacity; in particular to increase their mastery of the curriculum and their teaching areas, their skill in teaching and facilitating learning, their understanding of children and young people and their developmental needs, and their commitment to the best interests of their learners and their school, the well-being of their communities and the ethics of the education profession.”
– SACE, Design of the Continuous Professional Teacher Development System, Version 13A, 2008

Join Us on the Journey of Lifelong Learning

Professional development for teachers is a career-long journey-deepening content knowledge, refining teaching methods, and applying best practices to make a meaningful difference in the classroom.

Discover Our Programs

• Advanced Certificates in Education (ACE)
• Advanced Certificates in Teaching (ACT)
• Short Courses (University-Approved)

Invest in your professional growth. Transform your teaching. Impact your learners.

Get Started Today!

Schools Wellness Centre, Schools Improvement Initiative. A longer, more detailed clip is available on YouTube. Credit: Prof Martin Hall, martinhall.org