Citizen Leader Lab, a non-profit committed to leadership development across sectors, recently celebrated the successful completion of the first two cohorts of its School Management Team Leadership Programme in Cape Town. The events honoured the achievements of the participating School Management Team leaders from secondary schools across the city.
Over the past year, participating School Management Team leaders immersed themselves in a dynamic leadership experience that blended peer learning, personalised coaching and hands-on workshops. This multi-dimensional approach not only sharpened their leadership capabilities but also begun to translate into visible improvements at their schools. As a bonus, the programme, accredited by the South African Council of Educators, earned participants Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) points that now formally recognise their professional growth.
School Management Teams are the often-unsung heroes behind successful schools. They manage day-to-day operations, guide curriculum direction, support teachers and steer strategic decision-making. The programme was crafted to empower these leaders with the practical tools, confidence, renewed energy and vision to lead their schools.
One such leader, Kelly Cedras of Lavender Hill High, believes that the programme gave her the confidence and skills to respond creatively and compassionately to the needs of the learners and community.
“In January 2025, I started and the Library Club, where all learners can now access books for recreational reading. The facility was unused for almost 10 years until I decided to take the lead and make it functional again.
I also headed the external tutoring programme, Back On Track, set out by the Western Cape Education Department in 2024. This included being at school every Saturday and on holidays, ensuring all documentation was available and provided to external parties for payment. I bought, cooked and distributed food to over 100 learners every single day for 11 months. I co-led a group of learners to Robben Island for a tourism excursion. This included getting donations for food, transportation via bus to and from Cape Town and ensuring a safe educational experience was had.”
Crogen Curt Petersen from Delft Technical High, reflected on the relational and developmental growth he experienced: “I gained more help and support with school donations and subject-related growth plans. I’ve also learnt more interactive ways to engage with parents. At parent meetings, I now give presentations to share important information, and I’ve adopted an open-door policy.”
Developed with the support of the Capitec Foundation, the School Management Team Leadership Programme is a critical component of the Foundation’s Whole School Approach — an integrated strategy that recognises the importance of strong leadership at every level of a school’s ecosystem.
Citizen Leader Lab’s long-standing Leaders for Education programme, which focuses on empowering public-school principals, has yielded encouraging results in recent years. However, it soon became clear that even the most inspired and well-trained school principals could face obstacles in implementing their vision if their School Management Teams were not equally aligned or empowered. While the principal-focused programme, supported by coaching and business partnerships, provided significant value, a disconnect often persisted between school principals and their management teams. To address this gap, Citizen Leader, with the support of the Capitec Foundation, pioneered a dedicated leadership development programme for School Management Teams.
‘’The School Management Team Leadership Programme is a cornerstone of our strategy to deepen our impact in education,” said Komala Pillay, CEO of Citizen Leader Lab. “It builds on our 15-year track record and complements our Leaders for Education programme, which supports public school principals in their leadership journeys. We are proud to collaborate with the Capitec Foundation to improve leadership at School Management Team level.”
For more information, visit www.citizenleaderlab.org
