By Bulelani Futshane | Starting Chance Programme Manager
At Starting Chance, we remain deeply committed to empowering ECD Principals—many of whom are also the founders and managers of their centres. These individuals often began their journeys providing aftercare services or childcare from informal setups, driven by necessity rather than formal training. While many have since obtained Level 4 or Diploma qualifications from ECD colleges, these credentials alone are not sufficient to equip them with the full spectrum of skills needed to lead thriving schools. Gaps remain in key areas such as financial management, administrative capacity, leadership, and interpersonal communication.
Recognizing this, Starting Chance continues to address these challenges through our Professional Development Programme (PDP), which plays a vital role in shaping Principals into effective managers, visionary leaders, and capable communicators. We view the principal as the cornerstone of a school’s culture and performance.
Equally central to a child’s development at the ECD level are parents. Many caregivers in under-resourced communities lack access to the knowledge, tools and finance to support learning at home. Our Parent Support Programme (PSP) helps bridge this gap by empowering parents to use everyday materials—such as recyclables—to create stimulating learning environments at home.
During Q2 of 2025, Starting Chance strengthened its impact across both these critical focus areas. Our holistic model continues to empower key ECD stakeholders to provide nurturing, effective early learning experiences.
Strengthening Leadership through the Professional Development Programme (PDP)
As primary decision-makers, ECD Principals are pivotal to the success and sustainability of their centres. Our PDP continues to be a cornerstone in building their capacity as competent leaders and administrators.
Two PDP Workshops Delivered
1 March 2025 – Workshop on Team Management
This workshop focused on leadership styles—autocratic, collaborative, transformational, and servant leadership—encouraging Principals to reflect on their approaches through real-life scenarios. The session was highly interactive, sparking honest discussion and self-assessment.
22 May 2025 – Workshop on Skilled Leadership
This session explored the essential qualities of effective leadership: vision, trust, empathy, clear communication, decisiveness, and courage. Principals left motivated to implement intentional, impactful leadership practices within their centres.
Launch of the Principals Toolkit Manual
A major milestone this quarter was the rollout of the Principals Toolkit, a comprehensive reference manual built around the S.M.A.R.T. framework:
S – Skilled Leadership and Interaction with Stakeholders
M – Management of Teams
A – Administration, Policies, Finances, and Planning
R – Resources and Infrastructure
T – Teaching Environment
Principals welcomed this toolkit as a vital and practical resource that will guide their leadership and management practices moving forward.
During our site visits, we have witnessed meaningful change where Principals have implemented what they have learned at the workshops. There are three more workshops to follow this year.
Expanding Impact through the Parent Support Programme (PSP) through Parent Resource Workshops
Parents play a foundational role in the development of young children. To enhance their engagement and capacity, we continued to grow our Parent Support Programme (PSP) during Q2, building on the momentum of the quarterly parent workshops.
Designed as an extension of the quarterly workshops, we introduced hands-on support in more intimate, weekday sessions aimed to equip parents with practical tools to create stimulating learning environments at home.
Despite initial concerns about attendance due to weekday scheduling, the turnout met expectations. This demonstrated a clear demand and commitment from parents to engage in their children’s learning journey. These workshops mark the beginning of a broader movement to build a Parent Community of Practice, providing a safe space for shared learning, peer support, and practical development.
The second quarter of 2025 represents a period of steady growth and meaningful expansion in Starting Chance’s programming. With increased reach and engagement among both Principals and Parents, the organisation continues to deliver on its mission to transform the quality of early childhood education through capacity building, community engagement, and strategic resource development.
We cannot do it alone! Please consider joining us to help Parents and Principals change the lives of over 3000 children in the Mfuleni area, Cape Town.
Links:
By Bulelani Futshane | Starting Chance Programme Manager
By Ian Corbett | Chairperson of Starting Chance
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