PEPPS female heads aim for excellence

PEPPS Preparatory School and College in Polokwane has, since its inception more than 26 years ago been known for its excellent results and progress, all under the leadership of a lineage of female heads the latest of whom will take the hot seat on 1 August.
Nelia de Beer, an educator at PEPPS for 13 years, will replace Annabel Roberts as College Headmistress. Roberts was recently appointed as Executive Headmaster of the PEPPS Trust in Limpopo to monitor the four schools falling under its umbrella.
Polokwane Observer spoke to Roberts and De Beer during an interview at the school on Tuesday. De Beer started teaching in 1988, joined PEPPS College in 2005 and presently teaches Afrikaans First Additional Language to Grades 11 and 12. She admitted that someone told her five years ago that she would become head of the school one day but that she did not believe it. She added that being entrusted with this kind of position was an honour and privilege but declared that she was ready for the challenge. She will be the acting from when schools reopen after the winter break until the last day of school this year due to her academic commitments and officially commence duty as headmistress at the beginning of 2018 academic year.
“I know that I will do well in my new role because I have Annabel’s (Roberts’) support. My main focus will be on a project started by her called ‘Project Based Learning’ which we named ‘Create Tomorrow’. I want this project to be a success to help our learners develop new skills and knowledge,” she explained.
Project Based Learning is a teaching method through which learners gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem or challenge.
This is the first time the trust assigns someone as executive head of all its schools and Roberts indicated that she was ready to work with all the headmasters. She said her aim is to turn PEPPS Trust as the Limpopo lighthouse in Education. She added that she was excited about the challenge and hoped all the heads will step up to the plate and help one another.
Referring to the 100% pass rate attained each year except in 2015 when one learner failed, Roberts said it was sometimes a good thing for one learner to remind all the others that hard work was the only way to success. She emphasised that the trust had been founded to provide excellent education and believed that all the heads will work towards this objective.

Story and photo: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za