Cluster Project

The Cluster Project provides small clusters of primary schools in urban townships and rural areas with in-depth training and support on how to teach and assess the Natural Sciences curriculum and integrate it with Language development as well as Mathematics. Teachers receive high quality PSP classroom focused support materials. All PSP support is aligned to the current curriculum.

In this partnership project with the WCED, schools are identified by the Education Department Districts. Thereafter, the schools decide and commit to participating in the project for a project cycle of two years. 

Since its inception in 2002, the Cluster Project has worked with 170 schools in five Districts (Metropole East, South, Central, North and Cape Winelands) of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Each term, all the participants in a cluster attend a six-hour workshop, focusing on activities that develop Natural Sciences concept knowledge as well as practical teaching methodologies. All Science work is continuously integrated with Language and Mathematics. These workshops are followed by individual (teacher coaching and support) classroom visits each term. 

Each school receives a set of PSP teacher support materials and classroom resources for Natural Sciences as well as Language development handbooks. 

At the end of the two year cycle, teachers will be invited to present their highlights at a provincial teachers’ conference. They will be assisted by the PSP Facilitators to develop and refine their presentations.