Good Shepherd Trust

Mission of Good Shepherd Trust

The mission of the Good Shepherd Trust is to enable Good Shepherd School to achieve its vision through the provision of additional resources (skills, experience & funding) and through engaging with third parties (government, other schools, NGO’s, Trusts/Foundations and the community) to harness opportunity, provide support and develop best practice.

The Trust is fully supportive of the School’s vision to enable learners achieve their full academic potential, with a view to them becoming productive members of society. The longer-term vision of the Trust is to see Good Shepherd School as the leading ‘No-Fee’ school in the Eastern Cape, a ‘Beacon of Hope’ for other such schools, and an example that can be emulated for successful primary schooling for the poor in South Africa.

Background

The formation of the Good Shepherd Trust was initiated by David Wylde, former Principal of St Andrew’s College, at the time of the St Andrew’s College 150th anniversary in 2005. He sought to re-establish historical links between St Andrew’s College and Good Shepherd School.

The Good Shepherd Trust was formally registered in 2006 and an anonymous donor donated R1m to enable the Trust to purchase of the school property in Huntley Street from the Community of the Resurrection Sisters, who were no longer able to run the School.
The Good Shepherd School located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape has a rich history going back to 1884 when Sister Cecile, of the Community of the Resurrection, started it with the expressed intention of providing education for the poor and orphans in Grahamstown. It is a Primary ‘no-fee quintile 3’ ‘Public School on Private Property’,situated in Huntley Street, Grahamstown. It has remained true to its original mission, currently having an enrolment of 315 learners, from Grade R to Grade 7, drawn chiefly from the city’s former townships. The State currently pays the salaries of the nine teachers (i.e. the ‘staff establishment’ of the school as designated by the Department of Basic Education), and for some of its Learner materials (textbooks and stationery) and a small proportion of its running costs (electricity and water etc.).

Board of Trustees

Ms Kelly Long (Chairperson)
Mr Fred Teeling-Smith (Treasurer)
Mr Jakes Fredericks
Mr Tom Hamilton
Ms Bronwyn Herring
Ms Carol Muirhead
Bishop Ebenezer Ntlali (Retired, to be replaced by next Bishop of the Diocese of Grahamstown)
Mother Zelma Toll
Mr Thulani Wana
Mr David Wylde
Co-opted Members – Ms S Green (HoD), Ms C Meiklejohn (Trust Manager), Ms N Mzaza (SAC
Community Engagement), Ms S Sievwright (Advisor), Ms V Quin (representing the CR Sisters).

Activities

The Good Shepherd Trust is responsible for maintenance of the Good Shepherd School buildings and provides educational and support services to the management and School Governing Body of the Good Shepherd School. The beneficiaries of the Trust projects are 315 formerly disadvantaged primary school learners from poor households in Grahamstown. Although Good Shepherd School is located in central Grahamstown, as a no-fee school it draws children from Grahamstown’s township areas. 

Achievements

In 2009, the Good Shepherd Trust secured R8m funding to build a new classroom block and to renovate the beautiful administrative building (a National Heritage site). The renovation included the provision of a Library, Computer Lab, Meeting-Room in the Administrative Block. The Trust then allocated resources (physical and human) to ensure that the Library and Computer Lab were used daily by learners to benefit their education. Where gaps in terms of teaching staff were identified the Good Shepherd Trust has funded teaching staff over the past 10 years. Specifically, Maths, English and Science and more recently in establishing a fully-fledged Learning Support Centre. A teacher assistant has also been appointed to support the HoD who has a full teaching load in addition to management responsibilities.

The Trust has ensured that there is never a classroom without a teacher. From March 2025, Good Shepherd was pleased to secure the services of a fully qualified therapist to work with children experiencing huge social and emotional challenges on a weekly basis.
Good Shepherd School attained the TOP result for any no-fee school in Makhanda in the annual Comprehension study. Its 74% of Gr4 learners Able to Read for Meaning is the best result for any no-fee school in Makhanda over the course of the 3 years of the study.

Funder Support

• PetroSA Provided a donation for the new classroom block and renovation for the Administrative Block
• Nedbank Education, Foundation once-off commitment in 2017
• Investec : 2019 HM Pitjie Foundation, once-off commitment in 2017
• DT Hudson Charitable Trust annual commitment from 2016 and still ongoing
• Grahamstown Training College Trust Fund from 2022 and 2023
• Goscor commitment from 2021 and still ongoing
• AVI commitment from 2024 and still ongoing

Core Donor:

• Federated Employers Mutual Association since 2016 and still ongoing