When Sister Kasingye Secunda took over as head teacher of St. Joseph’s Kyabirukwa Primary School in 2020, she had no idea her first days in leadership would be defined by a global pandemic. “I took over this school in 2020, when it was COVID time. For two years, we were in lockdown. So, I started working officially in 2022,” she recalls. “And by the time we reopened, the school was not easy to manage because there was no money.”

Schools were shut and parents were not paying school fees, which Sr. Secunda says is the school’s only source of income, bringing basic operations to a standstill. “Yet, activities had to continue such as paying water and electricity bills. It was not easy for me,” she says. "When schools reopened, we resumed, and within a year, operations were running smoothly again."

Despite these rocky beginnings, Sr. Secunda was determined to lead the school forward. At the time when learning resumed, the school had 454 learners. Today, that number has grown to 610 learners, including 120 refugee children. She explains that although most students are from the host community, the school welcomes and integrates learners from refugee backgrounds.

Getting Introduced to Learning through Play

In 2023, her school was selected to participate in the PlayMatters project training on Learning through Play (LtP) together with her entire teaching staff. The training changed the way she viewed teaching. “The training helped me to have intentional planning before going to class,” she says. “It also helped me to use instructional materials from the local environment.”

As a teacher of Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Primary Seven, “when I’m teaching the Trinity, I use local materials like three stones to explain the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. I tell them that just like the three stones are used together to cook, the Trinity also works together. If one is removed, they won’t work.”

This practical, relatable approach makes learning come alive for her students. “We even model those stones or use real ones from the compound,” she adds. “It makes the lesson memorable.”

The PlayMatters Consortium, led by the International Rescue Committee including Plan International, WarChild Alliance, the Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action in partnership with the LEGO Foundation, has been training teachers in LtP methodologies. In Uganda, 3,756 teachers have been trained, 471,431 children reached in 426 schools. Classroom implementation of LtP strategies has also soared, rising from just 44.9% at baseline to an impressive 83% at endline, showing real transformation in how children learn. The PlayMatters project promotes Learning through Play as an active teaching and learning method, using tools such as LEGO Bricks to engage children in a child-centered, interactive way.

Building a Learning Culture

Sr. Secunda is both teacher and head teacher, a position that has given her a unique advantage to observe the teachers’ transformation. “Before the training, most teachers would just pick up a textbook and walk into class. But now, they prepare ahead of time and use various instructional materials. That has improved our performance significantly.”

She is actively involved in supporting teachers to implement these new methods. “I go to classes to give clinical supervision and see how the teachers are using LtP approaches,” she explains. “I’ve discovered they’re doing it well.”

And the results are noticeable. “Last year (2024) in Primary 7, we had 55 candidates in Grade One and two in Grade Two. Our first candidate got Aggregate 5 and the last had 14,” she shares proudly. “Before, we were not performing like that. But through Learning through Play we use participatory methods, where learners get involved in the lesson and grasp the content better.”

This shift has had a visible impact on learners’ skills. “Learning through Play has promoted leadership skills,” Sr. Secunda says. “In group activities, learners confidently stand up to explain their ideas. They all want to be group leaders, and this builds confidence and collaboration.”

Scaling and Sustainability

One of the challenges she faces is teacher turnover. “Most of the teachers who were trained were transferred to other schools,” she explains. “But we didn’t stop. With the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Committee, we train new teachers who join us.”

One of those success stories is Teacher Immaculate, who joined in 2024 and teaches English and Literacy in Primary One. “When she first joined, she used teacher-centered methods,” Sr. Secunda explains. “But after mentorship, she shifted to child-centered methods and now uses teaching and learning materials creatively like making items like balls from banana fibers, and molding some from clay.”

Sr. Secunda’s passion for LtP has extended beyond her school. “With the CPD Committee, we have mentored three other schools,” she shares. “One in Mbarara District; St. Helen’s Primary School and two in Buhweju District: St. Benedict and St. Paul’s Bihanga.” These schools approached her after hearing about St. Joseph’s outstanding performance. “They wanted to know what we were doing differently. We told them about LtP.”

Becoming a Learning through Play Champion

In recognition of her leadership and dedication, Sr. Secunda was named a Learning through Play Champion by the PlayMatters project. “I think I stood out because I have been actively involved in implementing LtP in this school and beyond,” she reflects. “I work with teachers during scheme of work and lesson plan development to make sure LtP is integrated.”

She has also built a system that will outlast the project. “Even if the project ends, our CPD committee is strong enough to continue mentoring teachers and ensuring Learning through Play continues both here and in the other schools we are supporting.”

Sr. Secunda’s story is one of intentional leadership through dedication to holistic learning, and belief in the power of play in achieving educational outcomes. Her story shows that when teachers are empowered and children are engaged, education becomes a source of joy, confidence, and transformation. As the project nears the end, the impact of head teachers like Sr. Secunda is inspirational.

The PlayMatters project seeks to improve the holistic development and wellbeing of 800,000 refugee and host community children in East Africa using Learning through Play teaching methods.