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Scaling Up UCatchUp for Kasese’s Schools: District–wide Implementation

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A large group of people stand outdoors raising their hands in celebration

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Teacher Professional Development
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Partnerships

The excitement in the air was obvious; laughter, loud chatter and curious faces of determination filled the Canon Apolo Core Primary Teachers’ College (PTC) as droves of teachers and deputy headteachers from across Kasese district and municipality gathered for what would be the largest UCatchUp training to date. This moment was not just about numbers but about a joint commitment to quality education for thousands of Ugandan children.

Despite making great strides in primary education enrolment following the introduction of Universal Primary Education, many primary school learners in Uganda are unable to read at grade level. Recent national assessments showed that only 42.7 percent of Grade six learners were grade-level proficient in English literacy, whereas 58 percent were proficient in numeracy.

A Strong Start for the Second Phase of UCatchUp Kasese Project

For the first time, the UCatchUp project expanded to all 264 government-aided primary schools in Kasese district and municipality. With this growth came the need to train more school-based mentors (deputy headteachers) and teachers in the foundational principles of UCatchUp – a school-based, government-led approach rooted in the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology. Based on strong evidence for its cost effectiveness, TaRL has been identified as a ‘great buy’ by the Global Evidence Education Advisory Panel.  

On 6 January 2025, the journey to Fort Portal began. The first order of business was a refresher course for 30 master trainers, setting the stage for the weeks ahead. Five days later, the teacher and mentor training sessions kicked off with a special opening ceremony. Among the guests were Kasese’s District Education Officer, municipal representatives, and administrators from Canon Apolo Core Primary Teachers’ College, whose presence emphasised the collaboration driving UCatchUp forward.

"A speaker addresses an audience outdoors during a school event, with several people seated at a long table

A Teacher’s Perspective

For Masika Shamim, a teacher at Kasese SDA Primary School, this training was extra special for her. It was a long-awaited opportunity. She first heard about UCatchUp when it expanded to 80 schools in an earlier phase, but she never got the chance to attend the initial training. That didn’t stop her curiosity. She turned to her colleagues who attended the training as she was determined to implement UCatchUp in her classroom.

“It was very interesting. It was too good that I wanted it to be spread to the private schools where my children are,” she told me. “In fact, I told the headteacher of my kids’ school about it, but of course, it didn’t work out since UCatchUp was only in government schools. I look forward to the day all schools implement UCatchUp.”

This year, Shamim took on a new role. She became a master trainer for the first time. She admitted that the training was intense, but the enthusiasm from teachers made every effort worth it.

“I am very excited to see this programme scale up to all government schools. The excitement from the teachers is encouraging and has made the whole training experience hard as it is worth it,” she said.

Woman standing outside wearing a white hijab.

Expansion and Building Capacity

The training programme was designed to prepare 913 teachers in a five-day session and 184 school-based mentors in a six-day session. For the first time, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sports joined the full training, a clear indication of growing national-level interest in UCatchUp.

Another major change was increasing local ownership. With VVOB staff taking a supporting role, the responsibility for implementation gradually moved to PTC Canon Apolo and Kasese district and municipality authorities. VVOB had only four members of staff providing guidance during the 15-day training period in Fort Portal, ensuring a smooth transition.

Laying the Foundation for the Future

Each master trainer worked in pairs, leading classes of 50 teachers and mentors. By the end of the first training cycle, 540 participants had successfully completed their training, with the second group beginning on 20 January 2025.

By the end of this phase, all 264 government schools in Kasese district will be equipped to assess over 119,429 grade three to grade five learners and implement daily UCatchUp classes for the rest of 2025 and 2026. This effort not only strengthens foundational learning but also paves the way for the next step—Phase IV, a national-level scale-up.

None of this would have been possible without the support of the Hempel Foundation. The Kasese authorities, Canon Apolo Core PTC , and the 1,471 teachers and mentors extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Hempel Foundation for making this vision a reality.

As UCatchUp continues to grow, its impact goes beyond just classrooms—it’s reshaping the future of learning in Uganda. This isn’t just about a project; it’s about a movement. And for the teachers and mentors at the forefront of this movement, the journey has only just begun.