Providing the Uphill children with a safe place to learn is key to our success.
Funding the construction of a permanent primary school and kindergarten is one of the major priorities for The Uphill Trust. Each classroom costs around £10,000 to construct – about half the cost of a small caravan in the UK.
Construction is guided by detailed plans and carried out by a team of skilled builders and local tradesmen, many of whom have children at the school. Volunteers or Locals?
In the first 6 years of operation we raised the funds to buy land and build 7 permanent classrooms, 3 pupil latrine blocks, an administration building and a permanent hand washing station. It’s a great start, but we still have a way to go! Uphill from the Air!
In 2016 the first classroom block was built on the new school site, containing 3 classrooms for the top primary year groups. The wooden school building was taken down and rebuilt on the new school site at the start of 2017 to form temporary classrooms for the lower primary classes and the 3 kindergarten year groups.
In 2019 we had the funds to build two more classroom blocks for the primary school children.
In 2018 a generous legacy enabled the construction of an administration building with staff room, offices and a small clinic for the school nurse.
Electricity has now been installed in the administration building and primary classroom blocks.
In 2020 we moved the Uphill kindergarten to its own site next to the primary school. For the time being the children are being taught in wooden classrooms with stone floors. Our plans include 3 permanent classrooms for the youngest children in the school.
The playground has been extended and colourful tyre planters added. The Uphill Kindergarten now has plenty of space for outdoor learning activities and games.
Most school sites have fences to keep the children safe. At Uphill it became clear that it was the buildings that needed to be protected – from local livestock!
A security fence was erected in 2016, and extended in 2020.
In 2021 fire extinguishers were installed and fire safety training was provided for a team of staff and senior pupils.
“With my teaching and mentoring background I can think of nothing better than giving young people even more of a chance in life” L. Warner
