Elevate your teaching.
Empower your students.
Jackfruit Upskill
JF Upskill is a free professional development programme available to every teacher and director at a Jackfruit Finance school. No extra cost. No sign-up fee. Just better teaching — and better schools.
What your school gets — at no extra cost
- Access to all 4 training modules
- 17 individual sessions covering teaching, literacy, leadership and learner support
- Delivered online or in-person depending on your school's programme
- Available to teachers and school directors
- Ongoing access — not a one-off workshop
- Facilitated by trained JF Upskill trainers
Four Core Topics. Seventeen modules.
JF Upskill covers the areas that matter most for Kenyan school quality — from how teachers lead classrooms to how directors build professional learning cultures. Every session is practical, evidence-based, and designed for the realities of Kenyan schools.
Professional Development & Leadership
Gain the skills to lead professional learning, conduct meaningful classroom observations, and foster collaborative teacher communities that drive school-wide improvement.
Sessions included
- Introduction to leading professional learning
- Building relationships for meaningful observations
- Leading observations and debrief
- Leading professional learning communities
Classroom Engagement & Instructional Strategies
Learn practical techniques to engage every learner through choral response, wait time, cold calling, and more — ensuring active participation and deeper understanding in every lesson.
Sessions included
- Engaging all learners through choral response
- Engaging all learners through wait time
- Engaging all learners through cold calling
- Engaging all learners through turn and talk
Lesson Planning & Literacy
Master lesson planning, inquiry-based learning, phonics, balanced literacy, and guided reading to deliver effective, evidence-based instruction that meets the diverse needs of every student.
Sessions included
- Introduction to lesson planning
- Inquiry-based lessons
- Introduction to phonics
- Introduction to balanced literacy
- Planning and facilitating guided reading
Learner Support & Development
Support all learners with strategies for inclusive education, gender-sensitive teaching, and play-based learning — building the executive function and holistic development every child needs to thrive.
Sessions included
- Introduction to gender socialisation
- Introduction to supporting learners with special needs in Kenya
- Introduction to play-based learning
- Using play to support executive function
How your school accesses JF Upskill
Take a loan with Jackfruit Finance
Every Jackfruit Finance borrower gets immediate access to JF Upskill — for teachers and directors, at no additional cost.
Included with all school loan productsYour RM introduces you to the programme
Your dedicated relationship manager will walk you through JF Upskill as part of the onboarding process — explaining the modules, formats, and how to get your team started.
Happens during loan onboardingSessions delivered online or in-person
The format depends on your school's programme. Every session is practical and immediately applicable in the classroom.
Format confirmed at onboardingOnline and in-person — depending on your school
JF Upskill is delivered in two formats across our network. Some schools access sessions online; others through facilitated in-person training. Your relationship manager will confirm what applies to your school at onboarding.
Online Delivery
Access sessions digitally, at your own pace. Teachers and directors can work through modules without leaving the school compound — ideal for busy term-time schedules.
- Self-paced — complete sessions on your schedule
- Accessible from any device with internet access
- Full module library available digitally
- No travel required
In-Person Delivery
Facilitated sessions delivered at your school or a nearby location. Ideal for group learning, peer discussion, and the hands-on activities that are most effective in a classroom context.
- Facilitated by trained JF Upskill trainers
- Group learning — builds staff culture and collaboration
- Scheduled at your school's convenience
- Practical, hands-on session activities
What teachers and directors are saying
JF Upskill is built for the realities of Kenyan schools. Here's how it's been experienced by the teachers and directors already using it.
The module on guided reading completely changed how I approach literacy in my class. I had been teaching for six years but this gave me a framework I could actually use the next day. My pupils are more engaged and their reading has improved noticeably.
Grace Achieng
Class 6 Teacher
NairobiAs a director, I always struggled to conduct observations in a way that felt constructive rather than critical. The leadership module gave me the language and the structure to have real conversations with my teachers — and they've responded so well to it.
Samuel Muthai
School Director
WestlandsI used the session on wait time — something so simple but it transformed the participation in my classroom. Children who never used to raise their hand now contribute every lesson. It's one of those things you wonder why nobody told you sooner.
Faith Wanjiru
Primary School Teacher
KiambuWhat makes JF Upskill different is that it's practical. It doesn't feel like a theory lecture — every session ends with something concrete I can bring into my school the following week. My teachers look forward to it now.
Patricia Otieno
Deputy Head Teacher
KisumuThe play-based learning sessions were eye opening. I had underestimated how much executive function development happens through structured play. The children are calmer, more focused, and they're building skills I couldn't teach through a textbook alone.
James Kariuki
Early Years Teacher
ThikaWe've worked with other training providers before and the content always felt generic. JF Upskill is clearly designed for Kenya — it references our curriculum, our classroom sizes, our challenges. That makes a real difference to how seriously the teachers take it.
Margaret Njoroge
School Director
NakuruJF Upskill comes with every Jackfruit Finance school loan.
The only way to access JF Upskill is by borrowing with Jackfruit Finance. Explore our school finance loan products — and when you're ready, submit an enquiry. Your relationship manager will introduce you to the programme from day one.