More Than a Classroom: Slum2School Unveils a School Designed Around the Whole Child in Makoko

In Makoko, Lagos, where access to quality education continues to be shaped by the realities of an underserved community, Slum2School Africa has commissioned its first Model School at Aiyetoro African Primary School, introducing a different way of thinking about what a quality learning environment can look like for children.

The newly commissioned Aiyetoro African Primary School, Makoko.

The newly transformed public school brings together improved classrooms, Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres, library and learning spaces, STEM and innovation facilities, improved WASH infrastructure, a sick bay, music and creative spaces, play areas and sports facilities within one integrated learning environment.

But the significance of the transformation extends beyond the facilities themselves. At its centre is a simple question: what kind of educational experience does a child have once they get through the school gate?

For Slum2School Africa, access to education must mean more than enrollment. It must also mean creating environments where children can learn, play, explore, develop, feel safe and experience the dignity of a school designed with their needs in mind. That thinking has shaped the transformation of Aiyetoro African Primary School into a Model School built around the whole child.

Rethinking the Learning Environment

At the heart of the transformation is a deliberate investment in Early Childhood Education.

A student engaging with learning and play tools inside the renovated ECE classroom.

Ten existing nursery classrooms at Ayietoro African Primary School have been renovated and adapted into more engaging, age-appropriate learning spaces for young children, recognising the early years as a critical foundation for cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.

The school also now has 12 renovated primary classrooms, creating a more consistent learning environment for children progressing from nursery through primary education in spaces designed to be safer, more welcoming and more responsive to their developmental needs.

But the transformation extends beyond the classroom, because education does too.

A newly improved library provides space for reading, exploration and independent learning, while the STEM and Innovation Lab gives learners opportunities to question, experiment, build and explore ideas beyond traditional classroom instruction.

The school’s improved WASH facilities, including renovated toilets and a solar-powered water borehole, strengthen access to safe water and sanitation while supporting children’s health, dignity and participation in school.

A dedicated music room provides another avenue for creativity and self-expression, while the school’s sports and recreation facilities create opportunities for physical development, teamwork and play.

State of the art music room

The school now includes a multipurpose sports court supporting volleyball, basketball and lawn tennis, alongside a dedicated football pitch and enhanced play areas.

Together, these spaces reflect a broader understanding of childhood: children do not learn only through lessons. They learn through play, interaction, exploration, creativity, movement and relationships.

A School Designed Around the Whole Child

The Model School brings these different experiences together within one public-school environment. The classroom supports learning. The ECE spaces support early development. The library and STEM facilities create opportunities for exploration and discovery. WASH facilities support health and dignity. Music and creative spaces allow children to express themselves, while sports and play areas support physical and social development.

A sick bay further strengthens the school’s focus on learner wellbeing by providing a designated space to respond to children’s immediate health needs during the school day.

These are not stand-alone interventions. Together, they create a more holistic learning ecosystem designed around the reality that children arrive at school with needs that extend beyond academic instruction.

For Slum2School, this represents a shift from asking simply whether children have access to education to asking what kind of educational experience they have access to.

A child-centred school must consider more than what happens at a desk. It must also consider whether children have safe spaces to learn, clean facilities to use, opportunities to play, places to create, resources to explore and environments where they can participate fully in school life.

That is what the Model School seeks to demonstrate.

Strengthening Public Education Through Partnership

The transformation of Aiyetoro African Primary School is also a demonstration of what collaboration can make possible within the public education system.

L-R: Orondaam Otto, Executive Director Slum2School Africa, Svein Baera Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Hon. Dr. Bayo Adefuye – chairman Yaba LGA and Professor Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola Vice Chancellor University of Lagos.

The project brought together the Royal Norwegian Embassy, The Ipsos Foundation, HP, Tritton, ESPN, the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Red Hot Concepts and Love Futbol, alongside educators, community stakeholders and volunteers.

The collaboration brought together different forms of expertise and support, from infrastructure and technology to education, sport, creativity and community engagement, around a shared investment in children’s learning and wellbeing.

The involvement of the Lagos State Government and LASUBEB also places the Model School firmly within the public education system. Rather than creating a separate institution, the project demonstrates how an existing government school can be strengthened around the needs of the children and community it serves.

For the partners involved, that wider experience is also what makes the investment meaningful.

Mrs Tayo Salami, Country Manager Ipsos,Nigeria.

“ This project shows what is possible when a community takes ownership of the opportunities created around them. To the students, this project is for you. These classrooms, facilities and learning resources are tools to help you dream bigger, learn better and reach your fullest potential, the sky is truly the limit for you. We encourage you to remain curious, work hard and believe in yourself.

To everyone who made this project possible, congratulations to you all, Ipsos is grateful to be part of this journey, and we look forward to doing even more together with Slum2School.”

— Mrs Tayo Salami, Country Manager, Ipsos Nigeria

Svein Baera, Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, noted:

“We are supporting Slum2School because we strongly believe that education can build and transform a nation. We are happy to support an initiative that brings access to quality education to boys and girls, regardless of where they are from.”

Svein Baera, Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria speaking at the event.

For Slum2School, this is central to the model.

Transforming education is not the responsibility of one organisation alone. The government provides the institutional framework and public-school system. Communities bring local knowledge and ownership. Civil society contributes implementation expertise and community engagement, while partners bring resources, technical expertise and specialised capabilities.

The Model School reflects what becomes possible when these strengths converge around a common goal: creating better environments for children to learn and thrive..

From One School to a Wider Vision

The commissioning of Aiyetoro African Model School marks the first step in Slum2School Africa’s ambition to develop and scale its Model School approach across underserved communities.

The objective is not to create identical schools everywhere, but to develop a practical framework for understanding what children and communities need and demonstrating how existing learning environments can be strengthened around those needs.

The experience from Makoko will provide lessons for future school transformations, while the partnerships behind the project offer a foundation for continued collaboration across communities and education systems.

Speaking on the vision behind the Model School, Orondaam Otto, Executive Director, Slum2School Africa, said:

“We have always believed that access to education is only the beginning. Children deserve learning environments that recognise their dignity, support their development and give them the opportunity to thrive. The Aiyetoro Anglican Model School allows us to demonstrate what that can look like in practice. We are bringing learning, wellbeing, creativity, play and opportunity into one environment because a child is more than a learner in a classroom. They are a whole person, and the environments we create for them should reflect that.”

Orondaam Otto – Executive Director Slum2School Africa speaking at the event.

The ambition is ultimately to contribute to a future where the quality of a child’s educational experience is not determined by the circumstances of the community in which they live.

For the children and educators of Aiyetoro African Primary School, the transformation represents a new chapter in their everyday experience of school, one with improved spaces to learn, explore, create, play and grow.

For Slum2School Africa, it represents something larger: a practical demonstration that public schools can be strengthened by designing around the whole child, investing in the environments where learning happens and bringing the right partners together to make that transformation possible.

In Makoko, the Model School is now a place children can learn, play, explore and imagine what is possible.

About Slum2School Africa

Slum2School Africa is an award-winning, volunteer-driven organisation committed to advancing access to quality education and transforming learning ecosystems for children in underserved communities. Through strategic partnerships with governments, volunteers, communities and development organisations, Slum2School works across education, child wellbeing, digital inclusion, infrastructure, teacher development and community engagement to create sustainable pathways for children to learn, thrive and reach their full potential.