Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the need for revised policies in schools with regards to teaching and learning. It is within this light that the study envisages to provide an insight into policy implementation at a public-partnership school within the Western Cape. The study aims to investigate the implementation of existing and amended policies by school leadership during the pandemic. The current body of literature does not fully extend to public-partnership schools, as it is a relatively new concept within South Africa which has not yet been fully explored. This study aims to address the gap in knowledge with regards to policy implementation in public- partnership schools. By utilising a case study with a qualitative research approach, data was collected by means of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Five participants participated in completing the questionnaires, and three participants were selected from this cohort to participate in interviews. Participants for both forms of data collection were selected on the basis of their knowledge and experience with regards to school procedures and years of experience. After detailed analysis, the findings revealed that whilst educators ensured that the prescribed curriculum was covered, learners suffered large gaps in the learning which resulted in a breakdown of school culture. It was also found that the school operating partner assisted the school in terms of technological resources but that they were not visibly active in the development of the school leadership team. The study; therefore, recommends that internal policies and practices are developed in order to bridge the gaps in learner knowledge and cultivate a positive learning culture. Furthermore, it is suggested that the school operating partner works directly with the senior leadership team as well as the broader staff to effectively develop the institution as a whole.