Community|12 November 2025
This year, we are proud to recognise Bianca Wolmarans and Laerskool Louis Leipoldt in Centurion as the winners of the Resolute Innovative School of the Year Award 2025. Bianca’s approach to teaching coding and robotics has redefined what innovation in education looks like, transforming her classroom into a space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and technology come together to build real-world skills for the future.
At Laerskool Louis Leipoldt, innovation isn’t a project; it’s a mindset that runs through every grade and every subject. With Bianca leading the way, coding and robotics have become a fun and exciting part of learning from Grade R to Grade 7. Learners use tools like Novi, Apprentice Bots, Resly, and TinkerCad to explore, create, and work together.
Whether they’re building with recycled materials, coding their first robot, or planning a small business idea, every lesson is a chance to think differently and learn through doing.
Bianca believes that every learner has the potential to be an innovator.
In her classroom, coding is more than just following steps, it's about exploring ideas, testing them, and trying again. She uses hands-on projects, real-world challenges, and a bit of friendly competition to make learning fun and meaningful.
Her learners don’t just code, they create, problem-solve, and grow in confidence with every lesson.
The journey hasn’t always been easy. Bianca has faced real challenges, from tight schedules to unreliable internet. But instead of giving up, she found creative ways to keep learning going.
She designed unplugged lessons that still built problem-solving and coding skills, proving that innovation doesn’t depend on technology alone. With thoughtful planning and creativity, she made sure every learner stayed engaged and confident, no matter what came her way.
One of Bianca’s most memorable projects was the Grade 7 Sustainable Sanitizer Initiative. Learners designed and built hand sanitizer stations using recyclable materials, combining coding, engineering, and health awareness.
What started as a simple task quickly grew into a full business project. Learners created presentations, planned marketing ideas, and even wrote business plans to raise funds for their classroom. It was a powerful lesson in coding, teamwork, and entrepreneurship.
Another proud moment came when two of her Grade 7 learners used their TinkerCad skills to start creating and selling their own 3D-printed products. With the right tools and encouragement, they proved that innovation doesn’t have to wait for the future; it can start right in the classroom.
This spark of entrepreneurship inspired Bianca to take things even further. Together with her learners, she started building a school-based business model to help make the robotics classroom self-sustaining.
Each learner takes on a real role, from financial manager to 3D designer, learning what it takes to run a business. They even apply for their positions, explaining why they’re the best fit. It’s a hands-on way to build teamwork, leadership, and financial skills that go far beyond the classroom.
Competition judge Adam Pantanowitz, Chairman and Director at Resolute Education summed it up perfectly:
“What clinched it for me was the entrepreneurship integration. The student-run business is genuinely innovative and teaches real-world skills beyond coding.”
Bianca’s work truly shows what the Resolute Innovative School of the Year Award is all about, creativity, resilience, and a love for meaningful learning.
She’s proven that innovation isn’t just about technology. It’s about mindset, courage, and believing that learners can solve real problems in real ways.
This recognition is more than just an award; it’s a celebration of a teacher and a school shaping the future of education in South Africa.
Bianca and Laerskool Louis Leipoldt have shown that coding and robotics can be so much more than subjects. They can inspire purpose, confidence, and lifelong learning.
As they get ready to represent South Africa at the World Robot Olympiad Finals in Singapore 2025, they carry with them a story that reminds every teacher, with passion, creativity, and innovation, that one classroom really can change everything.
