The Leone Preparatory School also known as ''Bertha Conton'' or ''The Bertha Conton School'' is an independent co-educational primary preparatory school based in Freetown, Sierra Leone founded by Bertha Yvonne Conton, a Sierra Leonean educator, principal, and school proprietress. The school was established in

Bo, Sierra Leone Bo, also commonly referred to as Bo Town, is the second largest city in Sierra Leone by landscape/geographical location (after Freetown) and the largest city in the Southern Province. Bo is the capital and administrative centre of Bo District. Th ...

in 1961 and was subsequently transferred to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The school is consistently ranked as one of the premier educational institutions in Sierra Leone.

History

The school was informally established in

in 1961 when Bertha Conton started giving lessons to children on the veranda of her home. The school later transferred operations to Freetown, Sierra Leone and was formally established in 1963.

School profile

The school had the record for the highest marks ever achieved at the National Primary School Exams in a year that saw its pupils placing first, second and third in the country. The institution still consistently places one to two pupils in the first ten in the country at the national exam. Furthermore, the school still has the record for the highest marks ever achieved at the National Primary School Exams in a year that saw its pupils placing first, second and third in the country.

Teaching methods and curriculum

The school developed and uses an ultra-modern school curriculum that incorporates elements of the child-centered Montessori method of education or the ''Montessori philosophy'' for early year students in addition to computer based instruction, with a variable based learning style methodology geared towards self-directed scholarship by students.

Current Campus at King Harman Road, Freetown

By 1992, Bertha Conton privately financed and built the current campus at King Harman Road with a computer lab and an assembly hall. The current campus is a modern facility designed for up to 400 pupils.

Achievements

*On its first attempt at what was then known as the Common Entrance exams, the school obtained the best results in the country.

Alumni

* Desmond Finney, a Sierra Leonean actor.

Sources

*https://awokonewspaper.com/sierra-leone-news-leone-preparatory-school-accused-of-victimisation/ *http://awokonewspaper.com/sierra-leone-news-letter-to-the-editor-2/ *https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/lhan113.pdf *https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2015-03-05/debates/15030536000284/WomenEconomicEmpowerment *https://medium.com/@stephenvlansana/sierra-leone-news-kdu-donates-childrens-books-to-three-schools-8acb0eb7d1e4 *https://www.freetownpitchnight.com/2018/10/16/pitch-night-october-17th-2018/ *https://cocorioko.net/the-education-ministry-and-leone-preparatory-school-issue/ *https://groups.google.com/g/usaafricadialogue/c/I3Tb25PA1HE?pli=1 {{coord missing, Sierra Leone Schools in Freetown Primary schools in Sierra Leone Independent schools in Sierra Leone Preparatory schools in Sierra Leone Co-educational schools in Sierra Leone Educational institutions established in 1961 1961 establishments in Sierra Leone Conton family (Sierra Leone)