Dignity and independence through specialised education is the motto of Unity College, a unique special needs school that is situated in Chartwell North Estates.
From its humble beginnings in Orange Grove in 1990 – where their initial intake totalled 27 children with delayed scholastic ability – for 27 years, the staff of Unity College have worked tirelessly with special needs children in Gauteng.
Principal Bruce Lindsay said, “It started off with the very dire need for a school that caters to special education needs. A school not government-driven because there wasn’t enough expertise, care and attention paid to special needs education. “At Unity College, our special needs children range from Down syndrome, foetal alcohol syndrome, cerebral palsy, fragile X syndrome and children with various other disabilities often grouped under the term ‘global developmental delays’.”
As a registered non-profit organisation, Unity College also caters to a wide age range of children, teens and adults from three years all the way up to 23.
“We would love to have more children than what we currently have, but that relies on the sponsorship that we obtain from Corporates to make it possible. The School keeps its numbers per class low to ensure the children receive individualised attention.”
Lindsay added, “We look at seating 10 learners per class. When we start reaching that ceiling, we bring in an assistant to help the teacher.
We have approximately 25 staff members from teachers to auxiliary staff – that includes speech and occupational therapists, their assistants, and classroom assistants, a counsellor and a counselling psychologist – there is a full range of therapies available here.”
Unity’s main source of income is from school fees charged and corporate sponsorships, donations and functions, thus making it possible to accommodate underprivileged learners from orphanages, homes and places of safekeeping.
As the special needs children continue to learn, grow and prepare themselves for life, Unity College has undergone a metamorphosis of its own. In 2015, Unity College moved to its new premises in Chartwell North Estates.
“We’ve actually achieved eco-status [with the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa] because we recycled almost everything from the old school. The old premises was due to be bulldozed for a new development, so all the paving, burglar proofing, doors, plumbing, sanitary wear that we could take out, we did.
“We even took out trees that we could uplift and replant here. Our old tennis court poles have been recycled as our flagpoles. The school is 90 per cent recycled. The other 10 per cent was constructed with expanded polystyrene, an innovative green, eco-friendly and energy-efficient building material that you combine with reinforced concrete.”
A school with dedicated teachers ensuring that special needs children get the best care available, the future looks bright for Unity College.
Admissions for 2018 are open and staff of the school are standing by to assist with any questions as of 15 January.
Details: 011 460 1672; 081 879 5646; info@unity-college.org.za or www.unity-college.org.za
Five facts about what Unity College offers:
- Individualised attention in a small classroom set-up
- Individual development plans as part of children’s development assessment
- Specialised Early Intervention Centre (three to six years)
- Children’s vocational training taken seriously and provides a Work Experience Programme on a weekly basis (employability enhancement)
- A team of educators backed by a principal who sends the older children to camp to further enhance independence and social skills.
Talk to us by emailing our editor at daniellap@caxton.co.za
