School learners have varying paces for retaining and processing information, though not every school in Johannesburg is equipped to cater to the different learning needs of schoolchildren.
It is to avail the opportunity to learn to children with diverse learning requirements that The Bridge assisted-learning school opened a campus in Morningside, Sandton, on February 1.
“Lonehill [campus] has grown significantly, solidifying the need for a neurodiverse environment,” said The Bridge Morningside principal Renie Sutherland.
“We wanted to start small but we started with a bang. Currently, we have about 52 students in the whole school, and we’re still enrolling. Our teachers are trained and experienced in understanding the needs of the neurodiverse community.”
Sutherland explained what she meant by a neurodiverse community.
“Neurodiverse just means that we assist our students who might have learning difficulties; our students who might struggle a little bit with processing information.
“We employ remedial practices, especially in the lower grades. However, we are not a remedial school. The idea is that in a traditional, mainstream school, it’s one pace. Here, we look at how we pace according to the needs of the child. Our teachers are trained and experienced in understanding the needs of the neurodiverse community.”
The launch of the Morningside campus was characterised by a fun day for the learners.
“Our theme is carnival – so we’ve got carnival games, we’ve got a Ferris wheel, we’ve got the kids to just come and enjoy and have a little bit of fun as well,” Sutherland said. “Academics are important, but emotional well-being and bringing the fun is just as important.”
Sutherland also voiced her excitement to welcome this year’s first group of Grade 8s.
“It will be our first class of matrics. It will be lovely to see how we’ve given them wings to just fly.”
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