About Us

About New Horizon Special School

New Horizon Special School was founded by Mrs Salome François in 1972 and has been legally registered as a voluntary, non-profit making and charitable institution with the Ministry of Education. It is managed by an Executive Director and controlled by a Board of Trustees.

New Horizon Special School provides day school education for children between the ages of 6 and 18 years old, and vocational training and employment for adults (18 and over), who have intellectual disability. Our aim is to not only provide a well-rounded education for children and adults with special needs, in a safe and caring environment, but also to develop each child’s potential to the full so that he or she can lead a productive and satisfying life.

Persons with other disabilities like spasticity, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, hearing impairment etc may also be admitted so long as their primary disability is learning difficulty. Presently, our student strength stands at 101 pupils ranging in age between 6 and 63 years.

Our vocational programs include kente weaving, batik dyeing, basket weaving and bead making. All items produced are sold in the School Shop with 50% of the proceeds of each item going back to the student who made it, as a way for them to earn income. Older students are also taught life skills like ironing, cleaning and basic cooking to help them live independently.

New Horizon Special School provides bursaries for some of our needier pupils whilst those not in receipt of bursaries are charged modest school fees. To date, New Horizon is funded solely through cash and material donations, sponsorship and sale proceeds of our products.

Your support is very welcome. Become a Friend of New Horizon!!

Our main objectives are:

To provide a well-rounded education and vocational training for children and adults with special needs.

To develop each child’s potential to the full so that he or she can lead a productive and satisfying life.

To encourage parents to take active part in the school’s activities, alongside their children, and to participate in educational programs organized for them from time to time.

Our Mission, Vision and Philosophy

Our Mission

Every student has unique individual needs. Our program meets the academic, physical, social, behavioural, and emotional needs of every student so that each student has equal opportunities to succeed and become a contributing member of society.

Our Vision

To serve an identified special education population and provide an age-appropriate model of education & vocational training for children and adults with special needs. To develop each child’s potential to the full for a productive satisfying life. We constantly strive to establish and maintain effective partnerships with regular educators; parents; orphanages; private practice professionals (doctors, psychologists, etc.) and the larger community.

Our Philosophy

We believe that every child whether handicapped or not, has the right to develop to his or her fullest capabilities.

Our Values

Instruction: We value effective instruction consisting of intentional planning, leveraging district curriculum resources, teaching strategies ensuring student engagement, assessment for learning, and deliberate reflection.

Growth and achievement of the whole learner: We value student growth and achievement in social-emotional and academic competencies reflective of the whole learner. Learners are empowered to demonstrate growth and achievement in a variety of ways.

Leadership and service: We value, lead, and serve educators through coaching, providing resources, targeted professional learning, and facilitating the development of leadership capacity.

Equity for all: We value equitable access to rigorous and relevant educational opportunities empowering all learners to reach their highest aspirations. We foster a culture that honours differences in ethnicity, gender, economic status, ability, language, and culture with a goal of eliminating achievement and opportunity gaps.

Relationships, collaboration, and communication: We value the power of relationships to promote growth and achievement. We facilitate collaborative processes and communication inclusive of students, educators, families, and our community.