At the time of placement few of our newly admitted boys are ready to be placed directly into the formal school system. They have often dropped out of school, not necessarily due to lack of potential, but because of their inability to bridge the huge academic and cognitive gaps without the help they need. Along with these academic challenges come physical and emotional challenges which form additional barriers to learning. This means that the boys are often much older yet less able to cope than their school going peers and this leads to high levels of frustration for both the child and the educators. The boys therefore need to receive bridging and/or remedial education on an individually appropriate level, allowing them to master the foundational skills needed to progress at school.

There was thus an urgent need for an effective alternative which addresses the root of the problem and enables the boys to become school ready before an attempt is made to place them in a formal school. The Strong Foundations School programme was launched during January 2014 and has since grown in its policies and procedures, as well as add-on support services.