Enso International Academy, TTDI

Enso International Academy, TTDI is a safe haven exclusively dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of children with disabilities. Situated within a space of over 8,000 square feet, it exudes a welcoming atmosphere with purpose-built facilities including a multipurpose studio, library, pre-vocational room, mentor space, sensory room and classrooms fitted with smart boards. The academy is named after the Japanese word – Enso – meaning a “circle of togetherness”, an imperfect community that sees the beauty in imperfections and gives strength to the individual to embark on a journey of personal development. Just as the name suggests, Enso provides an inclusive setting that caters to a range of special needs from dyslexia to autism spectrum disorder – a place where children can “Learn. Belong. Succeed."

The team at Enso comprises highly experienced experts in the special education field alongside professional therapists who are truly dedicated to delivering transformative outcomes for every child in the academy. Their unique combination of skills allow them to create a supportive yet challenging environment that’s conducive to children feeling mentally and physically safe to learn. Together, they strive to facilitate a child’s maximum functional potential by nurturing all aspects of the whole child – balancing their academic, social, emotional, physical and personal development.

At Enso, they celebrate differences and value diversity. Instead of merely providing support within a traditional classroom setting, they tailor individualised pathways for special needs students aged 4 to 11 years. As their classrooms are filled with diverse learners, each with their own unique strengths and challenges, teachers emphasise the need for small group learning to give students more focused attention to improve progressively. They work with the ultimate aim to empower every special needs student with the ability to think for themselves and with the right tools to become independent learners in the global society.

Besides being able to benefit from a supportive environment, “When parents enrol their special needs child here, the child gets to immerse himself/herself in the Enso school life, which greatly enhances the quality of his/her educational experience,” adds Ms Jigna, the founder of Enso International Academy.  

Enso aims to provide special needs students with as many learning opportunities, if not more, as primary students in mainstream schools. Its curriculum – inspired by the English National Curriculum – is carefully designed to give students a breadth of education while also accommodating for the disability adjustments that they require. Through exciting, interdisciplinary modules, the curriculum covers subject areas like Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Art, Music, Physical Education, and Design and Technology. To keep students engaged in their learning, teachers present lessons in different ways – encouraging discussions, role plays and other active learning methods, as well as using interactive technology.

Aside from academics, the curriculum also emphasises the importance for students with special needs to cultivate qualities such as Enquiry, Communication, Resilience, Morality, Adaptability, Cooperation and Respect. There are many opportunities built into the daily learning tasks – and through subjects like Mind Matters, Money Matters, and Mindfulness and Meditation – for students to practise these qualities and develop character traits that will equip them for life. 

Preparation for life beyond school is always an important goal at Enso, as children with special needs generally do grow into adults who still have special needs. To ensure a self-sustainable life for every student, Enso brings learning to the next level by introducing pre-vocational training into its programmes. This prepares students with skills that will carry over into their future workplace or communities. For example, the ability to follow steps, time management, personal hygiene, decision making and problem-solving.  

For the best possible outcomes, Enso continues to build a supportive and collaborative culture within the school, working alongside families to unlock the obstacles and help special needs students optimise their potential to meet their academic and life skill goals effectively.