Elsen Academy

Language is vital for school, but it isn’t the only way to be “smart.” Children are often learning both their home language and an additional language, which can make reading, writing, and expressing themselves more challenging.

When a child struggles with reading, writing, or speaking, they may begin to believe they aren’t doing well at school, even when they are highly intelligent and capable.

How parents can help:
• Remind your child that intelligence comes in many forms. Some people think best through words, while others are visual thinkers, problem-solvers, builders, artists, or creators.
• Celebrate your child’s strengths, whether they are drawing, constructing, fixing things, solving puzzles, or coming up with creative ideas.
• Focus on effort and progress rather than marks alone. Help your child see that learning is a journey and that challenges with language do not define their potential.
• Provide opportunities for hands-on learning at home through cooking, building, creating, gardening, or practical problem-solving activities.
• Most importantly, let your child know that struggling with language does not mean they are less intelligent. Confidence grows when children feel valued for all the ways they think and learn.

Our Foundation Phase learners created this beautiful artwork to celebrate Youth Day and to reflect on the difference that young people can make in the world.

The message at the centre of their artwork says it all:

“I can change the world with my own two hands, make a better place with my own two hands, make a kinder place with my own two hands.”

Each handprint represents a unique learner, with their own talents, ideas, dreams, and potential. Together, these hands remind us that even small acts of Honesty, Empathy, Acceptance and Respect can create meaningful change.

As we celebrate Youth Day today, we remember the brave young people of 1976 who stood up for their right to quality education during the Soweto Uprising. Many learners sacrificed greatly to help shape the future of South Africa, reminding us that the voices of young people matter and that education has the power to transform lives.

Today, we honour their legacy by encouraging our learners to be curious, compassionate, resilient, and confident in their ability to make a positive impact on those around them.

For many learners, exams are about showing what they know. But for some of us, the biggest challenge is getting those answers onto the page.

Imagine knowing exactly what you want to say, but struggling to write it down. Imagine your thoughts moving faster than your hand can keep up.

One learner explained it this way:
“When I say my answer out loud, it flows naturally. But when I try to write it myself, everything gets stuck.”

That’s where a Scribe accommodation can make a meaningful difference.

At Elsen Academy, learners who qualify for this accommodation may speak their answers aloud during exams while a trained scribe records exactly what they say, word for word. A scribe does not help with answers or change what is said; their role is simply to remove the barrier between the learner’s thoughts and the written page.

For many learners, this reduces frustration, eases anxiety, and allows them to demonstrate their knowledge more accurately and confidently.

It’s just one of the many ways we support learners to show what they know in the way that works best for them.

If you think about it, writing is a “mental workout.” It requires memory (to remember spelling rules), attention (to stay on track), and language (to build the correct sentences). That’s a lot of tasks happening all at once.

We often find that a learner has amazing and creative ideas but uses very short, simple sentences in their written work. Their brain is working so hard on the “rules” of writing that the “ideas” get stuck.

We can support them by:
• Letting them talk through their ideas before writing
• Encouraging brainstorming without worrying about spelling first
• Breaking writing tasks into smaller steps
• Using mind maps or bullet points to organise thoughts
• Allowing extra time for written tasks
• Praising effort and ideas, not just neatness or correct spelling
• Reading together regularly to build vocabulary and sentence structure

Sometimes the problem isn’t a lack of ideas, it’s that the brain is already working overtime just to get the words onto the page.

One question…

What is the FIRST thing that comes to mind when you think of Elsen Academy?

A teacher, a memory, a lesson learned, a feeling of belonging.

Tell us in the comments below. We’d love to hear your story.

Have you ever had a word on the tip of your tongue but just couldn’t quite find it? For some children, this happens in almost every conversation. This is often linked to difficulties with word retrieval.

Challenges with "output" often mean that a child might use words incorrectly, speak hesitantly, or struggle to come up with examples to explain their thoughts. They also might struggle in an exam situation to give enough of an answer for the mark allocation. They could also run out of time because they take a while to express themselves.

As parents, one of the most powerful things we can do is reduce the pressure around speaking and make language feel safe, relaxed, and fun.

Here are a few ways to support your child at home:

• Give them extra time to answer instead of jumping in too quickly
• Avoid saying “you know this” or rushing them when they get stuck
• Play simple word games like Categories, Crosswords, 20 Questions, or I Spy
• Encourage conversation during everyday activities like driving or cooking
• Praise effort and communication, not just “getting the word right”
• If they can’t find a word, gently help them describe it instead

Sometimes children know far more than they are able to express in the moment. Patience, support, and understanding can help build their confidence over time.

Every like, comment, share, and save helps Elsen Academy reach more families who may be searching for the support, care, and education their child needs.

As a small school with a big heart, your engagement truly makes a difference. Thank you for being part of our community and helping us grow together.

We need partners - Lets build a circle of hope for our Elsen children

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At Elsen Academy, we believe every child deserves a place where they are truly understood, not just taught.

For some learners, school is a space where they thrive and feel confident in how their minds work. For others, especially those with different learning needs, it can feel overwhelming and isolating, like they’re trying to keep their head above water while no one else notices.

Too often, struggling learners are met with:
❌ “Just try harder.”
❌ “You need to focus.”
❌ “You’re capable when you want to be.”

When education becomes too focused on marks, behaviour, and performance, many children begin to believe their worth is defined by results alone.

Some children mask their struggles all day, only to fall apart at home. Others start believing they are “not enough” before they’ve had a chance to discover their strengths.

At Elsen Academy, we do things differently. We believe education must support the child first, meeting learners where they are, adapting to their needs, and valuing emotional wellbeing just as much as academic growth.

We celebrate achievement, but we also honour the quiet progress that often goes unseen.

To every parent advocating for their child: we see you. Your child matters far beyond any report card.

If you’d like to find out more or book a tour, WhatsApp us on 079 811 4383.

It’s been almost two weeks since Elsen Academy’s 2026 Golf Day, but we’re still coming down from the high of such an incredible day!

With fantastic weather, great company and plenty of friendly competition, our golfers enjoyed an unforgettable day out on the course filled with laughter, camaraderie and memorable moments.

A massive thank you goes out to all our families, supporters, sponsors and community members for your generous donations of prizes and auction items. Your support plays a huge role in making this one of our biggest fundraisers of the year.

Every contribution, big or small, helps us continue creating opportunities and experiences for our learners, and we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the Elsen Academy community.