RA International School (RAIS)

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas School (NLNG)

NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas) School is situated in the Nigeria LNG Residential Area (RA) with over 700 students on roll. The school currently has a five-form entry intake although in some year groups there are six classes. Class sizes are small with most classes under 20 children. Learning Assistants are attached to all Early Years and Year One classes. The vast majority of the children and staff in the school are Nigerian nationals.

The school is currently completing an integration process. In the past the school operated as two schools under one roof with an International Stream, following the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the National Curriculum in England for Literacy and Mathematics, and a Nigerian Stream following the Nigerian Curriculum. In 2012 the Early Years department introduced the IPC in all classes and in 2013 the International and Nigerian Streams merged. Year groups are merging on a year-by-year basis.

All classrooms are air conditioned and have interactive whiteboards connected to laptops, two children’s PCs and a teacher’s computer. All classrooms have access to the internet and there is Wi-Fi available in many parts of the building.

The school is generally well resourced and Specialist Subject teachers are employed to teach PE, Swimming, ICT, French, Islamic Studies, Music and Art and Design Technology. After School Activities run each term offering art, sport and musical based activities as well as Nigerian culture and language classes.

Learning Support Unit (LSU)

NLNG School accepts all children of NLNG staff regardless of physical or learning needs. This means as well as the Specific Learning Difficulties (SPLD) needs there are also children with more complex needs. In the current school population there are children with Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Visual Impairment. The range and severity of needs makes for a challenging and rewarding working environment.

Specialist teachers, therapists and learning assistants work in the LSU. The LSU is situated in 4 rooms in a wing of the main building with an additional two porta-cabins. The time children spend in the LSU varies according to their individual timetables. Some children spend the majority of their day in the unit with the exception of when they join the mainstream for specialist subjects, for example swimming and P.E., whilst some children are withdrawn for only one or two sessions per week. Current learning support practices include the use of PECS, TEACCH, Braille, Makaton Sign Language, See and Learn, Numicon, Nessie and Read Write Inc.

The LSU has been functioning for three years and good practices are being integrated into the school through inclusion. There is an increased focus on training for teachers and Learning Assistants as well as awareness sessions for parents.

Location

Bonny Island is situated at the southern side of Rivers State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The island has two main towns, Bonny Town and Finima Town. The nearest city is Port Harcourt, a boat or short flight away. The Nigeria LNG Residential Area (RA) and Industrial Area (IA) are situated to the south west. Liaison Road connects the IA and the RA.

All housing, shopping, medical and primary schooling needs can be met within the RA. The supermarket receives regular supplies and it is possible to order specific items that you may need (although you may need to buy a whole case!). It stocks canned and dried goods, toiletries, electrical and kitchen items, frozen food, meat (frozen), fruit and vegetables. In addition, there are smaller independent shops including a frozen meat and fish shop, a bakery and a small vegetable shop. There are also some local traders who will take orders for fresh fish, meat and vegetables and deliver to your door. There is a Saturday ‘wet’ market that sells everything from imported fruit to local African land snails (a delicacy).

Recreational Facilities include a 50 metre pool as well as a smaller one in the Joint-Venture (JV) camp which is linked to the main RA. There is a golf course and driving range, tennis courts, squash courts and gym. Walking, jogging, running or cycling around the perimeter (6km) is also a popular way to keep fit. There is a small library which stocks DVDs as well as books.

The RA is secure with security at the gate and patrolling the fence. It is very safe to bike and walk around inside the camp. Movement outside the camp is possible to visit the towns of Finima and Bonny but restrictions are sometimes in place. Tap water is drinkable although many people use a ‘Britax’ style filter. Bottled water is also widely available. The power supply is good and UK style three-pin sockets and plug are widely used. Satellite TV and internet is provided in all houses.

Travelling to and from Bonny

Teachers usually fly into Lagos, staying overnight in a hotel. The following day the journey continues from on a company chartered aircraft to the NLNG airstrip on Bonny Island. The company also has a fleet of Catamarans offering four crossings a day to Port Harcourt. This usually takes about two hours. There are also twice daily flights between Bonny and Port Harcourt, flight time is about 15 minutes.