History

The Link School was established by a group of parents in 2020. However, its origins lie in Family Partners School (FPS) which was setup in 2008. Those parents were having some difficulty finding a suitable school place for their children and they took the steps to set up a school which would meet the needs of their own child. In those early days FPS provided for children who were on the Autism Spectrum.

In 2011 the direction of FPS changed and the staff began to offer a curriculum which was broad and balanced and was similar to the curriculum commonly offered in small schools. In 2014 the school moved to Sheung Wan and remained there until it closed on 31st May 2020.

During this time from 2008 – 2020 more than 70 pupils and young people attended the school. Family Partners School proved to be increasingly popular with parents and it established a solid reputation for providing its pupils with a good education. Many parents said how pleased they were with their child’s progress in particular the change in attitude towards school and the overall improvement in behaviour. Visitors to the school, including staff from the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Education, frequently commented on the positive ethos which permeated the school.

In the academic year 2018 – 19 the school was almost full with 35 pupils on roll and there were 19 staff. There was agreement among the parents that the school was successful and it was fulfilling its goal of meeting the special education needs of its pupils. At the end of that school year an opportunity arose for the primary aged pupils to attend a developing mainstream school and this was successfully accomplished. However, owing to the social unrest in Hong Kong throughout 2019 and the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic FPS was no longer financially viable and a decision was taken in early January in 2020 to close down.

On learning about the closure a group of parents expressed their hope that the school could continue in another location. It was agreed that there was enough interest and support among the parents and a new location was found. The parents were keen for the new school to follow the very successful operation of Family Partners School. One of the main aims previously had been on establishing a partnership between parents and the school for the benefit of the pupils.

Prior to its opening in September 2020 the parents agreed that the school should be renamed and it became the Link School. Several of the staff who had previously taught at Family Partners School agreed to become part of the new school and this offered a high degree of continuity.

The Link School aims to continue the tradition of staff and parents working collaboratively by forging strong links with the parents. The staff offers the pupils opportunities to link with the local community and links with other professionals will be actively pursued. In keeping with the concept of parents and teachers working together for the benefit of the pupils the new motto is “Moving forward together”.

“We offer our pupils the knowledge and skills they need so that as they grow and develop they will be able to achieve their full potential and become active members of society to the best of their ability.”
Link School