St Joseph’s was established in 1979 by the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny and started out with just eight students and two teachers. In 1986, the school accepted its first boarders, initially taking just 15 girls and 20 boys. Central to the school’s development was the much loved Sister Mary (otherwise known as Sister Paul)  who was the school’s Director/Principal  from 1979 to 2019

Sierra Leone’s civil war broke out in 1991and lasted for a decade. Despite violence in other parts of the country, the school was largely able to carry on as usual until 1998, when rebels came to Makeni. In 2001 when peace returned, the slow process of rebuilding the school began. St Joseph’s has continued to expand, taking on more students and staff and continuing to provide its teachers with special training.

Today the school’s enrollment has grown to an all-time high of over 250 students ranging in age from 4 to 25 years. Over 90  are boarders and the rest attend daily. The school welcomes all hearing impaired children regardless of religion. Pupils arrive at the school with varying degrees of hearing loss. Some are profoundly deaf at birth while others have lost their hearing following an illness such as malaria, measles, mumps or ebola. Thus the amount of language they have when they arrive  is highly variable and is unlikely to be in English which is the language of education in Sierra Leone.

The school is structured into departments: First School (age 4-8 years), Middle School (7-14 years), Junior Secondary (12-19 years), Senior Secondary (18-25 years), Vocational Department (15-20 years). As far as possible pupils are taught the normal mainstream primary and secondary curriculum with a great deal of extra work on language and communication skills.

Young children with a profound hearing loss often arrive with little or no language of any kind. Communication is mainly through signs and gestures until they receive hearing aids and learn to listen, watch and attend to their teachers. All pupils are fitted with modern hearing aids and receive instruction about their use and care.

The Vocational Department offers instruction in agriculture, tailoring, catering, woodwork, IT and hairdressing and progression to St Joseph’s Technical Institute in Lunsar is often possible.

Teacher Training is a vital part of the school’s work as children with severe hearing difficulties need to be taught in small classes by well trained, dedicated teachers. Teachers are encouraged to study for a degree or diploma in education for the hearing impaired at the University of Makeni (UNIMAK).