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Letter from the Chair of the Board

Fifteen years! Though the purpose of this termly publication is to provide you with a window into the school’s impact at this milestone, we stand in wonder at how it happened and can only see the hand of God. Lighthouse is trying to do unusual things as a school, and we do not always get it right. Bringing a staff and parent community along in that journey of “unusual-ness” is difficult, too. Yet, through the challenge of providing a remarkable educational experience which results in a different kind of person, God has been so faithful to bring wonderful people and resources together. When we looked out at the sea of students gathering to celebrate our 15th Anniversary, our hearts were filled with gratitude. Thank you, reader, for your part in this school community.

Susanna Dalais

Board Chair

Letter from the Executive Head

December is a special month because we are between our past year and the beginning of the next. We reflect on the journey we have travelled and anticipate the path ahead for next year. More importantly, December brings our celebration of the birth of Jesus who opened the narrow path to eternal life for us.

In this spirit of reflection and anticipation, we are inaugurating a new series of termly publications will be published at the end of each term. Our weekly newsletters inform our current parents and students of school happenings. This new publication aims to extend our communications more consistently to our broader Lighthouse Community including current student families, current and former employees and board members, and additionally, alumni and their parents, donors, and friends of Lighthouse.

Our content will feature our growth and innovations, achievements, and further share key annual data to help our stakeholders comprehend how our God is using Lighthouse to impact and benefit our Lighthouse families, our surrounding communities and our entire island. We hope to build the continuity of your membership in the Lighthouse family beyond a season to a lifetime. So enjoy our initial issue and watch as it fully matures over upcoming editions.

May this holiday season be filled with joy and inspiration for you and your loved ones.

Blessings,

Paul Beatty

Lighthouse Executive Head

Celebrating 15 Years of Lighthouse

On Friday, 6 September, Lighthouse celebrated our 15th birthday with a full day of festivities, followed by a memorable evening event. The day began with a whole-school assembly featuring the Mauritian anthem and our School Song, followed by prayers led by our school captains and a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony.

Afterwards, students gathered on the field for a drone photo in the shape of a '15', followed by energetic house war cries, delicious cake, and a surprise flash mob by the teachers. Soon, the students joined in, turning it into an all-school dance party!

The fun continued with secondary students partnering with primary students for staggered forest walks, with older students giving piggyback rides to younger ones. The day concluded with a commemorative tree-planting ceremony in our Fruit Forest and a shared 'Bring N Share' lunch in classrooms.

In the evening, we welcomed around 600 guests from the greater Lighthouse community. The celebration featured a beautiful performance of "This Little Light of Mine" by Mr West and the teachers' band, with the student choir inviting everyone to sing our School Song. We premiered our 15th Year Anniversary Testimonial Video, sharing touching stories from teachers, parents, and founding board members.

Our Co-founder and Board Chair, Ms Susanna Dalais, recognised the achievements of our teaching and non-teaching staff. The evening continued with a time of prayer led by Executive Head Mr Paul at the Ebenezer Stone, followed by refreshments under fairy lights, with students illuminating the field with glow sticks.

This milestone celebration was more than just a commemoration - it was a reflection of our community's spirit, our commitment to education, and our vision for the future. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of our Lighthouse journey.

For more photographs, click here.

2024 Impact Overview

We think of our impact as a school as part of this equation, on which our Expected Student Outcomes (what we’re going for) rest:

Head + Heart => Hands

Head (Academics)

Lighthouse began as a bold experiment, born from a collection of innovative educational theories that challenged traditional learning approaches. We needed courageous families willing to take a chance on something different - and they showed up. Now, 15 years later, we're proud to say those early ideas weren't just dreams; they've become a proven educational model.

Our primary school is a testament to that vision. We're consistently at 98% capacity, which speaks volumes about the community's trust. Under Hannes van der Westhuysen's leadership, we've continued pushing boundaries, particularly through our commitment to learning beyond classroom walls. Our school FarmLab is a living classroom where students connect theory with hands-on experience. This year's parent survey captured something special. Imagine our delight when 32% of primary school parents said they "can't stop raving" about Lighthouse, and another 65% confirmed they're enthusiastically recommending us to other families. These aren't just numbers; they're real conversations, real excitement about a different way of learning.
In only 8 years, we've graduated four classes in our secondary school, who've gone on to universities across a dozen countries. Under Zach Mulert's leadership, Lighthouse students have been finalists in international prizes in sustainability, been in the top 10 Cambridge exam results in various subjects, won a national art award and sold their winning artwork, performed in a number of all-school productions and recited Pi to 27 digits.
During this time, it is notable that Lighthouse teaching staff have also been learning. A majority of staff members have pursued further qualifications or modular learning in their time at Lighthouse - going on to share their learning in various forums, including the first-ever independent school national teaching conference, hosted by Lighthouse earlier this year.
Over the years, Lighthouse has moved from two different rented facilities to purchasing and building our own campus, including classrooms with room to grow, a spacious Design and Technology building, a farming and outdoor educational area of some 2 acres, sports fields and a dining Pavilion which feeds more than 600 people lunch daily.

Heart (Spiritual Formation)

As the equation would indicate, growing in knowledge and skills is augmented by cultivating the heart at the same time – that what is in the Head is not cause for pridefulness or put to evil ends, but that it is transformed into wisdom, through humility and kindness.

Lighthouse's 6 Core Values are taught, assessed and rewarded at every grade level, every year. In their outgoing survey, our 2024 graduates rated the school’s evidence of these values in the top 2 category levels 98% of the time.
This year past we have had student leadership structures in both primary and secondary. The student leaders help reinforce school culture and provide student visibility on situations that impact students’ wellbeing, such as bullying or mental health issues.
In 2024, our Spiritual Emphasis week around Easter was a visible marker of how God is working in the lives of some students. A significant number of students approached staff members and volunteers for prayer and follow-up. The opt-in, after-school BLAST club also had a consistent average attendance of about 25 secondary students who wish to apply Biblical wisdom to their lives.

Hands (Social impact)

What difference is Lighthouse making in and outside of its school community? Where is our combination of Head and Heart applied?

Lighthouse’s specially trained Child Safeguarding team has helped confidentially identify and remediate various issues to stop or keep students from harm. Though this work by definition may be unseen, it is some of the most important work a school community does.
The Lighthouse scholarship programme has been in place since the school’s first year of operation. For the year 2024, the value of these scholarships was Rs 5,420,448, supported in part by freewill donations. Our scholarship students have gone on to thrive after graduation.
Some of the initiatives in which Lighthouse students volunteered in 2024 included our FarmLab, our annual beach clean-up, various community clean-ups, volunteering time with local NGOs, collecting donations for cyclone relief victims, and donating Christmas boxes and groceries for less fortunate children and families via local NGOs.
This year, we hosted several community picnics and our first Family Fun Day, connecting our broader school community together.
One of our goals is to inspire future educators, and we’re proud that three Lighthouse graduates have returned to train with us while continuing their studies.

Current Lighthouse Enrolment Snapshot

For student enrolment, we see a 15% growth from a total whole school number of 511 in January 2024 to a total of 583 to start the 2025 academic year. Primary has 316 and Secondary 267 students, respectively.

We note that the majority of our expatriate students are from South Africa.

The largest growth is seen in Secondary, which has grown 25 % from 214 to 267 from January 2024 to January 2025.

Job Opportunities at Lighthouse

As we grow and strengthen our staff team, we are looking to fill the following positions:

Secondary Design & Technology teacher
Secondary Digital Media/Computer Science Teacher
Reception Teacher
Primary Classroom Teacher
Primary Classroom Teacher (French Language Specialist)
PE Teacher (Primary)
People & Talent Coordinator
FarmLab Manager Trainee
Handyman/Kitchen Porter

To apply for any of these positions please follow this link and complete the application process. For more information please email us at talent@lighthouse.edu.mu.

Opportunities to support our vision

As a non-profit organisation, part of our mission is keeping our fees low, so we count on contributions from our local and international community to bridge the gap and supplement our fee income. Donations may be one-off and project-focussed donations, or monthly commitments.

Thank you to our many supporters that have sustained and boosted our growth over the last 15 years. Our school and our impact is the fruit of your investment. And as we embark on achieving our goals for the next 15 years, we look to grow our family of supporters.

How can you give?

Financial donations: individuals, companies and organisations are encouraged to consult our annual Wish List and consider giving on a one-off or ongoing basis.
Volunteering time: we are thankful for parent and interested community members who help in various ways
In-kind giving: at any given time, in-kind gifts help us keep our procurement costs low in areas as diverse as construction materials, furniture and fittings and other materials; educational services also provide discounts to strengthen our curriculum

Lighthouse is eligible to receive donations from corporate entities registered in Mauritius as part of, or outside of, their Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

International donors may also be able to give donations which are tax-deductible in their country of origin through one of our partner organisations.

Please contact our Finance Office (accounts@lighthouse.edu.mu) for more information, or click here to find out more.

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