In January, last year, Peckover Primary took the daunting step to open a specialist SEND (Specialist Educational Needs) provision to support some of our most vulnerable children. This was a step that needed to happen in today’s educational world, with the pandemic of so little spaces in special schools taking on the SEND children.

In the last 18months we have managed to change eight ASD children’s school life dramatically through a calming environment where all of their needs can be met through bespoke learning and sensory resources and strategies. In this short period of time, children have become happy, calm and successful within their school life. We are able to see independent and thriving children who would have been lost within their mainstream class make friendships and have the want to attend school every day.

We are so lucky to be able to make these children’s school lives memorable and anxious free as any other child in school, but it has come at cost. We are now in need of developing our outside courtyard area, creating sensory opportunities outside to allow children to be happy and successful.

We are hoping we can raise enough funds to be able to provide these children with a large sandpit, sensory mud kitchen and a sensory outdoor den.

With the demand on a specialist provision increasing, it is important that we can provide sensory opportunities outside as well as inside in order for children to be happy in their mainstream setting.

We believe we owe it to our SEND children to provide the very best learning support and environment we possibly can but we just need your support in continuing their happy and successful learning journeys.