A little about St Giles School
St. Giles is the only primary special school in Derby City. We are an inclusive school that has the specialist knowledge and skills to meet the needs of pupils aged 4 to 11 years with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This includes those with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We provide each child with an exciting and individualized curriculum which engages, motivates and fosters a love of learning. Pupils are stimulated to become the best they can be, both academically and socially. Staff are highly dedicated and strive to provide the best care, opportunities and experiences for our pupils.
Details of the project for which funding is sought:
Our current sensory provision includes a dark room and sensory room, however, the needs of the cohort of the children and young people that attend our school have now changed significantly since the original sensory room was built, therefore, have found it is not fit for purpose anymore. Unfortunately due to budget constraints and wear and tear these rooms are now no longer accessible for our pupils. We aim to provide a sensory room in which all of our pupils with disabilities can access, in order to do this we hope to raise funds to install new equipment to meet the needs and provide positive outcomes for our pupils.
How this project will make a difference to our pupils
We cater for 116 pupils all with Special Educational Needs. The high majority of our pupils have Autism Spectrum Disorder as their first or secondary area of need. Pupils with ASD can often have sensory processing difficulties which can affect many aspects of their learning and development. It is vital for them to access sensory opportunities such as the sensory room in order to improve their sensory stimulation which will support them in all areas of their development and will support them in reacting and interacting with the larger world around them. A sensory room would allow them to absorb and retain more information as the sensory stimulation engages different areas of the brain, it provides pupils with a safe and calming space in which they can interact and engage with others. The sensory room also supports our pupils with balance, movement and spatial orientation difficulties as it supports them with developing their visual processing abilities and their fine and gross motor skills. The sensory room promotes positive behaviour within our school as it provides a highly absorbing safe space for our children where they can feel comfortable and calm when they are overactive or distressed. Having regular access to the sensory room enables our pupils to access an education they deserve by providing them with the above benefits and giving them a safe and stimulating space. Being able to provide this sensory room would benefit all of our pupils and would be a long term investment where many pupils would be able to enjoy this space for many years to come.

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