In June Pegasus School took part in National Sports Week ,as championed by the Youth Sport Trust.
Derby County Community Trust visited the school on Monday, the school held their sports day on the Tuesday and the schools Occupational Therapy team led a gymnastics session Wednesday and young people enjoyed professional Boccia coaching on Thursday.
The week ended with a visit from Cycle Derby on the Friday. The staff worked really hard to help all the young people engage and take part. We are using the experience to join a community cycling club and to start playing Boccia, which is a new sport for Pegasus. (if successful in taking off they hope to set up a team and challenge other schools to friendly Boccia matches).
On Monday 10th July Pegasus School held their very own Garden Party.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon for the students as they enjoyed a disco and party games before bouncing around on a bouncy castle and by the look of the photos they staff had just as much fun.
After an afternoon of fun and games they tucked into a buffet provided by the catering team who also made them some lovely fresh scone served with jam and cream followed by fresh strawberries and ice cream.
The only thing missing from this lovely garden party was the Queen who I believe was busy on Monday. I bet she didn’t have as much fun as we did at Pegasus.
The Sporting Communities Team have been busy raising awareness of their work in the local community. They provided games and sports activities at the annual Chaddesden Park, Big 1 event, which took place at the beginning of June.
The Sporting Communities’ information bus enabled them to showcase their work with local families, finding out what activities they would be interested in Sporting Communities delivering in the local area.
The SENAD Group have recently sponsored Sporting Communities, providing funding to run their project for 20 weeks. The project is being championed by Chaddesden Ward Councillor, Jonathan Smale.
Pictured is David Walsh, Sporting Communities Community Development Officer
On a weekly basis our school kitchens cook and serve over 3000 meals, with over 60 individual diet plans or special diets. The catering team produces meals based on a school by school bespoke menu – no one school has the same menu as any other. Where possible the menus are created with the help of the young people who will ultimately be enjoying them.
Meals are produced using fresh ingredients – frozen or readily prepared food forms less than 10% of the ingredients.
Having said all this working on a fixed 3 week menu cycle can be monotonous for the young people and ourselves – it is for this reason that we fully embrace working with the schools to deliver relevant theme days, for example curriculum linked events, specific school focuses, diary events such as “World Book Day”.
Here are a few theme events we have worked on in the last few months:
· Japanese Day – A school cultural day, we produced a Japanese themed menu and decorated the dining room.
· French Themed Tea
· National Pie Week – The young people helped to create the menu and even helped make some of the pies and fillings.
· Comic Relief
· Easter Lunch
When creating the menus we try to source authentic recipes and ingredients, we then encourage the young people to try new flavours and textures.
The SENAD Group have sponsored a community initiative for young people living the Chaddesden area of Derby. Sporting Communities helps young people to engage with sports and through this helps tackle anti social behaviour. They use public buildings and open park spaces to provide activities for young people to enjoy, engage and network with each other. Doing this helps to create a more prosperous, cohesive and integrated community.
Also working in partnership with SENAD and Sporting Communities are Pattonair Logistics, based in the City. The funding received from SENAD and Pattonair will enable Sporting Communities to run their project for 20 weeks. The project is being championed by Chaddesden Ward Councillor, Jonathan Smale.
Pictured left to right are representatives from Pattonair, the Sporting Communities Team, Councillor Jonathan Smale and Jenny Fearn Group Marketing Manager and Richard Atkinson Financial Director from the SENAD Group.
For more information about Sporting Communities visit: www.sportingcommunitiescic.org
Brian Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the SENAD Group joined delegates at the Conductive Education Professional Education Group (CEPEG) 12th annual conference which took place at the Curve Theatre on March 11th. The conference, titled Conductive Education is our Superpower! was hosted by Leicestershire’s conductive education centre Steps and attracted 150 delegates from across the UK.
CEPEG is a professional group that supports the development and practice of conductive Education throughout the UK. Conductive education, which derives from the Peto Institute in Hungary, is a non- medical based developmental aid, which promotes independence for those with conditions like cerebral palsy and is not routinely offered by the NHS. Cerebral Palsy is the most common form of childhood disability affecting 30,000 children in the UK. Conductive Education is one of the few developmental opportunities available, but is not widely known about within the medical profession and society as a whole. There are around 13 Conductive Education centres in the UK, including Steps.
Brian delivered round table discussion titled ‘The acceptance of Conductive Education in the wider world.’ the discussion explored why conductive education remains relatively unknown despite being present in the UK since the 1960’s.
The Right worshipful Lord Mayor of Leicester Councillor Stephen Corrall opened the conference Steps Patron Rosemary Conley CBE gave the welcome speech.
For more information visit –www.stepscentre.org or www.cepeg.org.uk
Bladon House staff members, plus a colleague from Pegasus, have been studying towards a Masters in Education (SEND), through Derby University, since January. Two modules, Masterly Academic Practice and Specific Learning Disabilities, have been successfully completed and the group are now studying Foundations of Emotional Education.
At the end of the summer term members of the group were invited to attend the University of Derby MA Education Works! Conference where Ruby French, Kev Moore and Scott Rhodes had their Masterly Academic Practice Module academic posters displayed with Scott winning the prize for the best in the category. (Presumably because he managed to get a photograph of Professor Dumbledore into his work). The cohort have been asked to present a seminar session at next year’s conference, specifically around areas of special educational needs.
The lectures invariably led to heated and interesting debates and the group have learned a lot about each other and the different challenges faced with each of our students. Whilst there are still four modules and an independent study to complete, the impact of this outstanding professional development opportunity is already evident
Well Done to Support Workers, Jair Emilio and Bernard Aziegbe, from Pegasus School who presented at the Bexley Social Workers Best Practice conference in September. Their presentation was about the work the school has done with a young person, how we evidenced the work we had done and the outcomes.
The conference was one of Bexley’s quarterly children’s social care conferences. Each conference has a focus and the focus of this one was looked after children. In particular they wanted staff to focus on building relationships with children, especially where there is a difficultly due to differing communication abilities or difficult behaviour .
The authorities Practice Development Officer commented how Jair and Bernards video and presentation showed staff how they can understand what a child’s day to day life is like, what makes them happy, even if they aren’t able to communicate that verbally.
The conference was attended by 150 social workers, social work assistants, students, personal advisors, managers, and senior managers, including the Director of Children’s Services.
Post 16 students at Pegasus School are involved in a Youth Club Committee. The Youth Club Committee started two years ago and who meet every Monday.
The long term aim of the committee for students is too:
Promote and encourage their participation in decision making and becoming actively involved in their life choices.
Be listened to and valued to as an individual
Consider the needs of the whole community
Encourage working cooperatively as a group
Use appropriate social communications skills within a group situation
Encourage self-reflection
In September 2015 the committee set up a Friday enterprise hot dog business. They had a loan of £40 from Therapy which they were able to pay back in 6 weeks. Now each member earns a small weekly wage. Students have discussions in the Monday morning committee meeting about topics such as the prices to charge, advertising, resources, dietary choices, profits, and wages when they were in profit, researching best prices for produce and the responsibility of each role within the team. Practical jobs like making posters and research are then carried out by students in college the next day.
The committee are now planning a Music Festival for all students and their families in July 2016. During the day there are plans to have a bouncy castle, various musical activities that students and their families can join in with, different summer games such as rounder’s and a Disco.
There will also be a sensory tent will include hand/foot massage and sensory toys and outdoor water play. There will be marquees for arts and crafts, nail and face painting and cake, sweet and plant stalls.
Tents will be put up by students on the Thursday in readiness for camping and the young people will also help to decorate the field.
The committee members are planning the following fundraising events to finance the festival:
Sponsored Swim
Sponsored walk
Cake/biscuit stall
Loose change collection
And are involved in planning the following:
Making posters
Researching ideas
Designing a map of the festival
Making invitations for friends and family
Fundraising ideas
Generating ideas
For more information or to offer you help to the committee please contact Julie Bailey or Peta Denney on Tel: 01283 761352
One Nine Five, the SENAD Groups transitional home for young adults with learning difficulties and complex needs, has received praise from the Care Quality Commission in their latest inspection report. The home, which is based in Burton on Trent in Staffordshire focuses on the transition of young adults to a more independent life.
Following conversations with staff, parents and other professionals the inspector praised the high levels of committed and well trained staff at the home, the person centred support given to residents to pursue their interests and take part in social activities, the support residents are given to make decisions about their care and support and the willingness of the Registered Manager and her team to listen to and include relatives in the care of their loved ones.
