We are undertaking a new Erasmus Plus programme 2016-18
Thinking Globally, Learning Together
To learn more about the Erasmus Plus programme which is funding this work click on the link below
This three year project involves a group of seven special needs schools all involved in reviewing their curricula. All partner schools are very interested in how personalised learning can fit into the education of children with severe and profound learning difficulties. School staff are interested in researching and training in the different teaching and learning outcomes that SEN students in our partner school experience. We intend to implement new strategies across the schools through training and development of SEN personalised learning. The students in the partner schools do not have equal access to a wide curriculum, due to their SEN. In all our partner countries inclusion is a very important issue, which is interpreted differently from school to school. Staff will study and learn from these different educational systems and pedagogic approaches.
The schools have pupils from the following types of SEN; mild, moderate, severe, profound, and complex learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, ASD (Autism), genetic syndromes, physical difficulties, visual and hearing impairment, chronic health issues, degenerative diseases, speech and language disorders and ADHD. Through the project schools will learn from each other about methods / approaches to behaviour and social problems.
This Project will be an exchange of training experience and information to produce a common framework with a bank of new methods and techniques in the field of SEN. It will provide training, exchange experience, methods and tools used in each of the participating schools to give a deep insight into different systems of educations and methodology implemented by each country to overcome many difficulties for students with SEN. This will allow teachers to create a bank of resources, tools, methods and useful practices.
The countries involved are
UK Welwyn Garden City
Spain, Caceres
Belgium, Merksplas
Turkey Golcuk
Romania, Oradea
Poland Lezajsk
Bulgaria. Dobrich
Spain Centro de Educación Especial PROA Cáceres
PROA is a specific school centre with children that have special educational needs. Our school has 96 pupils with special educational needs between preschool, primary, secondary and technical education. There is also initial technical qualification programs and transition to adult life. With respect to workshops areas we have: a gardening workshop, a wood workshop, a cooking pastry workshop and the initial technical qualification program “cleaning worker and housework”.
PROA is currently involved in several projects "School Libraries Network Extremadura", "Plan of Basic Skills", "Scholarium" Mus-E and we have participated in a Comenius Multilateral "The Big Adventures of the Little Prince", all these projects are for educational innovation and we are proud of our involvement
Romania Centrul Scolar de Educatie Incluziva ''Cristal'' Oradea Oradea
CSEI Cristal Oradea is a complex of pre-primary and primary school for 98 children aged from 3-11 . Our school provides educational services to children which have been identified with different disabilities. We have 12 pre-primary classes (5 for children with sensorial disabilities, one for multiple sensorial disabilities and 6 motor and neuro-psychomotor disabilities) and 2 primary classes : one for visually impaired children and one for multiple sensorial disabilities children(deaf-blind and more) .
Our main objectives are the development of targeted therapies for children with sensory disabilities, autism, motor and neuro-psychomotor disabilities within our institution, the development and implementation of customized intervention plans based on periodic evaluations of each child, ensuring the full development of children with disabilities based on the specificities of diagnostic data, age and individual peculiarities .
Turkey OZDEBIR Ozel Egitim Uygulama Merkezi Golcuk
ÖZDEBİR Özel Eğitim Uygulama Merkezi (Turkey), established in 2008, is a special school, for children aged 3-14 years. All the children have autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) of varying degrees. All pupils need highly qualified and competent personnel to help them to develop their abilities and to fulfil their basic needs. The core subjects we concentrate on and evaluate are:
Social skills – awareness of self and others, Behaviour, Attention / Memory , Conceptual understanding, Thinking,Communication, Motor skills training, Musicality and Creativity.
We have 36 students in 8 classes.
Bulgaria Special School 'Dr. Petar Beron' Dobrich
Special School "Dr Petar Beron" is the only school in Dobrich which serves pupils with special educational needs. The school provides specialized programs for children with moderate and profound mental retardation, speech and language disorders, multiple disabilities and chronic diseases.The educational program is designed in accordance with the special curriculum approved by the Minister of Education and Science.
Our special school educates pupils aged 6-16. There are 85 students, divided into 13 classes. The students from upper classes are trained for the profession of ‘Floriculture and Landscaping’.
Special School "Dr Petar Beron" provides specialized programs for children with varying degrees of mental and multiple disabilities. Sports activities that raise interest and a positive emotional experienceare important including Special Olympics
Poland Specjalny Osrodek Szkolno-Wychowawczy w Lezajsku Lezajsk
Specjalny Ośrodek Szkolno-Wychowawczy w Leżajsku is a school that provides education to 141 pupils at the age of 3 to 20, who have Special Educational Needs and need specific support with their learning difficulties of different kind.
In SOSW we provide class-based special needs education for pre-school, 1st-6th class of Primary School as well as Secondary school students, we also offer vocational education to our older students. On each level of education we educate also students with severe mental disabilities. All curricula are planned on an individual basis, taking into account the student’s starting point, and are implemented according to the age group principle. Teaching can be arranged according to individual needs and dysfunctions (autistic classes)
Teaching is arranged according to age class groups but takes into consideration the strengths and special needs of each student. Our school offers as strong and as personalized a support as possible.
Belgium SBSO De Mast Merksplas
Our pupils all have autism, some of them have also a combined learning difficulty. Our school is divided in 2 study types, OV 1 and OV 4.
OV 4: We provide education in function of the degree requirements, as offered in mainstream education. This implies that students should have sufficient knowledge and should have the necessary academic skills to achieve this curriculum.
OV 1: Students with autism or with physical disabilities. All these students have an (edge) normal talent. We provide education according to a realistic perspective on the area of housing, work and to fill in their free time properly.
Our students can partly determine their schooling through a range of choices in the curriculum they follow. In addition, activities are organized in order to prepare them for a work situation through internship. Furthermore, we have access to a private home where our oldest students have the opportunity to prepare themselves well for an independent life and the tasks associated with this.
In March 2015 a group of teachers visited the Centrul Scolar de Educatie Incluziva ''Cristal'' in Oradea. They had a packed week working in the school with teachers and pupils and also being shown places of cultural and historical importance. Among other places they visited churches and theatres and were also taken across country to visit the salt mines which was a unique experience.
In school our teachers were able to observe at first hand how the school teaches pupils with multisensory impairments which is a key feature of the work of this school.
On April 17th we are took 6 students to visit SBSO de Mast school in Merksplas in the north of Belgium. We stayed across the border in the Netherlandswith staff and students from 4 other countries all living and working together - a real way to teach our children about the way of life in another country and about cultures across Europe.
Our pupils had an excellent week living and working alongside pupils from Spain, Turkey,Belgium.Poland and Bulgaria. They learned a few words of other languages. dealt with change, learned independence skills and even learned to wire a lamp.
We spent every morning bar one in school following a well planned roat of activities. Students had lessons in Electricity ,DIY, Cookery, IT, Craft, Administration and Games. Afternoons were spent on leisure activities, a picture quiz around the town, bowling and
In June 2016 Lakeside hosted all the countries in the UK.
Teachers attended training on Sherbourne, MOVE, Omi Vista, Autism, Sensory Stories Forest Schools and Rebound Therapy. They experienced a multi sensory 'extravaganza' in the school pool. Our visitors spent time in class with the pupils teaching them about their language and culture.
To sample the local culture and heritage we met the Mayor at our new Council Chambers. We visited Hitchin Lavender Fields and St Albans including the Abbey. Our visitors were also able to attend a traditional British Street party in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday. To add some relaxation and team building we tried the fun rings at the local dry ski slope. A farewell party was attended by parents students and governors.
In June 2017 Staff and students from Bulgaria, Poland, Spain and Belgium arrived at Lakeside. The focus of the week was on Outdoor Learning and how we use this to take forward the personal objectives for our pupils. The week culminated in a forest school session around the campfire.
We are very proud of one of our ex pupils Matthew Lawrence who has been selected as one of the Erasmus alumni.
Mattehw overcam a life long fear of flying to take part in a trip to Belgium as part of the current Erasmus project. His severe autiosm also made Matthew very wary of leaving home for an extended period of time and this was his first time away from his family. However he became so keenly involved in the project that he managed to overcome these fears and anxieites and we had the most wonderful week away with him in Belgium.
This has now opened up possibilities of future travel with the family which will make agreat difference to their lives.
Congratulations Matthew .