Social Personal and Health Education Policy.
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is treated as a fundamental element of the curriculum to which all staff members contribute.
Teachers plan and deliver specific class lessons and units of work related to the strands:
Myself, Myself and Others and the Wider World.
In addition SPHE is included in other curricular areas, such as Physical Education, and Arts Education.
Independence skills self –help and social interaction skills are reinforced during meal times, swimming, school assembly and daily routines such as going on messages to other classes and visiting the Principal’s office.
A climate of interaction among pupils and between staff and pupils is positively encouraged and provides essential support for learning in the wide area of SPHE.
The whole School take part in many varied activities outside the school, in the community.
Community skills which are initiated in the school setting are then reinforced and practised in real settings during regular trips to the shops, restaurants, coffee shops etc.
The School has developed a warm relationship in the local community with various bodies and establishments.
We have a great relationship with the local Community College secondary school. Both schools visit each other regularly and the Community College host a Christmas Party and Concert for us every year at their venue.
A Staff member visits the Community College once a year to give a talk on Disability to their students.
As our pupils move towards their senior years they tend to go outside of the school environment even more to enhance the skills they have acquired.
Great use is made of our school mini-bus.
Visits are organised in small groups to the locality .The Skerries Mills is a popular place. We also visit work places in the community such as the fire station, police station, Library and local shops.
Each year we hold our Christmas Show in the Rush Theatre.
We have a School Choir and preform in the Church at our Holy Communions and Confirmations.
We also encourage people to visit us in school.
We have had really successful visits from local art groups and musicians from the National Concert Hall as well as The Gospel Choir.
The local “Trad Group “come to play music every year during the Skerries Arts Festival in May.
School Trips.
Each year as far as possible the seniors undertake a trip away overnight.
This has been hugely popular and beneficial to our students and staff.
To date we have visited
Disneyland Paris twice
London
Numerous places in Ireland and including Northern Ireland.
Huge preparation is undertaken across the whole curriculum with particular emphasis in the area of SPHE.
When students are going away overnight there is a huge emphasis on independence and self-care.
There is also allowance for social interaction between their friends and between staff and pupils.
These trips give students the chance to participate in activities that they may otherwise not get the chance to do ie flying in an aeroplane, taking a train journey, staying in a hotel etc.
For many students it is the first time to be away from their families and is very exciting .For the families too it gives them a chance to allow their children independence away from them with people they know and trust.
There is a huge level of commitment from all staff members in order for these trips to succeed and the school acknowledges the dedication of the staff to the families and pupils.
The Stay Safe Programme is incorporated into the SPHE framework. Each class teacher delivers certain elements of the programme to their class at a suitable level for their pupil’s needs.
However every year a “Growing up “programme is delivered in the school addressing puberty and the teenage years.
This programme has been developed by the teachers in conjunction with an educational psychologist and a parent group.
The school alternates a programme for either Boys or Girls each year.
This programme runs for 6 weeks during the summer term and is facilitated by a clinician from our MDT team and the senior class teachers.
Parents meet with the course facilitators at the beginning where the content is explained to them and agreed upon. Each Parent must give written consent before their child can participate in the course.
Parents will meet with the facilitators again at the end of the six weeks.