Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the second SEND newsletter of 2024. I hope that the second term of the academic year has been a successful one for you and your child/children and that you are looking forward to a [warm and sunny] Summer Term. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please speak firstly to their class teacher. If you want to contact the SENDCO directly, please email Ms Jones at ajones@lyndhurst.southwark.sch.uk. If you would like to chat and meet some other families of children with SEND, please do come along to the SEND coffee morning on Thursday 28th March from 9am-9.30am in the Lyndhurst Library.

Neurodiversity Week

Last week we celebrated Celebrating Neurodiversity Week at Lyndhurst and held assemblies for Nursery, Reception, KS1 and KS2. We used some fantastic resources, including the clip from Sesame Street: Meet Julia  Sesame Street about Autism that Mrs Jarman recommended. It’s a lovely short clip to watch with your children:  Sesame Street: Meet Julia (Full Clip | 10 Min) - YouTube. It was also World Down Syndrome Day on Thursday 21st March and you can find out more information here: About WDSD - World Down Syndrome Day.

Easter sessions for children with SEND funded by Southwark Council

 Sport Works will deliver sport and physical activity clubs
 after-school, at weekends and during school holidays, for children and
 young people aged 5-18. Activities will include dodgeball, basketball,
 parachute games, football, fitness workouts and much more. Support will be
 provided at a general staff ratio of 1 to 4, but the provider can be flexible  to
 accommodate a range of needs.

Endorphins  will deliver school holiday play schemes and occasional
 weekend sessions for children and young people aged 8-19. Activities will  include
 art, crafts, games, sensory activities, yoga and much more. Support will be  provided
 at a general staff ratio of 1 to 3 with a designated number of 1-1 placements  
 available each day for children or young people that require a higher level  of support.

Whippersnappers  will deliver a varied Programme of holiday and
 Saturday sessions for children and young people aged 5-19 that require a  higher level
 of support. Support will be provided at a standard ratio of 1 to 1 to meet  the needs of
 children and young people with additional support requirements.

Please note: Due to high demand, holiday provision will be capped to a maximum of 10days provision per child per year (subject to availability).

To access these activities, your child or young person must meet the targeted short breaks eligibility criteria i.e.:

1.General criteria (staff ratio of 1:3 or 1:4)

Age5-19 years

Southwark resident

EHCP(Education, Health and Care Plan) and unable to access universal services due to level of need and/or require additional support

If you wish to access any of these activities, please register via the new booking platform from Tuesday 5th March 2024. Please visit www.eequ.org/southwarkshortbreaks. If you have any problems registering for the new provision please email thriveto25@southwark.gov.uk or speak to your social worker or assigned practitioner (if applicable).

In addition to the activities outlined above, you can find more information about a wide range of services and activities at www.localoffer.southwark.gov.uk

Free Easter Activities at Borough Market

Borough Market is hosting a free Programme of Easter activities, including the chance for kids to grow their own food. From Tuesday 2 to Thursday 4 April, families can pop along to the Market Hall for an interactive and fun session of  will be transformed into a pop-up garden with trellis archways, white picket fencing and flowers for the occasion.

Children are being encouraged to learn where their food comes from through a ‘What’s in the Box?’ guessing game, hands-on crafts and seed planting. Guided by Borough Market’s expert traders, all attendees have the choice of sowing their own fruit, vegetable, or herb seeds. Each child will take their seeds home in compostable pots to cultivate in their garden or window boxes. They will get to personalise their potted seeds by decorating plant pot sticks.

There will also be a free chocolate lollipop for the first 100children who attend the workshops each day.

For information on opening times, visit boroughmarket.org.uk
The Market Explorers Garden events will take place daily between 11 am and 3 pm. The events are drop-in, with no booking required. Borough Market will be open during the Easter holidays at its usual times but will be closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

Theatre experiences for children with SEND

London is rich with children’s theatre, and many cater to children with ASD. Among those that put on relaxed performances are: Unicorn Theatre (London Bridge), Little Angel Theatre (Islington),Polka Theatre (Wimbledon) and Half Moon (Limehouse).

Go Live Theatre Projects is a charity which uses theatre to create inspiring experiences for children with autism and sensory needs (and their carers), taking them to London shows at a significantly subsidised cost. The performances are relaxed, and, before the performance, information (think story boards, travel information, nearby restaurants and workshops) are given. It all helps to make theatre welcoming, rather than overwhelming. Many of the bigger West End shows do relaxed performances now, including The Lion King, Matilda andFrozen.

Useful info and contacts (box)

We Are Family is an independent peer-to-peer support community by adopters, for adopters.  Find out more athttps://wearefamilyadoption.org.uk/

Southwark Autism Support Team (AST) - contact Mr B for advice on 078 0286 0871 or blagoje.vucinic@southwark.gov.uk

Southwark Information and Advice Service (SIAS) 0207 525 3104 or

Literacy and dyslexia support: https://www.bellhouse.co.uk/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr

BBC Dance Mat Typing (free); Doorway Online Typing (free); Nessy Fingers.

Parenting Support: https://www.southwark.gov.uk/childcare-and-parenting/children-s

Home| Southwark Local Offer

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