School support service
Many of our school starters have come through Digbies, our pre-school early development groups, which help our younger members (and their parents!) get ready for school.
Through primary and secondary school, our School Support Service led by our highly experienced educational advisor, provides teachers, teaching assistants and SENCOs with expert training and advice to support students with Down syndrome. As well as highlighting our children’s strengths and their individual potential, training sessions cover topics including number skills, reading and writing, behaviour, social interaction, curriculum differentiation and inclusion. In addition, our network sessions bring together teaching staff from different settings to share best practice. Parents are advised to ensure that their school signs up to our School Support Service in order to benefit from this dedicated programme.
After-school activities and clubs
Many of our young children form close friendships during their early years at PSDS, especially if they attend our pre-school early development groups (Digbies). Having been in a weekly Digbies group for up to 3 years, when their school journey begins our children may find they are the only pupil in their school who has Down syndrome, or only one of a very few. We understand firsthand how important it is for our children to build and maintain meaningful friendships – the same goes for our parents too. Those close bonds formed during Digbies can be missed a great deal!
Thankfully our fortnightly Social Communication Groups for pupils who are at primary school help maintain these friendships – and give our children the confidence to build new ones too. Run as part of our after-school offering at our premises in Reigate, these sessions give children in Reception – Year 2 and Years 3 – 6 the opportunity to develop their speech, language and social communication skills through activities led by our SaLT team. Termly topics focus on building expressive language and vocabulary, sharing opinions, discussing likes, dislikes and emotions and using alternative means of communication including charts, symbols and spoken devices. Launched in January 2025 with funding from the National Lottery Awards for All programme, this new service (designed to work alongside the SaLT provision our children receive in school or from other sectors) has proved so popular we are now running four groups. Parents benefit too, catching up over a cuppa, sharing advice and insights, whilst the children enjoy their time together.
When our members start secondary school, they are invited to move on to our Youth Communication Groups called 5Club. These clubs run on a fortnightly basis during term-time – on Monday and Wednesday evenings – and provide excellent opportunities to develop friendships, become more independent and practise key life and social skills. We often provide additional social events and life skills activities for our teens and young adults, including monthly dance sessions. And of course there’s time for a cuppa and a chat for parents too!