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
Children in school years 1-6 are invited to join our weekly Drama Clubs – where games, dance and drama activities help to build confidence and friendships. Parents have the opportunity to chat with each other whilst their children are having fun. These informal exchanges of news and advice between parents underpin many of the services we provide.
We also provide Social Communication Groups for pupils who are at primary school. Fortnightly after-school sessions offer 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, this new service is designed to work alongside the SaLT provision our children are receiving in school or from other sectors.
When our members start secondary school, they can join our Youth Communication Groups called 5Club. We are currently running a total of four 5Club groups on a fortnightly basis during term-time – two on a Monday evening and two on a Wednesday evening. These clubs provide excellent opportunities to develop friendships, become more independent and practise key life and social skills and are often supplemented with additional social activities for our teens and young adults too.