Bascule provides awareness training for Solent Junior School pupils
Children at Solent Junior School in Portsmouth recently spent two days learning all about disability through a fun, interactive and educational programme developed by Bascule Disability Training.
One of the awareness days was sponsored by Compass Accountants, the local accountancy firm based in Titchfield, and provided the pupils with an in-depth look at disability.
Bascule presented a range of games, educational activities, debates and challenges, all of which have been developed to enhance the children’s understanding and awareness of disability.
Children in Year 3 and 4 began their awareness day looking at sport and disability, and participated in Boccia, a Paralympic sport that can be played by people with various disabilities.
Year 6 children were engaged in debates and gave consideration to what it is like to have a disability, how disability is perceived, living with disability, hidden disabilities and identity.
All school years also attended a personal talk provided by Bascule's Managing Director, Chris Jay, who discussed independence, adjustments, and life with a disability.
Chris said, “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to speak with the children at Solent Junior School. Unfortunately, children with a disability -or those with SEN (Special Educational Needs)- are twice as likely to be bullied, so gaining an understanding around disability is critical for this age group. We aim to make a difference by simply raising awareness and allowing children to be more empathetic, and have a firmer, clearer understanding of disability.”
Mrs Karen Young, SENDCO Teacher at the school, said, “All our children are tolerant of difference, but it is easy to concentrate on high flying role models such as Paralympians, when exploring disability, when the reality of everyday life is often not considered. During the sessions, the children saw how simple day-to-day tasks were managed, which was very powerful. We constantly teach our children about resilience and perseverance and Chris reinforced this by reminding them that it’s not about what you can’t do but what you can do; negative attitude is a bigger barrier than any disability.”
A parent of a year three pupil said, “My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the game of Boccia, she came home and told me all about it. She also spoke about the sport videos that were shown it definitely increased disability awareness with her."
