Who we are and what we do
The Friends of Palatine School is a charitable group whose aim is to advance the education of the children with special educational needs and disabilities who attend Palatine Primary School. We aim to do this by raising funds to provide resources, facilities and equipment to enhance the lives of the pupils, all of whom have moderate, severe or profound learning needs many of whom have associated sensory, motor and communication difficulties. At Palatine we firmly believe in giving our children a fully holistic approach, so as well as teaching the National Curriculum at a level appropriate to their needs we also consider the other important skills they need such as social skills, behaviour skills and ability to cope with different sensory inputs. We work very closely with parents, therapists and other health professionals to ensure our pupils have the very best approach in their educational journey. We currently have over 200 boys and girls aged 4 to 11 on roll.
Why we are raising funds
If you read/listen to the news then I'm sure you're very aware that school budgets are currently stretched thinly, meaning much of our central funding goes into staffing, building upkeep and essential items, leaving very little for the additional equipment and resources that really enrich the school day for our pupils.
Examples of the equipment and resources that we fundraise for include, sensory equipment that helps our children to regulate themselves both emotionally and in a sensory way, to access learning, maximise their participation, support challenging behaviours both in school and home and improve their mental health. This could be something as simple as a wobble cushion or weighted blanket. This is especially important with our non-verbal students who approach the world through sensory learning. It will also support our pupils to develop communication and life skills that are central to their learning and lives outside of school.
Just like everyone else, our school, our staff and our families are feeling the strain from the cost of living crisis, which makes fundraising for resources and equipment all the more important and all the more difficult. That is why we are so grateful to you all for any contribution you can make and for all of your support, even a share of our crowdfunding page can go a long way.