Support for Children with Specific Educational Needs (SEND)
All children are welcome to attend and fully engage in our camps, regardless of any specific educational needs, disability, or behavioural differences. We are dedicated to maintaining communication and coordination with the relevant external agencies as well as the local authorities. We take these steps to make sure that all of our practices comply with the most recent Department of Education requirements, which facilitate early detection and enable us to give every child in our care the greatest experience possible.
SUMMARY OF SUPPORT FOR SEND CHILDREN
The designated individual in charge of special education requirements and disabilities at our camps is the camp manager. In an effort to provide every child in their respective age group with access to all of our activities, we strive to make our facilities and settings as accessible as we can while taking into account the variety of activities we provide. Wherever it is practicable, the needs of every child who has been identified as having special educational needs and/or impairments will be fulfilled. Children's progress is monitored and reviewed on a daily basis.
In summary, we ensure our events promote inclusion and access by:
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Having a clear accessibility plan
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Approaching schools and providers directly to promote our camp to SEND, CLA, young carers and those home schooled.
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Employing trained staff to cater for their needs (e.g. a SENDco)
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Allocating a specific number of places to our most vulnerable children.
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Ensuring that parents engage with us to inform us of key information relating to EHCPS, IEPS and wishes and feelings so that we can meet their child’s needs.
Unfortunately, for safety reasons, it is unlikely that we will be able to accommodate children who regularly demonstrate aggressive behaviours, who are not toilet trained, or who are likely to run away from their instructor during camp. If your child does display any of the above, please email us so that we can discuss your child's needs further (kjames@apfactivitycamps.com).
CHILD CENTERED APPROACH
By adopting a child-centered approach, we collaborate with children and their families and make decisions about their life with the kid in mind. It shapes the way we educate and care for THEM, emphasising their wants and desires above everything else. We make an effort to adhere to the following procedures at camp to make sure that the needs of the children come first in all we do and why we do it:
1. We talk to parents of children about their preferences for activities and their wishes and feelings regarding those things during registration. In an effort to customise the plans, the coaches and instructors take this into account.
2. We let the childrens' family members know when we think the child is progressing well at camp or when we have concern. Each child has a have a mid-season and end-of-season assessment form completed by staff members. These forms are shared with all relevant parties and greatly assist in informing future decisions regarding a child's academic development or overall wellbeing.
STAFF TRAINING
In accordance with the Department of Education's "Code of Practice: Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs" (2001), which went into effect on January 1, 2002, our organisation trains all of our employees. In the event that we determine that a child in our care requires additional attention to meet their educational needs and their parent or guardian has not previously informed us of this, we will make sure that this is discussed as soon as it is convenient for them. This kind of information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality, and whenever practical, modifications will be made to suit the child's needs.
What is a Special Needs Camp?
Children and young people with disabilities who need specialised care are served by these camps. For people with emotional and learning needs, as well as those with physical and mental limitations, we offer an engaging experience. While some camps may specialise in severe physical disabilities, whereas others will be for campers with behavioural disorders such as ADHD or have Social, Emotional and Mental Health concerns (SEMH).
FACILITIES
Our main focus typically focuses on integrating children with special needs into our regular camps. However, we additionally provide SEND-specific camps, which are limited to helping kids with these kinds of needs. Activities will be comparable to those at other camps, and facilities and equipment can be modified to accommodate the needs of any camper. In order to foster socialisation among campers in a carefree and joyful environment, these camps typically feature fewer "competitive" sports and a greater emphasis on small group activities. In particular, we are looking for behaviour support units and SEND schools to help APF hold activities at their locations. In addition, parents are welcome to send their children to any of our non-SEND locations if they think it would be appropriate.
These camps offer both the camper and their parents a break from their day-to-day routine, so knowing that we are helping, not just the campers, but their carers as well, provides us with an incredibly rewarding experience!
THE CAMPERS
Holiday camp experiences for children with special needs, ranging in age from 4 to 16, are provided by Special Needs Camps! Since the campers will need more individual care and attention, the staff member-to-camper ratio is typically higher. Children create wonderful relationships with other campers, making for an unforgettable and fulfilling experience. Many campers come from the local community and stay for three to four weeks; many campers come back year after year.
PUPIL PREMIUM AND LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
Children Looked After (CLA) and children from low-income households shouldn't face discrimination, in our opinion. Our goal is to offer a comprehensive service that will boost academic accomplishment overall, aspirations, and self-esteem. All students are invited to camp because of our inclusive attitude, regardless of their background. We will try our best to accommodate specific needs, and for families who are having trouble paying for the camp activities, we may be able to offer a discounted admission fee. For additional information, don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly.
For more information,
please contact us on:
07555 748776
Recent Success At Enfield SEND Camp
APF offered a variety of multi-activity camps in Enfield for kids ages 4 to 14 during the Christmas break. The location was the Brigadier Community Hall on Enfield's Cedar Road. We made the decision to include kids with intermediate to severe learning disabilities in this camp as part of the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) initiative.