Interacting with the world outside our school
Published by Daldorch House School and Daldorch Satellite School (South Lanarkshire Children's Services) on Tuesday 11th of December 2018
At Daldorch, school doesn’t end at the gates: we are learning for the real world, and preparing your child to live as an active member of their community. We are very much part of Catrine, the village next to our school. Your child can walk there with friends and staff, crossing the river Ayr on their way to the shops and cafés. The people of Catrine are friendly and welcoming and, as many of them work at our school, they know our children and are familiar with autism. We often go further afield, exploring the countryside on walks, relaxing on the beach, and going into town to go swimming or to do a bit of shopping. We may also go to a restaurant as a treat, or go to the cinema. For us, the community is an extension of our classroom and we use every opportunity we have to put the skills we’ve learned into practice. We encourage our young people to volunteer, which is why we’ve developed links with local organisations that make it possible for every young person to help in some way. Some deliver leaflets for organisations around Catrine. Some give time to upkeep Catrine’s community garden. Others litter pick in and around school. We’ve just begun volunteering with the Guide Dogs charity, taking responsibility for collection boxes in local shops. This year our focus in Religious and Moral Education is on the work of a charity called Mary’s Meals. Our young people are undertaking a range of activities with them, such as sorting clothing and making friendship bracelets. Because of our strong links with the local community, when your child leaves Daldorch, they will have practised the skills they need to live as independently as possible, and will have learned that they have an important role to play in society. In its 2012 report, Education Scotland praised our staff’s use of outside spaces and the local community to help young people transfer their skills in different settings.
