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PAGE 98
5.6 Dunbar Primary School,
East Lothian
Tantallon
at Breaktime
Dunbar Primary School
My name is Tove
Gammeljord and I started at Dunbar Primary School two years ago as senior
teacher in The Support Base for SEN pupils. As a special remit in the
school I was looking for something where the following would be achieved:
- Contribution to integrating
the Support Base into an important facility also for mainstream children.
- To help to cover a need
in the school.
- Use of my experience of
working with EDB children.
I came up with the following
suggestion which had scope for fulfilling my criteria. As an alternative
to going outside at playtime vulnerable children could be invited to come
to Tantallon instead. (Tantallon is my chosen name for the Support Base).
I put this to my Senior Management who happily agreed to go ahead on a
trial basis.
When I started off we first
offered this to P4-P7. This year it has been extended not just to P1-P3
but also to cover lunchtime. More staff have been assigned to run this
facility and money/equipment has been found to make this 'safe haven'
function in the best possible way.
The ethos is to make the children
who come very welcome and feel special. We engage ourselves with the children
in structured activities which are different to classroom activities.
Our enthusiasm spills over to the children and they want to join the crafts,
games or whatever is on offer.
New friendships are being made.
The children look forward to coming and leave the room with a smile on
their face. They return to class in a far better state of mind for learning
than had they been out in the playground and suffered another setback.
The feedback I get from this
venture, particularly from the children, is very positive. My management
invited me to submit this as an example of good practice to promote learning
for vulnerable young people.
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