THERE have been special assemblies via Zoom, gifts and lots of tears as staff at a Derby special school bid a fond farewell to their Year 6 leavers.
It’s been a very different end-of-year for pupils at St Giles School, an Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’ school in Hampshire Road, who are leaving the school to embark on life at their respective secondary schools, as the UK continues to operate under lockdown due to Coronavirus.
Instead of the usual celebration assemblies featuring the entire year and their parents and carers, each ‘bubble’ of Year 6 pupils – a maximum of five youngsters at each time – have had smaller celebrations to mark the end of their time at St Giles School.
Each pupil was given a commemorative DVD jam-packed with special memories of their time at St Giles School.
Executive head teacher Clive Lawrence said: “We wanted to ensure that we dedicated some time to our Year 6 pupils to give them the send-off which they deserve but, due to Coronavirus, that hasn’t been the goodbye which we all hoped it would be.
“Our staff have gone to great lengths to think creatively about how best to give our pupils a happy and, above all, safe send-off.
“Some are coming into school in small ‘bubbles’ to say farewell while others have decided to watch our goodbyes from the comfort of their own homes using Zoom.
“A lot of these children have been at St Giles School since they were four or five and the school has been a big part of their lives.
“I’m very proud of each and every one of them and wish them luck in their new schools.”
Most pupils will attend feeder secondary special schools, which cater with pupils for SEND but one child – Lisa-Marie – will transition to a mainstream school this September.
“This is an amazing achievement for Lisa-Marie as she has spent the majority of her educational journey in a special school,” added Mr Lawrence.
“Transitioning into a mainstream secondary school can be quite daunting for any child. However, Lisa-Marie has come on so much in terms of her self-esteem and confidence that she will go on to achieve amazing things in her new school.
“I am really proud of the mature, young lady she has become.”
As one year group prepare to leave St Giles, the Hampshire Road school are also making plans to welcome new starters and preparing current pupils for moving into their new classes, later this year.
“Because of the current situation regarding Coronavirus and the safety of our pupils and staff, we have had to cancel our open days for new starters,” said Mr Lawrence.
“We have filmed a virtual tour of the school, which parents and carers can view online, and held welcome meetings online, via Zoom for new parents and their children.
“Our transition lead, Beth Rogers, has also been working hard preparing welcome packs ahead of September.”
St Giles School recently opened a much-needed second provision for primary school children with SEND in Derby city.
The Hive, a hub-style building situated between Derbyshire County Cricket Club and the Racecourse – formerly a Viking museum and adult day care centre – will cater for approximately 30 children with special educational needs.
It means that St Giles, which has received ongoing support from its governors, the Trust, Derby City Council and Parents & Carers Together; an independent, non-political group of volunteers which is funded by the Department for Education, will now be able to offer places for 130 primary school children with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) plan over its two city-centre sites.
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