Imagine being a child who is vulnerable to abuse, sexual exploitation, bullying and other issues - just because you have special educational needs.
Please would you help us provide Relationships Education content and teaching methods that meet the needs of these children and help them stay safe?
The Department for Education recognises that children with SEND are more at risk and says that Relationships Education should be made accessible for all pupils. The sad truth however is that there are still gaps in provision for children with SEND.
Thanks to our wonderful matched funder, if you give to this work during June, your donation will be DOUBLED!
11-year-old Ruby
"Ruby opened up during the sessions, and we discovered that she had been spending time hanging out with some older boys she met online. The school is worried that she is at risk of CSE* from certain things she has said in these RSHE sessions. (*Child Sexual Exploitation)."
9-year-old Phoebe
"It’s been so beneficial for Phoebe to access these sessions in a small group rather than in the main school, and to have concepts repeated through different activities. She is a visual learner so loved it when Rachel got the children making self-care kits in sessions to support their emotional wellbeing."
10-year-old Bradley
"We are concerned about how Bradley will cope when going through puberty and starting a new school with bigger classes. He needs a lot of reminding to look at other people’s facial expressions to try and work out what they might be feeling when he interacts with them."
HOW YOUR DONATION WILL HELP
Children with special needs go through puberty and hormone changes, and have romantic feelings, just like their peers. But this is not always recognised and the overprotection of children with special needs actually makes them MORE vulnerable to abuse and exploitation (1).
The Department for Education says, "Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education must be accessible for all pupils. This is particularly important when planning teaching for pupils with special educational needs ... some pupils are more vulnerable to exploitation, bullying, and other issues due to the nature of their SEND" (2).
But unfortunately, nationally, there are still huge gaps in Relationships Education provision for children with special educational needs.
Your donation will help us provide Relationships Education content and teaching methods that meet the needs of these children. Such as stories and visual aids; hands-on, tactile and sensory activities; revisiting concepts in different ways; smaller group sizes; and allowing extra processing time.
This will help the children learn about body boundaries; saying yes and no; healthy and unhealthy aspects of relationships; setting boundaries in relationships; and dealing with peer pressure.
- Barnardo’s Unprotected, Overprotected’ report
- Statutory guidance for RSHE