"Coldon"
The Welsh School of Excellence for Conductive Education
GENERAL AIMS OF THE SCHOOL
To help the children adapt from a home environment to a class environment. Provide a compassionate, caring environment based on love and trust that will encourage confidence and the development of the individual child as a whole. To develop in each child a high level of independence, using the Conductive Education system which differs mainly from all other special educational systems in that the rehabilitation, treatment and the educational work concerning the children are a homogeneous, inseparable unit. All activities merge to form a single educational process. In theory, nothing about Conductive Education is fixed. It is a completely flexible system capable of integrating into a coherent method, technique, or procedure reconcilable with its general principals or serving its educational purposes.
To establish effective communication skills, where necessary using alternative augmentative methods of communication e.g. Bliss, Makaton. To provide access to a broad and balanced Curriculum, at the appropriate levels, using methods and resources best suited to the individual child's needs and ability with the aim of assisting the process of integration into mainstream school.
To work closely with parents as partners in the education of their children.
To actively engage in research and a training Programme, linking into existing primary schools so that a back up service can be provided for children with special needs.
Fro the School to become a "National School of Excellence" in Wales and apply the techniques of Conductive Education.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE APPROACH
Each pupil is treated as an individual with specific needs, hence the Programme's of work are based on each child's individual needs and ability. The teaching of the children takes place under the auspices of Conductive Education.
Conductive Education is a system of special education which depends on the active participation of its students in attempting to overcome their motor disabilities. The method consists of a flexible but continuous approach to physical education where the child is given a reason to succeed by setting the right goals i.e. age appropriate activities.The continuous approach is achieved by integrating the rehabilitation treatment into the educational work of the child i.e. all the activities merge to form a single educational process. This is facilitated by the conductor who co-ordinates the efforts of several disciplines, medical, psychological and educational. They are trained to develop their own integrated Programme by continually monitoring and adjusting for each and every child. By acting thus, she/he prevents the fragmentation of the child's education.
The children do not work in isolation but in groups where the learning is achieved through a daily schedule. Goals are set for the group as a whole.The whole process is smooth and harmonious and through a multilateral learning process the child's personality develops to its maximum potential. Initially, the children are individually assessed by the conductors and consultants to establish if the system of education can help them to develop their skills. Parental involvement is crucial to the success of the treatment and hence parents are encouraged to be active participants and partners in their child's education.
OUTLINE OF THE CURRICULUM
The accomplishment of basic motor tasks i.e.: sitting securely, looking, listening, communicating and concentrating are needed to give access to the educational curriculum.To assist the children in their future reintegration back into mainstream education, the school offers a broad and balanced Curriculum to its pupils at the appropriate level for each child. The curriculum is delivered partly by discrete educational tasks and partly by integration of the work into the actual task series of the physical education Programme
It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits ...to break through barriers.
C.H.Mock FCMI.