Both Debbie and I know first hand through our experience as parents of children with additional needs just how important schools like Dorothy Goodman are.

Donating to this smaller charity will ensure your contributions go direct to a number of amazing initiatives currently taking place (see below).

To help with this, in 2023 we will be entering a number of events.

Andrew - The Ultimate Ironman Triathlon on the 25th June 2023 (Alderford Lakes, Shropshire). After never doing a marathon or a triathlon, last year I decided to sign up for an Ironman distance. consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run completed in that order, a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km).

Both of us will then be running the 2023 Great North Run on the 10th September. The UKs biggest half marathon from Newcastle to South Shields.

Initiatives your donations will greatly help with.

- For children with limited or no verbal communication skills- chromebooks enable the pupils with a range of disabilities with speech or learning difficulties to communicate. The devices help pupils to meet different user needs offering text, symbols or photos.  We aim to enable every pupil at DGS to have a Chromebook to support their learning and enable these to be used to support specialist learning. ·       

- Pen readers - assistive reader technology.  To support pupils with learning disabilities or complex needs a pen reader provides a tool to be used in lots of different ways. For example, when learning life skills to read the recipe, to read the label on a tin or as part of English or humanities  to help read lines or text. Enabling the pupil work towards life skills for the future.  Students become more independent regardless of which reading disability they are struggling they can scan specific words or sentences and then listen to them.  

- Key stage 2 outdoor learning area: In September 2022 DGS took on additional pupils leading to the changing of outdoor areas to accommodate 2 additional classroom. We would like to develop the key stage 2 outdoor learning area: 

- Outdoor play has a fundamental role in a child’s early development. And it has proven benefits in engaging children with Special Educational Needs.  Freedom to move in a therapeutic, stimulating outdoor environment makes for healthier, happier children.  It teaches essential life skills, boosts confidence and improves behaviour.  Outdoor play through creative outdoor play environments, truly support development and promote wellbeing for all of the children in their care, and especially for children with SEN

- No two children are the same in any walk of life, and children with Special Educational Needs face an entire range of different and specific challenges.  This could be for any number of reasons, social, cultural or familial. Children who attend specialist schools for children with SEN often rely on specialist transport, which presents logistical challenges in terms of time and access to outdoor play out of school hours. Some don’t play outside on their own because they need constant supervision or support, physical or emotional. We would like to develop the outdoor area for key stage 2 where pupils can widen their experiences, develop, and learn in an informal way using a purpose built and designed outdoor learning area.

Every penny raised helps us do this.

Thank you for your amazing support.