Hundreds of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are taking part in free summer activities through Staffordshire County Council’s Aiming High programme.
Aiming High gives children aged 0 to 17 with SEND the chance to try new activities, make friends, build confidence and enjoy time with their families.
Families can book up to three free activities each month, including outdoor adventures, creative sessions, sports and animal experiences.
This summer’s programme has been very popular, with many of the 1,267 Aiming High places available for children and young people with SEND and their families already fully booked.
Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said:
“It’s fantastic to see children and young people with SEND enjoying Aiming High activities this summer.
“These sessions help children try new things and have fun with their families in a safe and supportive place.
“Many summer activities are now fully booked, but families should check the booking system as some spaces are still available and booking is already open for September activities.”
Aiming High is open to children and young people with SEND who live in Staffordshire. A diagnosis or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is not needed.
Emily and her son Isaac enjoyed an outdoor session on Wednesday at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wolseley Centre.
Emily said:
“We joined Aiming High about 3 months ago and are currently on our third trip with them. We got introduced to them through our support worker to give Isaac more opportunities to meet other children who are also non-verbal.
“Everywhere we've been so far he's loved. We've been at the Wolseley Centre a couple of times and the Monkey Forest at Trentham and he loved it.
“The programme has really opened up more opportunities for Isaac. For us to go and meet other families and for Isaac to meet other children with similar needs to him is great.”
Parents and carers of a child with SEND are also being asked to share their views about Aiming High activities through an online survey to help improve the service. The survey is available online and is open until Sunday 13 September.
Janet added:
”We want to know what is working well with the programme, what families value most and what could be improved.
“This feedback will help shape future activities, so I would encourage families to complete the survey and have their say.”
Families can find out more about the programme and book places on the Aiming High webpage.
