Friends of Tor Bank

Public benefits

The purpose of Friends of Tor Bank shall be: (a) To extend education opportunities for children and young people with complex needs. The direct benefits flowing form this purpose include:- • Increased educational progress and attainment of pupils in the school • Inclusion opportunities for pupils outside school such as support to attend local

church groups and youth clubs with tailored programmes and resources provided through the expertise available from school staff. • Increased opportunities for young people to be involved in work shadowing, tutor and mentoring. • Educational programmes with other schools and support organisations • Extended links built within the local community These benefits can be demonstrated by: • Increased motivation of children and young people to join local club and societies • Acceptance and involvement of young people in the community that they are expected to live and work. • Increased opportunities for young people to develop life skills • Greater collaborate partnerships between school, employers and local community groups. (b) Developing more effective relationships between staff, parents and partnerships associated within the school. The direct benefits flowing from this purpose include: • Collaborative working between all parties involved in the life of our young people in Tor Bank. • Families are signposted to gain the necessary and appropriate support throughout the journey of their child life. • Parents will be able to access support networks available to them e.g. ASD Support Group, Bereavement Support Group etc. • Training opportunities are available for parents so that they can gain more knowledge about their child’s needs. • Staff act in the role of counsellor for parents giving them an outlet to voice their concerns and feel supported through difficult periods in their child’s life. These benefits can be demonstrated by: • A family support centre is open for parents to drop in and gain the necessary support and advice. • Tor Bank Tots provide an outlet for parents of pre-school children to give access to specialised support at a particularly vulnerable time in their lives. • A programme of workshops that are timetabled from November to June to support parents are circulated to Tor Bank parents and parents of pupils who have special educational needs who attend local mainstream schools. • Facilitating a multi-disciplinary approach such as MDT forums with a range of experts from health and education to ensure a holistic approach to meeting the needs of pupils. • Tor Bank is used as a contact centre after school hours and we work closely with social services so that parents who don’t live with their children can have ‘contact’ in a setting that our children and young people feel secure in. (c) Engaging in activities or providing facilities or equipment which support the school and advance the education of the pupils. The direct benefits flowing from this purpose include: • There are more opportunities for our children and young people to engage in activities/courses that are run outside of the school building such as; college, swimming, horse riding, donkey sanctuary. • Children and young people have access to the latest technologies such as ipads, ipods and multisensory interactive learning environments that are only possible through funding from ‘Friends of Tor Bank’. • The purchase and maintenance of vehicles such as our people carrier and minibus that enable our children and young people to play an active role in the local community and beyond. • Pupils have access to sensory equipment that would not be available through the school budget. These benefits can be demonstrated by: • Pupils are able to play an active role in the community in which they are expected to live and work. • Pupils are able to communicate more effectively with peers, staff, friends and family through the wide range of technological equipment that the school has sourced. • Pupils have access to sensor

What your organisation does

(i) provide support for staff, parents and children. (ii) publish or distribute information. (iii) build up partnerships with agencies or other bodies. (iv) raise funds for school activities. (v) make grant applications on behalf of the association.