All posts by Ms Noonan

Charity Status

 

Registered charity from 10 July 2018.

The advancement of education at Fairview School, which will be achieved by the following methods: to promote close co-operation and communication between parents and school to study and discuss matters of mutual interest relating to the education and welfare of pupils to engage in activities which support and advance the education of pupils attending the school or pupils who are supported by services based at the school. b) The relief of those in need by reason of complex need or being a parent or carer of such individual by the promotion of peer support of families, carers and pupils.

School Visions, Aims and Values

 

 

Vision

Fairview School is passionate about learning, achievement and enjoyment for all.  We will work in partnership, challenging ourselves to improve and innovate to meet the individual needs of children and young people with complex and enduring needs, in an ever changing world.

 Values

Respect           Integrity        Empowerment      Compassion

Aims

We aim to

  • To provide a bright, stimulating, communication friendly and nurturing environment which is welcoming and inclusive
  • To work with an ethos which fosters shared values and mutual respect, recognising the importance of each individual
  • To ensure children, young people and adults are safe and protected
  • To provide opportunities for high quality and enjoyable learning to take place
  • To be innovative and adventurous in our approach to the curriculum, always challenging ourselves to improve
  • To support healthy lifestyles by promoting healthy eating, active lifestyles and positive mental well being
  • To empower children and young people so that they develop curiosity, can make choices and become as resilient and independent as possible
  • To champion pupil voice in all we do
  • To encourage leadership at all levels
  • To provide consistent and effective transitions into nursery, between classes and post school, which build on pupils’ experiences and learning
  • To encourage and enable open communication and partnerships between staff, pupils, families and other agencies
  • To be an integral part of the wider community and share good practice to promote inclusion
  • To work in collaboration with others to be the best we can be

Within the national context of a Curriculum for Excellence we are committed to ensuring that the children and pupils of the school become

  • Successful Learners
  • Confident Individuals
  • Effective Contributors
  • Responsible citizens

 In order to fulfil our aims we are committed to working in partnership with parents/carers, allied health and other associated professionals, the wider school and local community. In addition, we are involved in local and national developments which benefit the development and wellbeing of the children and young people in the school.  Inherent in the school is the principle of equalities and we ensure children and young people have access to their curriculum entitlements.

We seek to involve all staff, parents/carers and pupils in the work and life of the school, decision making processes and developments.

We work closely with officers of the Education & Children’s Services and other Council

 

Signposting

In the first instance it is always advisable to seek support through school. Your child’s teacher will always be more than happy to discuss any matters which you feel may impact on learning. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of the senior leadership team who may be able to support you or make contact with support networks for you.However, if you prefer not to contact school then the following support networks are available to parents and families:

  • Family Learning
  • Out and About
  • Mental Health
  • Clubs and Groups
  • Health and Fitness
  • Family Support

Updated April 2022

Polish Version

Romanian Version

Slovakian Version

Ukrainian Version

Canaan Barrie Signs

 

Canaan Barrie Sign System

Signing is a very effective way of encouraging a person’s communicative understanding and the understanding of spoken language. Importantly, it provides an accessible means of self-expression.

The Canaan Barrie ‘on body’ signing approach was developed in order to make signing, which is a visual means of communication, both meaningful and relevant to the person with complex support needs through the use of touch and other available senses. The method includes signing ‘in front’, ‘on body’ and ‘hands over.’

Welcome to the Parent Council

Hi all

At the start of this new school year I wanted to introduce myself as I have the pleasure of being the new Chair of the Fairview Parent Council. I am the dad of Sam in class 4 having moved up from England last year. As many of you will have experienced, moving home is a big enough deal on its own but when you have a child with additional needs it is even more scary. Finding Fairview with its wonderful staff and seeing how they welcomed and continue to support Sam convinced me to get involved in the Council.

Ann has done a wonderful job in the Chair role for more years than she cares to remember and I am really grateful that she is still on the Council to keep us (me) on the straight and narrow! The Council is one of our ways as parents and carers to engage with the school leadership outside of the immediate classroom setting, hear about what is coming up and discuss issues of concern or opportunities for improvement. The Council works best when it is a two way, open discussion and we are always keen for parents and carers to come to meetings or to raise issues to discuss. Our first meeting of the year is on 4 September (by Microsoft Teams). If you would like to attend please let me know. The Parent Council email address is Fairviewparentcouncil@gmail.com or you can get in touch via the Fairview generic account (fairview@pkc.gov.uk)

Regards,

Nick ward

What is Canaan Barrie on body sign system?

The sign system was developed at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.  It is used to communicate with children who have multiple disabilities as well as being visually impaired.

On body signing helps develop a young person’s natural gesture and, in turn, helps them communicate better with their world around them.  Signing also encourages and develops spoken language, giving more meaning to the individual word.

There are universal Canaan Barrie signs but not every child will need every single one of these. Canaan Barrie signs are developed as a relationship between an adult and child grows. Each child’s Canaan Barrie signs are slightly different as they are unique to them.

Sight Scotland is the best place to start-see link below. An illustrated list of signs can be found here: https://shorturl.at/dALP6. You can see videos demonstrating the signs here: https://www.youtube.com/@SightScotland

What is Makaton ?

 

 

Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation of language and expression.

Being able to communicate is one of the most important skills we need in life. Almost everything we do involves communication; everyday tasks such as learning at school, asking for food and drink, sorting out problems, making friends and having fun. These all rely on our ability to communicate with each other.

With Makaton, signs are used, with speech, in spoken word order. This helps provide extra clues about what someone is saying. Using signs can help people who have no speech or whose speech is unclear. Using symbols can help people who have limited speech and those who cannot, or prefer not to sign

 

(Definition taken from www.makaton.org)