James, Paul and Stephen will be first in the queue for Foyleview Special School's new after school club. Starting in the summer term, the club will operate on Wednesday afternoons. It will provide an opportunity for pupils to get involved in activities that they wouldn't have access to during school hours - from art to video making, dance to cookery, Foyleview hope to widen their pupil's horizons and give them more self-confidence.
"It's a first for us, we've never had anything like this on a regular basis," says Barbara Walker, school Vice Principal and project administrator. Walker adds "We couldn't have done it without New Opportunities funding, there is no money for this sort of thing. It just opens the whole thing up for us. Funding for transporting the children home and staffing costs can all be taken care of."
The after schools club main objective will be to promote independence and self esteem. Wednesday afternoons promise to be filled to the brim with plenty of activity. It is hoped that the pupils will be able to take some control of what they are going to do at the club and the running of it. James, Paul and Stephen hope that football will be high on the list!
Foyleview Special School, which has been running for six years, is the only school in the area providing education for children and young people with severe learning difficulties.
Pupils genuinely love their school and cannot wait for the out of school programme to begin and get involved in the wide range of activities that will be available - "We enjoy everything," they said enthusiastically.
About the team
This article was produced by Mairead Duffy and Margaruite McNeill, 16. It was published in Step by Step, a joint publication with the New Opportunities Fund in Northern Ireland.
