Category: Events

The National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour

In the week beginning 2nd October, with the support of shopping centre intu, The National Autistic Society will be launching ‘Autism Hour’. Shops and businesses across the UK will be taking simple steps for 60 minutes that lead to a more autism-friendly world. Participating shops and businesses will be turning down music and other noise, dimming lights and sharing information about autism with their employees.

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Ski Trip

Years 10, 11 and 6th form Ski trip to Italy

Breckenbrough School have been offering ski trips to students for over 20 years. We partner with Interski  as we have found they offer a fantastic package, have a great reputation and many years of experience in working with school groups including SEN. The package they offer is fully inclusive, other than personal clothing and spending money.

We  leave school and make our way to the Italian Alps by coach, crossing the channel by boat between Dover and Calais.  Once arriving at the Italian ski resort of Courmayuer, we will check in to the Hotel Valdigne. For the following six days pupils will attend ski lessons between 10 am and 3pm. Ski lessons are provided through Interski and all instructors are BASI qualified and English speaking. Returning home by coach overnight to arrive back at school tired but happy.

The school continues to promote and support the ski trip, as it provides our pupils with a great opportunity, not only do the pupils learn a new physical skill they experience a different culture in a breath taking environment. They are able to develop independence skills along as work as part of a team towards shared goals. For those pupils taking part in the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, they can use the ski trip as evidence building towards their bronze award.

When planning a residential, we have to consider many different aspects and how our boys will respond in managing their anxiety levels given the challenges faced on such a trip. For example:

  • The amount and type of travel involved
  • Communicating and co-operating effectively with staff
  • Level of interest in the activities and the content of the trip
  • Interacting safely in a variety of public environments, with the support of staff

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Reverse Advent Calendar

For Christmas 2016, we decided to do something a little different around school and we introduced the idea of a Reverse Advent Calendar.

Each day throughout December we added an item to the boxes set up around school. Before we broke up for the Christmas Holidays we donated the items to the foodbank in Thirsk.

As you can see from the picture below we had many items generously given from pupils, staff and parents. Items included food, treats and toiletries.

Thank you to everyone that kindly donated – the staff at the foodbank were very thankful.

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Having received a thank you from The Clock, we are very happy to report that they were able to put together and deliver 40 extra special food parcels for young people and families who are in financial hardship.  The responses were incredibly including ‘Please thank everyone for thinking of us’.

Thank you all again for your support with this very worthwhile project – truly the spirit of Christmas.

Enterprise Project

Throughout the second half of the Autumn term the pupils at Breckenbrough School have been working hard during their PSHRE lessons to create and design a product they would then sell at Thirsk Market. Each class had a budget of £10 which they could use in anyway they saw fit in this development process.
After considering many different products, thinking about market demand at this time of year as well as many other entrepreneurial ideas the pupils set about making their ideas a reality.
Ranging from Primary all the way to Y11s, we then took pupils to Thirsk market just before Christmas to try and sell our products. Although the day was very cold and glum the pupils approached this with enthusiasm for the task at hand. Despite frost bite kicking in at lunch time we stuck to it for the final push!

Well done everyone – a huge success!

 

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Christmas Lunch 14/12/2016

Wednesday 14th December was the School Christmas lunch at Breckenbrough.

Staff and students gathered together in the Great Hall, all following the smart dress code, while food was served by the staff.
The three course dinner was followed by presents for students and Secret Santa for staff, which was distributed by two of our students dressed as Father Christmas and his Fairy helper!
A big well done and thank you to our wonderful kitchen staff.

How lovely does the Great Hall look all decorated for the occasion…

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Great North Run Success

A huge well done to one of our parents, Joanne Foster, who completed the Great North Run on Sunday 11th September to help Breckenbrough School fundraise for the refurbishment of our middle floor kitchen.

Joanne finished in 2 hours 39 minutes and through sponsorships and donations she managed to raise over £1700 for the school. A fantastic achievement and wonderful support by many people.

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