Who we are
The Bumblebee Children’s Charity is a specialist centre for children who have difficulties with movement and co-ordination.
What we do
The Bumblebee Children’s Charity incorporates all aspects of the child’s development (physical, cognitive, social and emotional) into its programme. Every child has different needs, so the programme is designed around the individual child and related to his or her age and abilities. The staff team are always there to guide and support.
Parents/primary carers work with their child, usually as part of a group, using equipment, toys and songs to make the tasks enjoyable and productive. It is important that the parent and child are involved together in the learning process and all skills learned are closely related to those which serve a purpose at home.
Teaching within the school is based upon the principles of Conductive Education in addition to the Foundation Stage Early Years Curriculum and is purposeful in meeting the needs of the unique child. These principles and how they are delivered in practise are applied within the context of the individual’s complex programme. Individual needs are identified and appropriate planning and record keeping allow for differentiated tasks, facilitation and methods of task solution – all within the context of a small and appropriate group. All children, therefore, have their own individual programme of learning and individual aims. The early education programme offered at The Bumblebee Children’s Charity is age appropriate whilst also being relevant to each child’s needs and level of function. The children learn through a stepped progressive approach, which enables them to succeed and therefore motivates them to achieve. The Bumblebee Children’s Charity recognises that the parents/primary carers are at the forefront of the child’s learning and guidance is given to parents as a matter of course throughout the sessions. Parents are guided by staff as to the functional aim of individual tasks and how to transfer skills to the daily routine at home.
Who can attend?
Children attending have a wide range of conditions including Down’s syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Infantile Spasms, Chromosomal Abnormalities, Autism and other developmental challenges. Many have no diagnosis. The only remit is that the child has a delay in acquiring their physical skills.
What we offer
One weekly 2 hour session within term time, for as long as the family needs it, usually until the child starts school.