Saundersfoot CP School is proud to announce that it has become the first ‘Dementia Friendly’ school in Pembrokeshire.
The project was developed as a result of the school’s choir visiting local care homes during the Christmas period.
During these visits staff witnessed first-hand the impact of the children interacting with the residents. Tender moments were observed and there was a genuine connection between generations.
This was discussed wider amongst the staff and as a team they felt strongly that the curriculum for Wales offered an opportunity to develop genuine, authentic and real-life experiences that would help pupils become ethically, informed citizens of Wales and the World.
Headteacher, Mr Nick Allen said: “In Saundersfoot CP School we are passionate about educating our children, preparing them for their world and the challenges we all face.
“A corner stone of our Health and Wellbeing curriculum is the work of Professor Steve Peters and understanding our brain and aspects of the developing mind.
“We support our pupils to form healthy and constructive habits and prevent unhealthy destructive habits from developing.
“We talk about the brain and what learning looks like with our neuro pathways. We have done this for a number of years, so our children are familiar with this.
“The Curriculum for Wales has allowed schools to generate learning opportunities in its locality, Saundersfoot has created its own #FABB6 – fifty activities before Blwyddyn (year) 6, and one of these tasks was to help older members of the community,” he continued.
“We feel developing a local curriculum does not simply mean focusing only on the local aspects but developing a vision for national and international citizenship, which learners relate to and can bring back to their concrete understanding of their place as citizens of Wales.
“Introducing the topic of dementia and working alongside Alzheimer’s Society so that we name and face dementia together, supports schools which want to welcome, understand, respect and support people affected by dementia – both someone with a diagnosis and their family/carers.”
Year 6 pupils received a workshop with Cherry Evans from PAVS helping to introduce the project and understand dementia and they will be visiting the Regency Hall every month to play games and support PAVS.
This encompassed the school vision which is - ‘Pupils in Saundersfoot CP School will grow and develop as respectful, resilient, independent, ambitious learners who are emotionally literate, with well-being at the forefront of our education’.
It embodies the school’s core values of ‘We Care, We’re Ready, We’re Safe’ and in turn the development of transferrable skills that help learners to succeed ‘anywhere’.
Saundersfoot Rotary Club were also involved.
Mr Allen added: “Our hope for the future is that learners should be grounded in an understanding of themselves, their locality and issues our community faces.
“In doing so our pupils will develop a sense of pride in their community and country, which is central to the curriculum and the four purposes.
“Our children and their teachers are a shining example of the culture of care we love to see in our community.”
