On Mon 28th November pupils from the Knockavoe School Student Council met with invited local representatives to deliver a presentation on the lack of appropriate inclusive play provision within the Strabane area.
Our Student Council had worked on developing a plan for inclusive play provision in conjunction with Aisling McLaren and Orla mcCann from Disability Action at the request of our parents group - FAST.
An artist was employed to come in and lead workshops with the pupils, with the aim off allowing the pupils, carte blanche, to design what they would like to see within a play park in their local area. The pupils made a 3D model on what they felt should be considered in an inclusive play area for the Strabane Area.
Each pupil on the Student Council contributed to the presentation, explaining what they liked about being outside, how it helped them, what they liked to do outside, what play park equipment they liked to play with, and how they felt play areas could be made more inclusive for children and young people with special needs. They mentioned the UN Convention Rights of a child - Article 31 which staes that every child has the right to play.
Staff spoke about current play provision within Strabane and how they felt it was lacking in comparison to play provision elsewhere - such as ARDS, GORTIN, OMAGH and Belfast, even Derry. It was highlighted than only small adaptations were needed to make a good play park more inclusive for all children and young people with special needs.
Parents were given the opportunity to participate via an online questionnaire and these results were also presented - the consensus being that parents had to travel at least 20 miles for access to suitable play areas and in some cases over 50miles to access wheelchair accessible equipment.
Staff talked about the importance of play for all children but with special reference to children and young people with special needs - studies show 15mins of time on a swing could regulate the brain for 6-8hrs. Being on a slide can decrease anxiety and provide better sleep patterns. Being outside contributes to improved mental health and better fitness levels for both children and their parents. But most of all the benefits for our young people would be a connection to the local community, a chance to meet with their friends and peers outside of the school environment.
Comparisons were made between a 6.5 million pound specialised play park recently built in Belfast which included fully inclusive for children and young people with special needs - to the 1.5million pound Greenway in Strabane which is highly unsuitable for young children, for children and young people with SEN and no awareness of danger and for people with respiratory difficulties.
Councillor Raymond Barr Strabane was astonished to learn that pupils in wheelchairs had to travel as far as ARDS forest park to access a wheelchair swing. Councillor Dan Kelly agreed with the pupils that play provision was lacking in the Strabane area and spoke of the Riverine project. Staff explained that they had participated in online consultations and had to feedback. But that this was something that we would love to develop further. Councillor Barr also highlighted the fact that current play area within the school grounds was decreasing due to the increase in pupil numbers and building of 6 modular buildings onsite recently. He mentioned the vacated Milltown site as a possible alternative site for the school as a whole and how this would provide an amazing outdoor facility for the pupils of Knockavoe school whilst also housing a purpose-built state of the art school. Knockavoe site was completed in 2005 to house 100 pupils within 9 classrooms in the main building and an adjacent Resource Centre to house another 40 pupils within 4 classrooms. Currently there are 162 pupils at Knockavoe School housed in the main building and 5 classes within the modular buildings and 1 class in the Resource Centre. Whilst the pupil numbers have been steadily growing - the footprint of the school has remained mainly the same. Numbers of children being diagnosed with learning difficulties is on the increase in Northern Ireland and lack of SEN provision such as Autism and Behaviour specific units attached to mainstream schools across the province and particularly in Strabane has contributed to added pressures for Special Schools and especially Knockavoe School.
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