Sarah’s Story

 

Sarah was a gregarious child: very sociable and friendly with a huge curiosity and an energe7c approach to everything she did. Throughout her Early Years educa7on, she thrived emo7onally, socially and ‘academically’.  As the curriculum became more structured and less play based, Sarah’s struggle in all aspects of school life began to develop.

 

By 8 years old, Sarah arrived home from school, most days, in floods of tears. Every Sunday evening, she was physically sick due to anxiety at the prospect of returning to school on Monday morning. Sarah’s parents felt like they were ‘losing’ their child as her misery in school overshadowed every other aspect of her life.

 

Despite working hard, with mainstream teachers, to address the challenges Sarah was experiencing, her parents’ concerns grew: forced to watch, helplessly, as Sarah became increasingly depressed and isolated. It was clear that a different approach was needed.

 

Fortunately, Drumduan School offered Sarah a place.   At Drumduan, Sarah rediscovered her love of learning and her general enthusiasm for life.

 

The experiential, outdoor learning reignited her love of nature and the scientific knowledge that she absorbed, as a result, was amazing. She understood the basics of heat convection, having built a brick oven in the school grounds. She understood the chemistry of a compost heap and the biology of why a nasturtium plant needs the nutrients provided by the compost and how those nutrients are absorbed.

 

In mainstream school, Sarah found basic, 4-digit additions impossible; at Drumduan, she devised her own methodology for dividing multi-millions by hundreds and was, justifiably, very proud of herself for doing so. The experiential learning removed the issues created by her specific needs and the additional learning support at Drumduan focused on her emotional and developmental needs, in addition to addressing her academic issues.

 

Mainstream education meets the needs of many children. However, for some, it simply doesn’t fit. This is no criticism of the quality of education being provided: it is simply an acknowledgement of the individuality of children, the importance of recognising their diversity and of prioritising the value of their wellbeing.

 

Drumduan School has given Sarah a future to look forward to. For Sarah’s mum and dad, Drumduan School has given them back their daughter.

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£3,000 donation could make Drumduan education accessible for 1 child.

£12,000 donation could make Drumduan education accessible for 4 children.

£50,000 donation could make this amazing gift a reality for 15 children.

 

Please call us on 01309 676300 to discuss how you can help more children like Sarah or DONATE today via Bank Transfer, details to the right.    Every little helps!   Thank you for your support!!