Our pupils celebrated the last day of the academic year in style on Friday 20 December, hosting their traditional Christmas Sharing event for families and friends, giving them the opportunity to show off their performing and business skills and the confidence they have gained throughout 2019.
A number of pupils at LVS Hassocks hosted a Christmas market, selling items they had made themselves including gifts, candles, decorations and biscuits. They also hosted and played at a number of games stalls, and ran a tombola as well.
A further initiative that has seen pupils gaining valuable work experience and learning skills that will help them to gain employment when they leave school has been the opening of the Oast Café. Set in the school grounds, it allows them to practice food manufacture and selling, customer service, eye contact and handling money. The Oast Café was open on Friday for the Christmas event and pupils serving coped well with a large number of customers who came to enjoy the refreshments.
A large audience then gathered to watch pupils put on their own talent contest of dance and solo music performances. With autistic children often finding social interaction difficult and finding it hard to make eye contact and express themselves, it was testimony to the work of our staff in helping to build the pupils’ confidence that so many took to the stage in front of all parents and families present.
The Christmas Sharing event concluded with a Christmas sing-a-long led by pupils on stage who encouraged the audience to join in, in what was an inclusive and fun way to bring LVS Hassocks’ 2019 to a close.
Sarah Sherwood, LVS Hassocks’ Director of SEN, said: “Our Christmas Sharing is always a great way to round off the year. It is not only great fun for all involved but an excellent opportunity for pupils to demonstrate the wide range of skills they have been learning, from making items and baking to customer service, performance skills and in all cases increased confidence. Our goal is to give pupils the skills to be independent when they leave here, and today so many of them have demonstrated those key skills.”