Education
Volunteers building bridges
within the community
S
HEPHERDS DOWN SCHOOL is a special needs
He’s drawn upon his sales and marketing
school in Compton which caters for around 130
background to approach businesses, organisations
children, aged four to 11 years.
and individuals regarding fundraising and sought
A happy and successful school, it provides an
better deals from school suppliers, resulting in
appropriate curriculum and a learning environment
savings which can be passed on to bettering the
for children, referred by the Local Authority, whose
children’s school experience.
complex learning difficulties cannot be met within
A pool of local volunteers who could help with
mainstream education. The school is spacious,
ground maintenance is another initiative, one which
well equipped and boasts excellent facilities set in
saves a full-time salary and appeals to those happy
attractive grounds. Areas of expertise include autism,
to devote a few hours, on a regular basis.
profound and multiple learning difficulties, speech/
For pupils with disabilities, who face serious
language and communicating challenges.
physical and mental challenges, some form of
Volunteers like Mark Jenkins are working to raise
personal assistance may be required for the
its profile through two-way engagement – assisting
duration of their lives.
it to embrace the community and getting the
“We need help in classrooms, but it’s a specialised
community more involved by reaching out to the
area, requiring, for example, not only high