In 1999 we constructed and equipped our new "Sensory Dome". We wanted to create something especially for children with profound and multiple difficulties, providing an extra and exciting dimension to their learning. The Sensory Dome was designed and created by Anne Harris in consultation with the Children's World team and special schools' teachers. The Dome is an inflatable structure 15' in diameter and 9' high. The exterior is dark blue covered in silver stars, and inside it is all white and silver. It has its own sound system and specially composed music and "journey" tapes, and dramatic special effects lighting. It also offers the experience of different tastes, smells and textures. During the year the Dome has provided exciting sensory experiences for large numbers of children with profound and multiple difficulties at 22 Special Schools for children with severe learning difficulties in Somerset, (what was) Avon, Devon and Dorset. Many thanks to the Headley Roberts Charitable Trust for funding specific equipment & to SCOPE for funding the wages & transport costs of the Dome Development Tour. We have exciting plans for a new Sensory Structure and are actively seeking funding to purchase more interactive equipment and to continue and develop this work in the coming year.

"The Dome is an exciting structure...the children's responses were very gratifying...every child showed some positive reaction..." Exeter House Special School, Salisbury

THE GARDENS PROJECT

This year Children's World has started an exciting new Gardens Project in conjunction with Avalon Special School in Street. We have created a Nursery Garden at Avalon Special School and have made a start on the creation of a Children's World Garden in a beautiful 1-acre field lent to us at Yarley. The children have grown tomatoes and herbs in the Avalon Garden and have planted trees, potatoes and wild flowers at the Yarley Garden. They are currently planning the different zones of the Children's World Yarley Garden that they will be creating in 2001. As well as many different forms of organic gardening, the Garden will also be used for special "History Days", "Drama Days" and "Countryside Skills Days" for other special schools and also local mainstream schools.. The Gardens Project offers us many integrational opportunities for working with all abilities of children both in and out of school.

"The Garden Project has enabled pupils of all abilities to take part in some aspects of National Curriculum, history, geography and science, personal and social health education, English and even RE. The pupils and staff are very excited about the project. We are sure it will lead to many more busy hours for our pupils."Avalon Special School.

SUMMER 2000 INTEGRATION TOUR

FOR 'MIXED-ABILITY' CHILDREN

Thanks to a Festival Award from the Millennium Commission and a grant f rom the BBC Children in Need Appeal, Children's World was able to continue its summer series of "Integrational" Tours with a Schools Festival Tour, running 4-day workshops in 7 different sets of special schools and their neighbouring mainstream schools in Bath, Bristol, Avonmouth, Frome, Radstock, Street/Glastonbury and Weston-super-Mare on the theme of "Aspirations for the New Millennium". Each set of 60 childlren worked on a different subject for "Encyclopaedia Earth" (looking at the past, present and possible futures and their aspirations for a subject, e.g. medicine) and after receiving follow-up sessions, more than 400 children presented their performances at our Schools Festival Day on the Bristol Downs on 19 July where they also participated in craft workshops, bounced on inflatable airbeds, watched juggling performances and played with Anne Harris's menagerie of giant inflatable animals. The Millennium Festival Award also enabled Children's World to stage the Bristol Millennium Children's Festival (please see full details under out-of-school work.) This Integration Tour achieved 6,400 x 90-minute child-sessions and fulfilled our aims by the children with special needs gaining in confidence and self-esteem by being able to work, create and play as true equals with their mainstream peers, and by the mainstream children leaving the programme with a far more positive view to "disability".

"We were all impressed by the extent to which both schools integrated and were able to achieve so much and gain from the experience" Westfield Primary School.

"As always, the Tour was a great success. These tours give our school the opportunity to work with mainstream schools under the expert direction of Children's World staff, who have the ability to include both groups of pupils without either group feeling "different".The boost to our children's self-esteem is tremendous."Avalon Special School

THE AUTUMN 1999 MUSIC TOUR

FOR CHILDREN WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

This 5-week tour visited 8 special schools each week with 90-minute music sessions, working with 15 children with moderate learning difficulties in each school, a total of 600 child-sessions. The aim of the tour was to encourage the children to experience and understand different forms of music and how music is used in our lives. Each session consisted of musical games, quizzes and discussions as well as a lengthy recording session. Over the duration of the Tour each group of children wrote and recorded a "Name Rap", a "Human Beat Box" song about their school and recorded a cover of "White Christmas", "Jingle Bells", (Christmas was coming up!), or "Mambo no. 5". Each school was left with a tape of all their recordings, of which they were justly very proud.

"The pupils' response was a joy to see. Shy ones blossomed and aggressive, noisy ones were able to channel their energy productively. My two autistic pupils were able to contribute gradually on their own terms until they were quite well integrated with the rest of the group." Elmwood Special School.

SPRING 2000 MOVEMENT TOUR FOR CHILDREN

WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICUTIES

This Tour visited 8 special schools a week for 5 weeks with 90-minute sessions for an average of 15 children with severe learning difficulties in each school, achieving a total of 600 child-sessions. The aim of the Tour was for the children to explore and experience life in three different imagined environments (under the sea, on the land, and in the air) and to portray these environments in dance form. Each week we took the children on a musical 'journey' through the environment, exploring the different lifeforms and objects that might be there. Ideas would then be recapped and the children would rehearse and perform a dance/movement piece that told a simple story of life in that environment.

"Our staff thought the whole tour was great - the Children's World team were able to push our pupils, who concentrated well and demonstrated lots of skills" Baytree Special School.