Jumping for Autism

Hearts & Minds will be taking over the skies on April 5th 2014 with charity parachute jumps countrywide.  To celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, some of the children who have received iPads from Hearts & Minds show off their jumping skills...

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge 

Social media here:

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK   
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds

YouTube: HeartsAndMindsUK 
Google+: Hearts and Minds

 

 

 

And the name of the Hearts & Minds school is going to be...

Mudskippers!

If that leaves you with a few unanswered questions, here is why:

In 2006 William Stillman, an award winning author and adult with Asperger syndrome wrote:

‘being autistic…‘It is like being a fish out of water.’ 

A Mudskipper is a completely amphibious fish that can use their pectoral fins to walk on land. Mudskippers are quite active when out of water, feeding and interacting with one another but when compared with their fully aquatic peers, these fish present a range of peculiar behavioural and physiological adaptations to an amphibious lifestyle. 

Einstein once said:

‘Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid’ 

So a Mudskipper is a fish, which can live out of the water, and indeed climb trees. 

Many people appreciate the beauty of fish and are happy to enjoy them swimming in the water but in a world, which was made for mammals, breathing air and reproducing smaller versions then a fish has got to adapt, and so we have a Mudskipper, a fish which is happiest swimming with others like him with somehow the understanding that he must if he is to succeed be able to walk on the land. 

Our school will be based on the philosophy that we acknowledge and celebrate the difference of our pupils, we do not see them as being disabled in any way but rather, differently able.  However, we know that to be successful they need to at least understand how to conform and socially interact and achieve in what is perceived to be a ‘normal’ world if they are to survive and achieve all that they can.

Getting the school open

To open a Free School Hearts and Minds needs as many parents as possible to declare an interest in sending their child to the school, so please - if you haven't already - fill in the parental support petition and return it to Ian@heartsandmindschallenge.org or  Hearts & Minds Challenge
, 6 Dunollie Road, 
Sale
, Manchester 
M33 2PD.

You can access the petition here too:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3kJZaDP1FgQc1NoeXZ5MlFxdDA/edit?usp=sharing


Aims of the school 

Our primary aim will be to support our pupils to return to mainstream school either at or before transition at Year Six. Our curriculum will be designed and delivered in such a way so as to support inclusion in its broadest sense in order to reflect adequately the rapidly changing, increasingly diverse nature of the society we live in.  This will include having shared placements with other Local Authority/Academy status Primary Schools and why our school refers to full time equivalent places as opposed to a fixed permanent full time capacity.  Our target is always to return as many of our pupils back into mainstream education either on or before transition at the end of Year 6.

At Mudskippers our very own Mudskipper ‘ALBERT’ will help all pupils to achieve whilst embedding a code of conduct that all stakeholders operate by.  He is central to our curriculum, supporting our work in relation to pupil's social and emotional development, help teach better ways through being the focus of social stories and form the basis of our rewards and sanctions procedures, the later which will be based on mediation and restitution.

Access and Achieve

Mudskippers will promote high achievement for all, and an enjoyment in learning for life so that, through the following core values, our pupils will:

• Be happy, confident learners who have enquiring minds and a spirit of curiosity.
• Be highly motivated and become lifelong learners returning to mainstream schools on or before transition at the end of Key Stage 2.
• Be flexible and adaptable.
• Have high self-esteem and confidence respecting themselves, others and the environment. They will develop a sense of belonging and value within their community.
• Respect religious views, moral values, other ethnic backgrounds and ways of life, celebrating our differences.
• Have the knowledge and skills to extend themselves in mind, body and spirit.
• Work independently and collaboratively, having an understanding of themselves as learners.
• Have high achievement in all areas of the Foundation Stage and National Curriculum including developing the skills for life in the 21^st Century.
• Develop the skills for a healthy, safe and economically sound lifestyle.

We believe each pupil will succeed through experiencing quality in: 
- A broad, balanced and challenging curriculum with consistency of approach. 
- An ethos of support, challenge and encouragement to succeed. 
- A happy and welcoming environment, conducive to learning, with the flexibility of being both stimulating and distraction free taking account of the diverse needs of all pupils. 
- Caring and targeted to support their transition to the next stage of their learning. 
- Effective assessment of individual needs leading to effective teaching and learning strategies to ensure personalised learning. 
- Innovation teaching based on current best practice for pupils with special educational needs. 
- A highly trained, experienced and motivated staff team; effective teamwork involving the multi-disciplinary team. 
- Inspirational leadership and effective management at all levels. 
- A varied and up to date range of learning resources. 
- Effective transition into school, through school and on to each pupils’ next educational provision. 
- Effective learning partnerships between school, home, receiving schools and the community. 

We will demonstrate our commitment to working as a thinking school in a learning community by: 
 - Ensuring that teaching and learning is part of an evaluative process. 
 - Striving for continuous improvement in all that we do. 
- Working collaboratively towards common goals. 
- Leading and managing through open and effective communication. 

We will also: 
- Establish and maintain effective links with other educational establishments offering expertise, information and support for colleagues in areas of our specialism. 
- Work on a consultancy basis with other agencies to share expertise and provide outreach support. 

As a ‘Free School’ we can take advantage of academy freedoms and we perceive these to include the following: - 

• More freedom and autonomy to drive school improvement. 
• Opportunity to expand our mix of partnership arrangements to achieve economies of scale when sharing resources or joint purchasing. 
• Potential to share best practice, staff and leadership development opportunities across a group of schools. 
• Additional controls and oversight leading to greater ownership of our own school. 
• A broader range of opportunities and benefits for pupils and staff. 
• Governance arrangements retained and also fit for the future, utilising the best mix of skills, knowledge and experience. 
• The development if a shared strategic leadership across a group of schools enabling greater support and challenge, which the Local Authority is less able to provide. 
• Increased flexibility and operational efficiencies leading to less duplication of effort. 
• Increased value for money & buying power with potentially greater economies of scale than a Local Authority maintained school and the opportunity to buy bespoke services. 

The philosophy underpinning our school curriculum is underpinned by our core values. The curriculum is the means by which the school will achieve its objective of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead fulfilling lives.

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More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge 

Social media here:

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK   
Twitter: @handmchallenge

Pinterest: Hearts and Minds

YouTube: HeartsAndMindsUK

Google+: Hearts and Minds

Hearts and Minds - a review of 2013

There's been a huge amount going on at Hearts & Minds in 2013, from Autism Bubble Day in April, a cycling challenge in Spain, horse-racing and Madness in July, a fabulous night of fund-raising and fashion in September to the star-studded Viva Las Vegas Ball...

But the most heart-warming stories of the year are about all the children who have been helped by their iPads from Hearts and Minds.  Here they are, and the links to their stories are below.

An iPad helps Corey with reading and writing

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/an-ipad-helps-corey-with-reading-and.html

Noah and the iPad

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/noah-and-ipad.html

How an iPad is helping a beautiful baby girl who is also blind

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/how-ipad-is-helping-beautiful-baby-girl.html

How an iPad helped Tom with brushing his teeth

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/how-ipad-helped-tom-with-brushing-his.html

Isaac points for the first time thanks to an iPad

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/isaac-points-for-first-time-thanks-to.html

Josh's iPad from Hearts and Minds helps him to stay calm

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/joshs-ipad-from-hearts-and-minds-helps.html 

Could an iPad help your child?

If you live in Britain, simply collect 165 old mobile phones and the Manchester-based charity Hearts and Minds will exchange them for a new iPad.

Details here:

Website: : heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 

Twitter: @handmchallenge

Pinterest: Hearts and Minds

YouTube: HeartsAndMindsUK

Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge

In the News: January 2013

The announcement that two of Team GB's Olympics cyclists will be joining the CycleBuddy Cycling Challenge charity cycle for Hearts and Minds in May boosted newspaper coverage in January.

The story got great coverage in the Manchester Evening News:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/the-united-star-will-join-bmx-star-1239888

More and more families are successfully collecting old mobile phones to swap for an iPad from Hearts and Minds, and some are getting so many donations of phones that they are getting additional iPads for other children, or sending the spare phones directly to Hearts and Minds:

http://www.shoresideprimary.org/news_detail.asp?Section=8&Ref=323

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2013/02/06/donate-a-phone-to-help-kids-just-like-kind-hemlington-girl-lucy-jo-84229-32755467/

Other families are using local newspapers to appeal for phones:

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/nine_year_old_lowestoft_schoolboy_is_calling_out_for_old_phones_1_1793079
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/latest-news/help-answer-mother-s-call-for-old-phones-1-4584306

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/health/10150217.Mute_Greenwich_boy_could_communicate_with_family_thanks_to_unloved_mobiles/

And a reminder that it's not just children with autism who can benefit from iPad, they can be used to help with other special needs too, like cerebral palsy:

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/hundreds_donate_phones_to_help_st_neots_boy_2_with_cerebral_palsy_get_ipad_1_1796685

Another way to appeal for phones is through a personal blog like this one:

http://aworldofspinning.blogspot.ie/2013/01/we-need-your-help.html

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

Metal band reforms to support autism

Former heavy metal guitarist Jamie Edwards-Taylor is reforming Bull Vs. Bear for a one-off gig in Kidderminster in aid of Hearts and Minds as his son is currently being assessed for autism.

"Seeing Melanie Sykes on the 'This Morning' programme promoting the Hearts and Minds website  gave us more information and the courage to deal with our son's needs," says Jamie.  "I forgot to tweet my thanks to her, so we're doing this instead.  We're not collecting old phones as luckily for us we had the funds to get our son an iPad, and it's been extremely helpful in respect of calming him.  He is still too young to get the maximum benefit from it, but we are hoping for further improvement once we get more support.."

The Bull Vs. Bear 10th anniversary gig will be held at the Boar's Head in Kidderminster on Saturday 23rd February 2013.  Entry is free, but donations to Hearts and Minds are requested.  Doors open at 8pm.

You can also donate to Hearts and Minds here: http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/bullvsbear

For more information about this event, please contact The Boar's Head:

http://www.boars-head-kidderminster.co.uk/

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

Does your child want an iPad for Christmas?

Are you hoping to get an iPad for your child for Christmas through the Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling scheme? 

Now is the time for a final push to get those last few phones.  

Delivery times will lengthen in the run-up to Christmas as courier companies will be busy and iPad availability will be limited.

Looking for ideas?  There are lots of hints in this link for collecting old phones:

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.ie/2012/07/top-tips-for-collecting-old-phones.html

But one of the best ways to collect old phones is by asking the community for help through the local media.

Southport toddler Quinn Jones featured in the local paper recently and his Mum Kerry received 35 phones in the first 24 hours after the story was published and more followed..

Kerry got her story in the paper with the help of the Hearts and Minds team.  Contact ian@heartsandmindschallenge.org for more details.

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

Cycle round Spain with Keith Duffy and Paul Scholes

Yesterday, Keith Duffy and Paul Scholes confirmed that they will be joining the Hearts and Minds team for the Cycling Buddy Charity Challenge, a sponsored 4-day 300 mile bike ride from Malaga to Gibraltar in May 2013 to raise funds for the £1 million appeal to build a school in Manchester for children with autism.

More details about the Cycling Buddy Charity Challenge here:


http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.ie/2012/09/a-hearts-minds-sponsored-cycling.html

The Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling scheme also raises funds that will go towards the school for autism.  Families can exchange 165 old phones for an iPad. 

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

This scheme began in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/

Keith Duffy helps launch £1 million appeal to fund school for autism

Former Coronation Street actor Keith Duffy and Paralympic cyclist Rik Waddon yesterday launched a £1m campaign by Hearts and Minds to open a school in Manchester for youngsters with autism.

To date, the charity has raised more than £500,000 through sponsored bike rides and other charity events.  It is now looking at its most ambitious project so far – funding an Autism Centre of Excellence in Manchester.

Ex-Coronation Street star and Boyzone singer, Keith Duffy, said: "Autism affects development and, while there is no ‘cure’, there are a range of effective treatments which can have a real impact on the condition.   The centre that Hearts and Minds are pushing for will be one of the best of its kind in the UK, and will provide children with autism and their families with a real boost.   It will equip youngsters with the experiences they need to allow them to continue their education in a mainstream school and provide a great start in life."

The centre will initially school 25 pupils, aged three to 11.  Comprehensive evaluations for each student will be carried out to identify their personal strengths and needs, and bespoke programmes will be developed and tailored to each individual.   All classrooms will have five pupils with one teacher and two teaching assistants. The centre will also offer an on-site occupational therapist and two speech and language therapists, who will work closely with the children.   As well as working on academic skills, they will encourage the development of the pupils’ social and verbal abilities.   The centre will also provide family counselling, training for parents and training for emergency services personnel on the best way to approach the autistic people they may encounter in their work.

Hearts and Minds is still searching for a suitable location for the school.  Once this is in place and an opening date has been agreed, the details will be made public so that interested parents can register their children for places.

Ian McGrath, founder of Hearts and Minds, said: “It’s an ambitious project, but one we believe can be delivered. We have lots of different events coming up over the next 12 months and there are many ways for people to get involved and help raise funds. Our aim is to demonstrate that early intervention can be beneficial to young people with autism, not only does it make a big difference to the children it also makes a big difference to their future and we hope this approach  can be rolled out nationwide."

Rik Waddon, Paralympic cyclist, said: “The children and families supported by the Hearts and Minds Challenge are a true inspiration to me. The charity is such a worthy cause and the school in Manchester will make a real difference to so many families here in the North West. I’ll be supporting all the fundraising efforts and following the progress of the sponsored cycle ride next year."

You can watch ITV's coverage of the launch here:

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2012-10-09/keith-duffy-campaigns-for-autism-school/

Today, Paul Scholes and Keith Duffy confirmed that they will be joining the Hearts and Minds team for the Cycling Buddy Charity Challenge, a sponsored 4-day 300 mile bike ride from Malaga to Gibraltar in May 2013.

The Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling scheme also raises funds that will go towards the school for autism.  Families can exchange 165 old phones for an iPad. 

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

This scheme began in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/

How to have a Happy Halloween with #autism

The noise, and colour and excitement and crowds at Halloween can be quite challenging for children with #autism.  So with the countdown underway here are some useful links to advice, information and apps to make the day more fun for everyone!

How to prepare and practice:

http://www.parents.com/blogs/to-the-max/2012/10/03/autism/making-halloween-fun-for-kids-with-autism/

http://support.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=halloween_tips

Apps to get your child in the mood:

http://www.appymall.com/

And finally this might be helpful for some kids...



(from the Sound of Silence at http://www.facebook.com/soskai)

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

This scheme began in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/

A video celebration of kids with their iPads

More than 1000 people have now joined the Hearts and Minds Facebook page - just 3 months since the TV launch on May 31st.  And by the end of last week 900 families had registered for the mobile phone recycling scheme.   There are also 23 happy children - and families - who have finished collecting old phones and have exchanged them for iPads.  This (very short) film shows just how much their new devices mean to them...



If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

This scheme began in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/

Keith Duffy promotes Hearts and Minds on Loose Women

Registrations for the Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling campaign are expected to top 500 by the Friday - just one month since the TV launch!  The campaign got a huge boost this week thanks to celebrity supporter Keith Duffy, who appeared on ITV's Loose Women on Tuesday.  During his interview he talked about his support for Hearts and Minds, and how the charity helps children with autism like his own daughter. 

Here's the interview in case you missed it.. (available to UK viewers only)

http://www.itv.com/loosewomen/celebrity-guests/keith-duffy-boyzone-20th-anniversary-interview/

Check these links for how to exchange old phones for new iPads, and help children with autism.

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge