Moving on to Secondary School can be a difficult time for a lot of children and children with Downs Syndrome are no different. Leaving the familiar surroundings of your primary school, your friends, teachers and all that you know can be a very daunting experience.

The majority of children with Downs Syndrome attend ‘mainstream’ primary education, however only a very small percentage are then able to transition to mainstream secondary education.

As a child with Downs Syndrome matures and moves into adolescence, life skills, self care and independence become more important that some more traditional subjects which would be taught in a mainstream environment.  This is one of the reasons many families decide that the ‘Special Needs School’ is a better choice as these ‘life lessons’ are taught as part of the curriculum and as the child progresses through school, this becomes more and more relevant.

This photo shows one of our members on his first day at Secondary School! Good Luck!