Groups, Playgrounds and Days Out

Groups for Children with Special Needs

Groups for children with special needs, including sports, are vital. Things change all the time, so it is worth checking and doing your own research too.

• Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company based in Southgate, North London. They celebrate diversity and are fabulous for creating a range of musical, dance and theatre opportunities for children, young people and adults. These include:
• Planet Play - Sensory shows aimed at babies.
• Tales from the Shed - Engaging shows with puppets and music for 0-7 year olds during holiday periods.
• Children's and Youth Theatre - After-school inclusive drama clubs from age 5 (get on the waiting list as early as possible, as it's very popular!).
• icandance nurtures creativity, learning and wellbeing in children and young people with disabilities through dance and movement. Weekly classes in Hampstead - and an opportunity to perform at the annual show (previously at artsdepot, in future at the newly restored Alexandra Palace!).
• Barnet Mencap runs "Open Door" - a weekly playgroup for under-fives where parents can also access support/advice with carefully considered toys and experienced staff. They also organise ad hoc events, eg soft play and drama workshops for older kids and young people. Subscribe to their mailing list.
• The Challenge Playgroup in Muswell Hill is run weekly for children with additional needs and for their siblings, parents and carers. Great toys, very welcoming and even a massage on offer while your child is looked after!
• Play group at St James' Church in New Barnet for children with additional needs (Discuss with EY SEND for further details).
• Unity is Norwood's recreational service for children with disabilities between the ages of 5-18. Unity offers a wide range of programmes, including weekly after-school clubs, play schemes during the summer, winter and spring school holidays and one residential holiday a year. Email Norwood at info@norwood.org.uk, or reach their helpline on 020 8809 8809.
• For family days out, also worth keeping an eye out for:
  • ZSL's annual "Special Children's Days" at London Zoo and Whipsnade.
  • Relaxed performances at local arts centres: Artsdepot and Jacksons Lane (both of which also occasionally commission work aimed at CYP with SEND), and the West End! - and local cinemas, eg Phoenix in East Finchley.
  • SEND activities are increasingly commonplace at many of London's larger museums, often free.
• PHAB Club - Clubs and overnight holidays for kids with and without disabilities. Nationwide.
• Brownies and Guides.
• Scouts.
• Happy Days at Northway - Playscheme for Children with SEN at Northway Special School for Northway students (Barnet).
• Electric Umbrella Dance.
• SOTO Performing Arts Ltd - SOTO Finchley - Something Out The Ordinary - Performing Arts Opportunities For Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults. Disability dance group. Emilia Georgiou, Director. Tel: 07949 235602. Email: Emilia@sotopa.org.
• Unitas Youth Zone in Barnet - Huge range of activities to young people aged 8-19 (or 25 with a disability), including dance, boxing, wall climbing, cooking, gaming… and more! It is open to all young people for a £5/year membership, then a nominal 50p/session entry, which includes all equipment needed for the activities. They are also able to get a hot meal for £1. They also offer a session on a Sunday specifically for children with a disability and their families.
• Irish Dance teacher with Fiona.
• Contact Barnet Parent Carer Forum or Barnet MENCAP for current information:
  • Email: info@barnetpcf.org.uk.
  • Tel: 07468 029 705.
  • Address: Barnet Mencap, 35 Hendon Lane, Finchley, London N3 1RT.
• DS Achieve - DS Achieve is a registered charity that supports children and young people with Down Syndrome and their families, mainly in Hertfordshire and surrounding counties. It was formed by parents and aims to help each child thrive and reach their full potential through tailored services and community support.
• DSO & Co - Creating opportunities, building connections. Their vision is to help create a world where people with Down Syndrome have the opportunities and connections to build confidence, develop skills and enjoy life.

The above groups and organisations have been suggested to us, but we cannot take responsibility for recommending them on a personal basis.

Accessible playground in Barnet

• Fair Play Barnet Playground - Fair Play Barnet playground is located in Victoria Recreation Ground, which is next to New Barnet Leisure Centre, which has a car park. Parking fees do apply. There are blue badge holder spaces in the car park. Fair Play Barnet is the first-of-its-kind playground with maximum accessibility and inclusivity. It is designed so people of all ages and abilities can play together. The equipment in the playground is extensive and includes a wheelchair seesaw, a wheelchair swing, a ramped multi-play unit, a netted swing, a raised roundabout, a 360-degree swing, a climbing net and musical instruments. The playground was designed, developed and funded in partnership with people who are passionate about promoting accessibility and inclusivity across the country. They are available to consult. For more information, contact fairplayinclusive@gmail.com.
• Victoria Recreation Ground - Victoria Recreation Ground can be accessed via public transport on bus route 384, which stops on Lawton Road. New Barnet town centre is approximately a 10-minute walk away, which has more public transport, including bus routes 184, 307, 383, 326 and 626, and the New Barnet train station.
• Lawton Road, New Barnet, EN4 9BS.

Differentiated Costs for SEND Children at Before and After School Clubs and Activities (October 2022)

It has come to our attention that some external providers of before- and after-school clubs and activities based in Barnet schools are charging parents an extra fee if they require additional support at the club, i.e., the cost of a member of staff to meet their needs. We sought legal advice about this, and after looking at the law and the guidance, an organisation is likely to fall foul of the Equality Act if they do this. Charging more to provide extracurricular activities to SEND children may constitute discrimination, where those children are considered disabled, which is a protected characteristic (such a label is likely to apply to the majority of children with an EHCP). Whoever is responsible for the club/activity (be it the school or an external body) should consider their duties under the Equality Act and, in particular, the fact that providers are not entitled to ask parents/disabled people to pay for reasonable adjustments.

A school is within its rights to charge parents for an external club (known as optional extras), with their agreement and consent.

Optional extras are:

• Education provided outside of school time that is not:
  • Part of the national curriculum.
  • Part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school.
  • Or part of religious education.
• Examination entry fee(s) if the registered pupil has not been prepared for the examination(s) at the school.
• Transport (other than transport that is required to take the pupil to school or to other premises where the local authority/governing body has arranged for the pupil to be provided with education).
• Board and lodging for a pupil on a residential visit.
• Extended day services offered to pupils (for example, breakfast club, after-school clubs, tea and supervised homework sessions).

It would be potentially discriminatory to charge an uplift for disabled pupils. Again, the same considerations outlined above apply. Further advice on charging for school activities can be found at the Department for Education.

If this practice is taking place in a school, the organisation should be made aware of its duties under the Equality Act. If a school promotes and facilitates the after-school clubs (even if it is run by an external organisation), they may find themselves facing some liability should any claim be made. It is important that external providers are made aware of any potentially discriminatory practice and seek their own legal advice about this.

We understand this is a difficult issue and that a school or external organisation needs to cover its costs, but there cannot be a different charge for different parents based on the needs of their child. Some suggested ways forward:

• The external organisation covers the additional costs.
• The school covers the additional costs even for an externally run club.
• The school and the external organisation share the cost.
• The organisation increases the cost for all children to cover the staffing needs of all the children attending.
• The school or organisation look into any local charitable trusts or voluntary organisations that may be able to provide support.

It may also be worth reviewing the school's policy on charging to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date guidance (2018), see Department for Education.

Related Guidance

• Sports and Physical Activity.