INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

As the most important people in a child's life, parents play a central role in our attempts to understand and help each individual in our care. It is vital for the child's wellbeing that a positive working relationship exists between home and school. Regular contact and visits foster this working relationship and mutual support.

Samples of comments about the advantages of Camphill as perceived by the parents:

"Her life is a learning process in a calm and safe environment with people who are committed to her. She is mixing with different sorts of people, both 'normal' and special needs."

"The whole child is cared for, not just their educational needs. It is a loving and happy environment."

"Better quality of life for my son and myself. Support for both of us."

"Camphill has helped her to fit in with daily life and has helped to save her family sanity and love."

"True integration within the family and community. Camphill addresses the needs of the whole child and draws out the strengths of the child."

"24-hour stimulation, boarding school life, where the co-workers can give all their attention to the children. Homeopathic medicine, self-sufficient life."

"People at Camphill can see in our children things which are hidden to us by their disabilities."

Description of Camphill given by the parents:

"Camphill is a boarding school with a completely different approach to special schools. Staffed by dedicated people."

class="qoute""When you step into Camphill there is a sense of peace and tranquillity. It appears at first a bit unstructured but having been involved for such a long time everything is very well organised. They try to meet the needs of every individual child and I think they manage it most of the time."

"The philosophy at Camphill does not appear to recognise the term handicapped as applied as a label. They have the patience and the ability to teach many different 'needs'."

"The Camphill approach is very different from the special needs children units that we have been involved with. We really feel for our autistic son their approach works. The most striking thing we feel is the varying age and different needs of the children, and the calming family atmosphere they are able to create."

"Camphill is more than a residential school, it is a community."

"Camphill is a caring community with only the child and his/her development in mind. They deal with the whole person not just the education, but with the whole learning process of life."

"Camphill is a place where the needs of the children are uppermost. It is a caring, sensitive environment where the children are taught at their own pace and sheltered from the harm of the outside world. The dedication of the staff is astounding and the holistic approach is to be recommended. In other schools teachers do not have the time to spend on each individual child in the same way as Camphill."

"Camphill is a 'home from home' for children with special needs, where everyone is equal and important. The staff are worth their weight in gold."