The Countess of Wessex visited Oxfordshire today. In the early afternoon, HRH as Patron of the National Autistic Society, on behalf of The Queen - school's Patron, officially opened Licensed Victuallers School Oxford in Begbroke. Prince Philip is Patron of the Licensed Trade Charity which owns and manages the school.
LVS Oxford school which offers a supported learning environment for young learners (11-19 years old) with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, first opened its doors in September 2014. Today, learners at the school, demonstrated the confidence and skills they are developing under LVS Oxford’s unique approach.
LVS introduced a student council and Head Boy and Head Girl positions last year to encourage learners to take on responsibilities and aspire to play a bigger role in LVS Oxford’s development. Charlie (18 years old) and Holly (15 years old) were awarded those roles and have met Her Royal Highness today.
Charlie initially struggled to interact with staff and his peers, only able to do so via writing messages, and Holly needed to have her pet rabbit in school to give her the support and confidence to interact with others. The school has significantly developed their confidence and social awareness to such an extent that they have led The Countess of Wessex’s tour of the school to provide a sense of how it is able to have such a positive effect on the lives of children with autism.
Her Royal Highness, who is Patron of the National Autistic Society, was shown the school’s extensive facilities, and gained an insight into the steps LVS Oxford is taking to redress the statistic that only 15% of adults with autism are in full-time paid employment.
During the tour of LVS Oxford, Charlie and Holly have shown The Countess of Wessex the therapy provision (LVS is being one of a select number of schools to have an integrative child psychotherapist); the facilities for residential learners which recently received praise from Ofsted; and an insight into how art can be therapeutic and an outlet for creativity for learners at the school which has recently been designated Arts Award Centre status.
According to Oxfordshire Guardian, after the tour of the school the Countess was taken into a marquee in the garden where students, their families, staff and trustees were gathered. HRH was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a book full of the experiences of pupils at the school. Sophie also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and said few words. More in the Guardian, click here and at LVS School's website, here. Video of the visit can be found at ITV News, click here.
Afterwards, The Countess travelled by helicopter to Witney, where HRH visited Cogges Manor Farm, to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Cogges Heritage Trust.
Cogges Manor Farm is an educational and heritage centre operated by a charitable trust and open to the public. Its aim is to give visitors an insight into farm life, and how the food they eat is husbanded or cultivated. Cogges also provides workshops for school children and adults about food production, local history, horticulture and rural arts and crafts.
The original Manor House was a Cotswold stone building dating from the middle of the 13th century. Since then it had various owners, untill Oxfordshire County Council bought Cogges Manor Farm in 1974 and converted the house and farmstead into a museum. Cogges Manor Farm then operated as a living museum depicting rural life in Oxfordshire during the Victorian era, however it was closed at the end of the summer season on 31 August 2009.
Cogges Manor Farm re-opened in July 2011 and it is now operated by a charitable trust - The Cogges Heritage Trust. It is no longer a Museum in the conventional sense. Instead it is being developed as a place where families and individuals can relax, learn, and contribute voluntarily to its operation with the aim of giving visitors a better understanding of food and its production, both historically and today. Small farmyard animals such as chickens, ducks, pigs and goats are husbanded using traditional methods and vegetables are grown for food in a classical 'walled garden'.
During the visit, HRH was shown sheep shearing techniques with local school children. The Countess of Wessex also toured the garden, which volunteers have spent the past five years bringing back to life. To mark the occasion Sophie planted an Oxford beauty apple tree.
The Countess then joined bakers to make Welsh cakes in the kitchen, and HRH clearly enjoyed sampling the end result and shared a joke with the bakers. The kitchen has previously been featured on ITV's Downton Abbey.
Cogges Farm director Colin Shone, said: "It was absolutely fantastic. I think she was really impressed with not only how it looked but what had been achieved by volunteers. It was a wonderful occasion, it’s great to have that recognition. Five years is a point where we feel we have achieved things and can build a platform on which we can grow. It’s about building on what we’ve done. At the heart of it we want to make sure Cogges remains relevant to all the community. Cogges is now a spectacularly beautiful place and we want to make sure that continues and make sure people enjoy it." More pictures at Daily Mail - click here. Gallery of pics and more info at The Oxford Times, here. Outfit & jewellery: Analena Dress Hibiya Orchid by Erdem. Jacket seen many times before, no ID. Earrings by Dior from 2015 cruise collection. Part of Mise en Dior collection. T square Tiffany bracelet. Clutch by Sophie Habsburg Design called Moneypenny in black. LK Bennett Harley in black suede.
HRH visited Licensed Victuallers School Oxford & Cogges Manor Farm in Oxfordshire
Rating: 4.5
Diposkan Oleh: sho fia
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