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Virtual Babies Project 2010
This term saw the pilot of the RealCare Baby Programme in conjunction with the NHS Healthy Schools Team at Ridgeway. Forty students in Year 10 (both mums and dads!) were given the responsibility of caring for a baby for a period of 3 nights from Thursday to Sunday. Despite a disturbed night’s sleep on Thursday, students had to get themselves and the babies to “Day Care” in school on Friday, many on public transport, and remember to collect their babies at the end of the day!
The babies, who needed feeding, burping changing and rocking, gave our students a few sleepless nights and enlightened them to the harsh reality of looking after a newborn. They were horrified that their babies interrupted such essential activities as having a shower, going out with friends and shopping and that they took up to an hour to feed! There were lots of tired faces in school during the programme!
After caring for the babies, students attended a de-brief session to find out how well they had done. Although many did extremely well, they all agreed that it was really hard work and not something they would like to do every night any time soon!
Thanks to the success of the programme at Ridgeway, it will be rolled out in other Wirral schools from September 2010, as well as continuing at our school in the future. We have worked hard with the NHS Healthy Schools Team to offer “Best Practice” Guidance to other schools and would like to thank our students for making the programme so successful.
Well done!
Last Modified: 16/07/2010
