Alder – Sheringham Woodfields School

Welcome to Alder

Instructor - Elm Rachel Sanders

Welcome to Alder Class!! 😃

We are a small PMLD unit which consists of 10 pupils aged from 4 years to 17 years, we have 8 staff members working with us each day. We all have very high sensory, physical and medical needs. All of our learning is done via a total sensory and communication approach. We have our own tailored PMLD curriculum and use the engagement model which we follow alongside all of our own EHCP learning outcomes to help us to meet all of our learning. We spend some of our day as a whole group for some key session’s within in the day such as morning and home time routine, physio, massage, dance, parachute sessions as well as snack and dinner time. We have two classrooms next to each other with our own outdoor space to extend or learning into the outdoor area. During times in the day we split into the two classes into two smaller mixed ability groups to focus on some key skills. Some of these sessions include communication, switch work, stories, problem solving and interaction sessions. Alongside all of this we like to go out in the community on trips, mix with other classes around school for focused play sessions and key SMSC days, we have 2 hydro sessions a week and 1 rebound session. We are very busy throughout the week and love to learn through having lots of fun, learning through play and exploration.

Rowan,Alder timetable – Spring term 2 – 24/25

Spring Term 2 24/25	Curriculum Info for parents: Topic - Stories
	Rowan/Alder Class will be learning through some topic based sessions. Alongside this, all of their learning will be focused on the engagement model assessment stages – exploration, persistence, anticipation, initiation and realisation and the Woodfields’ assessment step levels for English, Maths, communication, personal development, pre subject specific – Creativity and Expression and Understanding the World plus their own individual PLG’S/EHCP outcomes. Communication, switch work/computer skills, intensive interaction, physical development will be focused on throughout the week on an individual basis and these sessions will have a huge focus around the pupils’ own PLGS and will be planned to each individual need. Pupils will also get weekly therapy sessions which involve: one rebound individual session, two hydrotherapy swims as well as an hour each day to focus on physio and other additional physical needs such as walkers/standers/wedge/roll work. Below is an outline of some of the class group session Rowan/Alder class will be doing together throughout the week. Within these sessions we will try to focus on our half-termly topic. When the weather is nice or even dry the pupils will also be doing some of their learning in our outdoor area which is located outside our classroom.
Subject	Session focus this half term
Creative	Easter cards Exploring a range of creative activities related to dinosaurs and bears.
Problem Solving / Exploration	The pupils throughout the half term will explore a range of problem solving/exploration activities linked to the weekly stories that we will be experiencing. Some examples of the activities we will be doing are: exploring mark making in snow on the light box; posting wildlife animals in boxes; exploring a range of coloured exploration trays with all objects materials in one tray all of the same colour; colouring sorting activities; printing dinosaur’s feet in playdough; exploring wet and dry porridge; exploring pouring activities with porridge and different sized containers
Music	Sensory Dance and movement with Lauren each Friday in school hall.
Stories	wk1- Traditional story- Goldilocks and the Three Bears. wk2- Colours story- Anna's Amazing Multi-Coloured Glass. wk3- Jungle animals - The Trip wk4- Dinosaurs - Dinosaurs Love Underpants wk5- Snow - Snow Rabbit wk6- Easter themed story. - We're Going on an Egg Hunt.
Cooking exploration	Making porridge with different flavourings to add to it e.g. honey, chocolate spread, jam. Making Easter chocolate nests Making coloured/rainbow- trifle Making biscuits with coloured centres.
Other events/ sessions / SMSC days / Trips	World Book Day – Whole school event. Exploring the religious celebration – Holi (Colour) Easter activities the last week of term/ Easter egg hunt at the PATCH. Trips- Bowling ( Pupils Christmas gift from school) Sheringham Library Lighthouse Cafe
Ideas to do at home:	-Visit local library to look at some books - Read a range of stories to your child at home. Some pupils may find exploring tactile books and sound books engaging. - Get family and friends to read to your child - Do bedtime stories at night. - Find stories on you tube/ Story CD’s so your child hears different voices. - Watch animation stories – Gruffalo, Stickman, the Very Hungry Caterpillar.Julia Donaldson has a whole range of her stories now in animation form available on BBC iPlayer.