Welcome to Alder

Instructor - Elm Rachel Sanders
Photo of 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.

ALDER Timetable – Summer term 1 – 25/26

Summer Term 1 25/26Curriculum Info for parents: Topic - Seasons/Spring
Strand and ProfileProfiles in ClassIdeas for Home
Communication and Literacy In our Talk4Writing class sessions we will be exploring the book Busy Spring - Nature Wakes Up by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss In the sensory room pupils will be exploring some story sacks in small groups. All pupils will have their own tailored communication 1-1 sessions which link to their EHCP outcomes. You can find the Busy Spring book on You Tube to listen to at home. Enjoy some books about Spring at home.
Mathematics and Problem SolvingPouring, digging, exploring different sized plant pots with mud. Posting bugs and bulbs into posting boxes. Planting seeds and bulbs Exploring different sized vegetables, fruits – lots more. Explore using compost at home- filling different plant pots, feeling the different weights of each one, Placing bulbs into the different sized plant pots.
Personal DevelopmentPlay / interaction. Pupils will be paired up or working in small groups on a range of activities such as ball games, stacking games, target games, sharing toys, exploring over wedges, learning to share and tolerating being in a close space to each other. Spend time at home just playing, interacting with your child, copying and mimicking their body movements, gesture, sounds, leave a gap and space for your child to process what they have seen or heard, see if they will respond with the same sound or movement,
Physical DevelopmentAll pupils will receive daily physio, twice weekly hydro, 1 rebound session. Daily standing frame time. All pupils will have a focused session around their own individual physical targets which link to their PLG/EHCP outcomes. These may involve things such as wedge work, walkers, sit to stand work, laying in prone pushing upper trunk up, exploring A-Frames on back and physio bench time.To build in physio and tummy time, for some, to encourage reaching out to items, exploring items on their trays and sitting to stand work. Regular time wearing splints, gaiters at home.
Understanding the WorldSMSC DAYS- Trips- Sheringham Park – To explore hands on parts of the T4W books we are learning about. Kite flying trip- at the field by Reef swimming pool. Enrichment day/SMSC- Animal day- activities based on animals plus Burts animal encounters will be coming into class for a session in the morning on this day = 6th May Kite flying with family. Spring walks through local country park. Go pond dipping at a local pond. Explore your garden- what can you see, smell, hear in your garden. Plant some sunflower seeds at home, watch and see these grow.
Expression and CreativityIn creative Art we will explore making a range of flowers from handprint flowers, collage flowers, printing with items to create flower. Vegetables printing and making 3D butterflies. Explore vegetable printing at home. Printing with flowers using paints Make a kite/windsock /windmill at home and fly it outside
Personalised LearningThroughout the week we will have timetabled time to do some focused sessions around pupils’ individual learning. Keys areas will be switch skills, physical development and communication and social skills.