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.

Rowan,Alder timetable – Spring Term 1 – 24/25

Spring Term 1 24/25Curriculum Info for parents: Topic - Food
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 – Expression and Creativity, 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 1 rebound individual session, 2 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.
SubjectSession focus this half term
CreativeIn our creative sessions, we will make a large tactile caterpillar for our new display; printing with food; making collage food from the hungry caterpillar story; creating items from the hungry caterpillar story e.g. moon, egg, sun using a range of mediums; caterpillar socks.
Problem Solving / ExplorationSome of the activities we will cover in problem solving sessions will be as follows- Mark making with a range of mediums onto outlines of food Playdough- playdough food mats/ cups/plates- making food Food puzzles Posting boxes- posting food into boxes Messy play trays- finding play food in the trays Exploring different sizes and shape food boxes/containers Creating sounds with pasta/rice. – food containers Pouring and filling food containers with rice/ lentils/flour/ water with food colouring in. Placing play food on the light tray box Exploring real food - different food shapes from carrots to potatoes, bananas to pineapples. Different coloured shapes- placing the correct food colour onto the plates
Music Dance sensory session on a Friday with Lauren from No Limits Dance in the hall to promote independent movement throughout the pupil’s bodies.
Stories Stories that we will be exploring over the half term are - Food sensory stories: The Hungry Caterpillar, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, We’re Going on a Picnic, Handa’s Surprise, Oliver’s Vegetables. As well as our 1:1 reading time we will focus on books around food.
Cooking exploration In cooking, we will be exploring fruit, making fruit salads and creating fruit smoothies and cakes.
Other events/ sessions / SMSC days / Trips Trip to the Lighthouse Café to promote social skills in the community and links in with our food topic. SMSC days to TBC
Ideas to do at home:- Go out to visit a café/have a meal out. - Explore cooking and exploring trays of food with your child. Encourage them to explore dry, wet, soft, textured foods. Explore different food scents – peppermint, coffee, curry, mint, basil, see what responses you get from them. - Exploration – fill a tray/bowl with rice, lentils, pasta and hide some objects for your child to find and explore. - Read stories to your child which involve food- Hungry Caterpillar, Whatever Next, Don’t Put Your Finger in the Jelly Nelly, Oliver’s Fruit Salad, I Want my Dinner. - Printing with fruit/vegetables in paint.