Welcome to Alder

Instructor - Elm Rachel Sanders
Photo of Rachel Sanders

Welcome to Alder Class!! 😃

We are a group of 7 pupils aged from 11-19 years. We have  6/7 members of staff working with us each day. We all have very high medical, physical and sensory needs. All 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 needs. Within our classroom we have own outdoor area which we access through big doubles doors from the classroom. We access this space for lessons but also we can enjoy our snack and lunches outside.  We love to get out and about in the community and mixing around the school with others, we have lots of fun and our staff members help us to feel very happy, relaxed and safe when we are with them. We enjoy activities such as trips out, Hydrotherapy, switch work, rebound therapy, sensory stories, Art, Cooking, music, sensory room sessions, massage sessions, problem solving, exploration and communication work.

Alder Timetable – Summer term 1 – 23/24

Summer Term 1 23/24Curriculum Info for parents: Topic - Mini beasts
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 their own individual EHCP outcomes, Communication, switch work/computer skills, intensive interaction will be focused on throughout the week on an individual basis. Pupils will also get weekly therapy sessions which involve 1 rebound individual session, 1 or 2 Hydrotherapy swims dependent on need. A massage/yoga session and sensory room. Below is an outline of some of the class group session Alder class will be doing all 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
CreativeDuring our creative sessions this half term the pupils will make a range of creative items linked to the mini beast topic such as - Paper plate bugs - Pebble stone bugs - Symmetry butterflies - Patterned caterpillars - Spiders - Bug hotels.
Problem SolvingThe activities will be set up each week – these will be Playdough- mini beast cutters/ making mini beasts- use straws, google eyes, for eyes/ legs etc Tuff trays with sand/water/shaving foam/mud /spaghetti/ jelly- finding hidden mini beasts -Puzzles- Mini beasts -Fishing nets- catching fish/ frogs in water. Sorting coloured mini beasts into coloured plates Mark making on butterfly and caterpillar templates.
Trips Sheringham woods Friday afternoon. Sheringham Park Kelling Heath caravan park and picnic To find and explore mini beasts.
PATCHExploring the PATCH looking for mini beasts.
StoriesA range of story sacks and books, using the headphones to listen to story CD’s – main focus - mini beasts
CookingTuesday morning – making own snacks for break time.
Other events/ sessions / SMSC daysSports week/Race for Life. World art day.
Ideas to do at home:-Using a range of trays – to explore some mud from the garden to sieve through to find mini beasts -Make some ladybird biscuits- ice the biscuits in red icing with some chocolate buttons. - Go on some walks to find mini beasts in the community. - Read some stories about mini beasts e.g. hungry caterpillar, What the ladybird heard. - Make some mini beast crafts – bees out of kitchen roll, spiders out of paper plates, paint pebbles to place in your own garden. - Hide plastic bugs in different messy play trays to find. - Make some posting boxes – cover boxes in wrapping paper and make different holes – post different sized plastic mini beasts through the holes.