Chestnut – Sheringham Woodfields School

Welcome to Chestnut

Teacher - Chestnut Samantha Webster

Chestnut is a class of 6 students with diverse needs and abilities whom are supported by 4 members of staff, we largely use symbols and signalong in order to communicate our needs, choices and feelings.

Chestnut class take a holistic approach to learning by following a topic based curriculum, where each subject is tailored to the individuals learning needs, thriving on routine and consistency, this approach enables learning to be teacher-led as well as child initiated.

Class activities are differentiated for each individual, ensuring that they are engaging and motivating to the individual child. Students particularly enjoy activities that are ‘hands on’ which relate to everyday life skills and promoting independence.

Chestnut timetable – Summer Term 1 2022

Curriculum Info for Parents: Summer Term 1 2022 Timetable	Chestnut topic this half term will be ‘Transport and travel’. Each week we will explore a new fictional story, we will be listening to a number of stories related to Transport and travel. During each week we will engage in a number of activities that are topic related. Your child will be encouraged and supported to explore and engage in each of these activities at a level that meets their individual needs. The holistic approach to learning in Chestnut class will allow your child to progress at a pace that is suitable to their individual needs and abilities within a rich and enabling environment. Your child will regularly bring home information on their individual learning targets, individual targets may change weekly or in line with the topic, as and when experienced or consolidated. We will continue with individualised timetables to work alongside our class time table. Each individual timetable highlights targets taken from your child’s personal targets such as EHCPs, Sensory enrichment plans and communication plans. Your Son/Daughter’s individual time tables and current SPAT targets are enclosed, if you have any questions please do feel free to contact me Please do feel free to explore individual targets at home, it would be great to hear about your child’s experiences via their home School book. Below is an outline of some of the activities on offer during our weekly time table.
Subject	Topic / Profiles and ideas for home
Transport and travel	We will be exploring a number of stories related to transport and travel, if you have any suggestions for stories we would love to hear about them.
	Activities will be as follows, each activity linked to our topic or directly to the book/story of the week. Total Communication will be running throughout each activity and working alongside children’s individual Communication plans, we will be learning topic related words/signs and symbols found in our stories. We will continue to be work throughout the half term on contextual words that support requests, play and social situations. Creative (Art, Craft and DT)- We will be exploring texture, pattern, shape and colour We will be creating - Collage of transport/preferred transport - Junk models of transport (3D shapes) - Tyre paintings/rubbings - Lego vehicles - Vehicles made from 2d shapes - Paper boats/aeroplanes
Maths	We will be using our topic of Travel and transport by- Number and algebra - Identifying colours - Joining in rote counting up to five, - Counting reliably to three, - Making sets of up to three objects, - Demonstrating the concept of more. - Counting at least 5 objects reliably, - Beginning to count objects when asked ‘How Many? - Recognising numerals from one to five. - Pointing out numbers in the environment, - Understanding that each numeral (1-5) represents a constant number - Matching numerals to quantities Using and applying - Identifying colours of vehicles- - Finding objects of the same colour - Recognising similarities - Sorting objects according to a given criteria - Sorting objects into 2 groups according to colour or size - Naming Colours consistently. - Playing games/toy cars/role play Measurement & Geometry - Identifying least, most - building/making picture of transport2d and 3d shapes . - Comparing sizes of transport-big/small-long/short - Exploring position of vehicles, in, on, next to, in front of. - Exploring direction-forward/backward
English	This will include Daily story time. Reading comprehension, exploring what we have heard/read, discussing characters, and phonic recognition. We will be taking part in activities based around the stories mentioned above, while exploring- - Books/stories related to all types of transport. - Introduction of key words/symbols - Pointing to details in pictures - Showing items found in books - Answering simple questions about a story using up to 2 key words/symbols/signs. - Copying lines/tracing shapes-horizontal/vertical, circular. - Tracing letter shapes - Writing names by placing letters in correct order(using symbols) - Practicing lowering and raising our voices - Repeating phrase/words when misunderstood. - Initiating conversation /carrying on a 2 way conversation. - Responding to others in group situation - Responding to adult questions - Listening attentively
Phonic programme	We will follow the read write Inc. and Jolly phonics programmes, as this will enable us to explore our previous phonic knowledge-recognition and formation, our pencil control, listening and speaking skills as well as our signalong
Focussed exploration and investigation	We will be exploring the sounds of nature/animals- Experiencing animals by recording and imitating sounds, making loud or quiet sounds. We will also be looking to identify a range of common animals using words, symbols or pictures.
Motor skills development	We will continue to exploring personal hygiene this term, such as teeth cleaning, hand washing, hair brushing and taking care of our bodies to stay healthy, such as exercise and using equipment like our climbing frame and trim trail, this ties in to our PSHE theme of Personal skills and Independence. .However other motor skills activities will include-Pencil control, shoebox tasks, hand eye co-ordination activities, puzzles, which are topic related-we will be exploring life skills during this time such as cleaning, tidying away, laying the table, locating objects in their place. These activities will be closely linked to our independence skills and our creative activities.
Relaxation	This half term we will be continuing to draw our busy week to close by taking part in a number of relaxation activities on a Friday afternoon, such as foot spas, massage mats and time for reflection. We will explore how we feel before, during and after these sessions.