Welcome to Chestnut

Teacher Grace Burton
Photo of Grace Burton

Chestnut is a class of 10 students with diverse needs and abilities whom are supported by 7 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 – Autumn term 2 – 23/24

Curriculum Info for Parents: Autumn Term 2 23/24 TimetableCelebrations (Halloween/Christmas)
SubjectProfilesIdeas for Home
MathsWe will be exploring numbers up to and beyond 10. We will be exploring and ordering numbers in a variety of ways. We will estimate, compare and measure lengths, weights and capacities, choosing and using standard units and suitable measuring instruments. We will be measuring and comparing the size of ourselves to our peers as well as develop our knowledge of heavy and light/ more and less within the teaching kitchen to prepare and make our weekly snacks.Have a go at some cooking or baking together. Measure ingredients and explore capacity, which is heavy or light, has more or less, and is empty or full? Think about your family members, who is the tallest and shortest, which family members are in the middle?
EnglishWe will be exploring stories about ghosts and ghouls before December and then the Christmas adventure will begin. We will be discovering the Funny Bones collection and begin to explore spooky words and sounds. We will begin to respond imaginatively and express preferences. We will make our own contributions to discussion relevant to the topic and take turns. We will continue practising our reading through weekly library sessions using Rhino Readers, reading for pleasure and twice weekly phonics.Read a book or watch a children’s Halloween themed or spooky movie together. Think about how it makes you feel? Continue to develop your child’s reading but sharing Rhino reader’s books at least once per week. Please complete ‘home comments’ within the home school diary’s so we can share progress.
ScienceIn Science we will be exploring human growth and development. Through each stage we will support our understanding and indicate some awareness of different stages in the human life cycle. We will look at photos of parents as baby/toddler/child/teenager; Discuss what children can do, and babies can’t; Make collection of clothes and objects associated with the group – babies/child’s/adults; and sequence photos of different aged people Look through family photos and visit relatives over the festive period. Explore some photos of when you were a child and think about how you have changed. Have you got bigger or smaller, is your hair colour the same or different. We would love to see some photos of you as a baby, please send some baby photos on of your child for us to explore.
PSHE and Citizenship We will be learning about recognising our emotions. We will begin to think about the emotions of others and recognising facial expressions linked with emotions, We will choose activities that allow us to experience being happy and excited. We will begin to consider what might make us feel sad or angry. We will use Zones of Regulation to support our understanding. Please feel free to communicate freely if there are any elements of PSHE that we can support your child with in school and at home which aims to ensure knowledge, skills and understanding to lead confident, healthy and independent lives.
ArtOur topic here is Senses. We will be discovering lots of sensory activities to support taste, touch, smell, sound and see. We will start things off with Halloween themes sensory trays to get messy and have fun. We will create art with food, exploring herbs from our garden, visually appealing displays and noisy art. Have a go at creating your own sensory tuff tray to support the senses. Messy play tray ideas - Halloween
PEThis half term we will be accessing the ball pool to support our gross motor skills, throwing, catching and building skills, team work and to have fun. We will begin to experience some yoga as part of our afternoon routines to support mindfulness and begin some calming strategies to support our emotional regulation. Try to enjoy 30 minutes of exercise 3 times per week to increase heart rate. Please click on the link to sensory circuit ideas at home - here Enjoy some guided meditation with your child Guided meditation
ComputingWe will be learning to use a variety of devices to take pictures. We will use special effects to adapt and edit the imagery. We will be printing and sharing our work with others. Try taking some pictures on a day out. Use a phone or camera. Consider editing photos within your camera app. Share with your friends and family to make them smile.
Humanities History (led by Nikki Wardell) We will be looking at some Local History. It will include the Floods of 1953 and Henry Blogg (Lifeboats). We will be looking at some historical clips and imagining what the experiences would have felt like. We will be briefly looking at sea rescues linked with this area. Recognise that personal memories are part of history. Has your family lived in this area for a long time? How have things changed.? Consider researching how Lifeboats have changed over the years. .
Music (led by Nikki Wardell) Our topic is ‘How Music is Used’. We will be looking at a variety of music that reflects different moods such as scary, happy, sad, comedy adventure, love. We will be looking at how it is used in cartoons and films. We will be trying to recreate our own version of sounds linked with moods / feelings. We have the opportunity to attend choir sessions with several other classes. This will enable us to use our voices in many different ways. We will be looking as well as listening as there is the opportunity to sign (Signalong) as we sing. We will learn Christmas songs (in December). Do you find that music can help you with your feelings and emotions? Try playing some ‘sad’ songs then some very ‘happy’ songs. Look at how your body changed the way it moved. Find some songs or music that help have a ‘calming’ effect. Try it and let us know how you got on.
RE (Religious Education) (Led by Nikki Wardell) We will be aiming to have a focused RE day linked with Christianity. We will be looking at the traditional Nativity Story and linking it with some traditional symbols. We will explore some of these symbols by looking at relevant artefacts. We will be listening to some traditional Christmas Carols & try to learn the words / Signalong What do you know about the Nativity story? Can you retell the story? Do you have a favourite symbol that is linked with the story, for example The star or Angels? Listen to some traditional Christmas Carols