Welcome to Elm

Instructor - Elm Rachel Sanders
Photo of Rachel Sanders

Welcome to Elm Class!! 😃

We are a group of 7 pupils aged from 8-19 years. We have  6/7 members of staff working with us each day as 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 helps us to meet all of our learning needs. We have a  spacious classroom . Within this room we have a lovely sensory corner which we love to spend time in., an area to be out on the floor on mats , space to do our switch work and also an area to get very messy. 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.

Elm class timetable 2022-23

 

Autumn Term 1 - 2022 Curriculum Info for parents: Topic - Senses
Elm 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 time which will include small group work on switch skills/ vision or 1-1 yoga sessions. Below is an outline of some of the class group session Elm class will be doing all together throughout the week- Within these sessions we will try to focus on our half termly topic.
SubjectSession focus this half term.
CreativePupils will be using hands, fingers, feet and toes to create pictures. We will also be making pictures using body parts as part of a collage
Exploration / messy playPupils will be exploring using A frames or out over wedges with different dolls, clothes.
Problem Solving- Playdough- squeezing, rolling dough with hands, rolling dough with roller, creating patterns/shapes in dough with tactile rollers/stamps. - Exploring coloured items on light box- reaching out to items, looking towards lights/items - Exploring different coloured cellophane with Torch - Exploring a range of containers eg cardboard boxes/ metal tins/ plastic pots- place different pasta , rice, lentils in the boxes to create different sounds. - Puzzles- exploring different shapes, placing shapes into wholes/ taking shapes out of puzzles. Coloured / sound wooden blocks- exploring 3D blocks- making towers- knocking down towers,
PATCHPupils will have a weekly session over at the patch to explore gardening and get hands on experiences with digging, exploring mud, herbs, bulbs, plants. Getting up close to the chickens, stroking them. Some weeks a couple of high school students will be joining us and helping the pupils through show and tell sessions.
CookingPupils will be making pizzas, each week we will make a different flavor. Each week pupils will have a chance to use different skills from cutting and chopping up veg to using a switch to make the mixer work to make the dough
Ideas to do at home -Hand massage/ Foot massage/ Whole body Massage - make some sensory bags or sensory baskets on things to explore with your child eg natural objects- bark, pine cones, herbs Noisy items- instruments, pots of containers filled with pasta/rice/ lentels. Different sponges, bath scrubs. Kitchen utensils. - Different walks to listen to the sounds of the environment, explore different items in that environment eg woods- wood- seaside- sand , pebbles, - Explore different food flavourings add these to salt dough to explore.