Welcome to Seals

Teacher Samantha Webster
Photo of Samantha Webster

Welcome to Seals Class!

‘Seals is a class of 9 pupils with diverse needs and abilities whom are supported by 6 members of staff, We follow a total communication approach, including symbols and signalong, to support the communication of our needs, choices and feelings.
Seals 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. Pupils particularly enjoy activities that are ‘hands on’ which relate to everyday life skills and promoting independence.’

Seals timetable – Autumn Term 2 – 23/24

 

 

 

Autumn Term 2 23/24 Topic: Fiction Curriculum Info for Parents - Support communication and language development, emotional growth and generally embed a positive attitude to learning and developing.
TopicSeal’s topic this half term will be ‘Fiction’ Each week we will explore a new story related to ‘‘Fiction’. 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 Seals 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 in line with the topic, as and when experienced or consolidated. Each pupil will have 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 timetables and current PLGs will also home at the beginning of the term, if you have any questions or require an additional copy 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, here are the themes we will follow this half term, including key signs and stories of the week.
Suggestions for Learning at HomeActivities and exploration of learning will be as follows, each activity will be linked to our topic of ‘Fiction’ or directly to the story of the week. As you will be aware from the trip forms sent home we will be taking part in adventures this half term that involve exploring our wider community. 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 work throughout the half term on contextual words that support requests, play and social situations. Daily activities - Each day after registration we will continue to take part in a number of activities such as - Phonic programme-We are now following Phase 1 Phonics, working on our listening and speaking skills as well as our signalong. We continue to explore identifying environmental and instrumental sounds. We spend time each day exploring our fine motor skills, following/copying horizontal and vertical lines and shapes through mark making. Disco dough ● Exploring listening skills and comprehension. ● Fine motor skills and dexterity ● Following direction-pinch, roll, splat etc., forward, backward, numbers 1-5 ● Tactile discrimination Wake up shake up ● Exploring listening skills and comprehension, following instructions ● Gross motor-wake up shake up. ● Recognition of body parts, feet, hands etc. ● Moving around the room safely/spatial awareness. Here are a list of some the stories of the week that we will be focussing on- Jack and the beanstalk-Twinkl Ebook version The Gruffalo-Julia Donaldson Room on the broom- Julia Donaldson
Curriculum AreaSubjects
MathsIn maths we will be taking art in exploratory activities that are related to our topic and story of the week, we will explore Pattern  Experiencing patterned objects and images  Beginning to predict what happens next in predictable situations  Joining in with repeated actions in songs and stories  Anticipating meaningful events in response to object / song of reference.  Initiating and continuing repeated actions using preferred mode of communication  Becoming familiar with patterns in daily routines  Joining in with and predicts what comes next in a familiar story or rhyme  Correctly identifying object/song of reference for part of school day  Beginning to arrange items in their own patterns, e.g. lining up toys Place value  Showing awareness of the difference between one or lots from range of sensory stimuli.  Showing response to number rhymes and songs e.g. anticipation.  Becoming aware of number names through their enjoyment of action rhymes and songs that relate to numbers  Looking for things which have moved out of sight  Exploring collections of objects.  Responding to words like lots or more  Creating collections of objects in play showing awareness of contrasting quantities.  Finding/matching (by eye pointing, gesture...) photo of object ‘the same’ from a selection of two.  Using number words like one or two and sometimes responds accurately when asked to give one or two things. Properties of Shape  Exploring differently sized and shaped objects  Beginning to put objects inside others and take them out again  Stacking objects using flat surfaces  Responding to changes of shape  Attempting, sometimes successfully, to match shapes with spaces on inset puzzles  Pushing objects through different shaped holes, and attempting to fit shapes into spaces on inset boards or puzzles  Beginning to select a shape for a specific space  Eye/hand points to direct the actions of another to put shapes into matching space.  Enjoying using blocks to create their own simple structures and arrangements  Sorting objects which are the same  Choosing puzzle pieces and tries to fit them in  Recognising that two objects have the same shape indicated by preferred mode of communication.  Making simple constructions Position & Direction  Exploring space when they are free to move, roll or stretch  Developing an awareness of their own bodies, that their body has different parts and where these are in relation to each other  Exploring space around and engaging with position and direction, such as pointing to where they would like to go  Reaching to touch and beginning to explore big and small objects.  Exploring the form of objects  Moving blocks / objects with purpose  Investigating fitting inside and moving through spaces  Enjoying filling and emptying containers  Moving our bodies and toys around objects and explores fitting into spaces  Begins to remember their way around familiar environments  Responding to some spatial and positional language  Exploring how things look from different viewpoints including things that are near or far away
EnglishThis will include daily story time, mark making activities, listening activities , activities focussed on the story of the week, during this time we will be focussing on. Reading  Responding to sounds in the environment such as cars, sirens and birds  Showing an interest in and exploring sounds made by banging and tapping familiar objects and simple instruments  Showing a response to rhythmic activities in storytelling  Showing anticipation of repeated refrain or key moment in a familiar story or rhyme  Beginning to join in with actions and/or sounds in familiar book sharing experiences.  Noticing pictures and symbols  Beginning to recognise what pictures and symbols stand for within their familiar experiences  Recognising and decoding a single symbol  Begins to respond to pictures in familiar book sharing experiences  Recognising and decoding a sequence of at least two symbols.  Handling books, printed and digital reading material with interest e.g. tactile books, symbols, pictures, photographs, electronic devices  Starting to engage when being read to by familiar people  Being interested in and anticipates books and stories and may have a favourite  Having some favourite books or stories Writing/mark making  Manipulating objects using hands singly or together, e.g. squeezing water out of a sponge  Hands start to operate independently during a task that uses both, with each hand doing something different at the same time  Using a combination of independent movements in play e.g. grasp, release, throw, bang, drop, using one hand or two hands  Tolerating hand over hand support from adult during play/learning activity eg. to complete a task, to request/exchange a PECS symbol.  Enjoying the sensory experience of making marks e.g. in food, damp sand, water, mud, paste, paint  Attempting to use tools to interact with materials, e.g. crayons, chalks etc.  Beginning to understand the cause and effect of their actions in their mark making  Enjoying drawing and writing on paper and/or in different media, e.g. in sand or playdough, foam, paint, styling gel
Creative (Art, Craft and DT) Creative (Art, Craft and DT) will involve exploring texture, form and colour.
Exploration and investigation we will explore changes/differences, including Changes as Humans develop to old age.
Motor skills developmentWe will explore 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. As well as our usual motor skills activities will including-Pencil control, hand eye co-ordination activities, puzzles, which are topic related-and life skills such as cleaning, tidying away, laying the table, locating objects in their correct place. We will work on our individual Physio and SE plans alongside our motor skills too.
RelaxationTo draw our busy week to a close we will take part in a number of relaxation activities on a Friday afternoon, such as yoga, foot spas, massage mats and time for reflection. We will explore how we feel before, during and after these sessions as well as how to activate such resources.
Things to try at home.At home you might wish to explore stories that are fiction with a value or message such as kindness, diversity or love, such as ‘Giraffe’s can’t dance’, ‘lost and found’, ‘The rainbow fish’ , amongst many , many more. Explore using stories to be imaginative, role play, activities such as Halloween and Christmas are great times to ‘dress’ up, pretending to be different characters. Try immersing yourselves in stories, such as The Gruffalo, take a walk in the woods, and discuss what you can see. Count how many steps it takes to reach the next tree, find the biggest tree in the woods, can you find any symbols/directions on your walk, take some tree rubbings, stomp through the fallen leaves-Have fun 