Welcome to Turtles

Teacher Andrew Webb
Photo of Andrew Webb

Turtles is a class of 12 active boys and girls with a range of needs and abilities whom are supported by 4 members of staff, we use a total communication approach communicate our needs, choices and feelings.

Routine and consistency is important to us to help us reach our full potential each day. Turtles are working on our writing, number, communication and
independence skills along with developing our skills and knowledge in a range of subjects. We work hard every day and celebrate our work at the end of each day with golden time.

Turtles Timetable – Spring 2 – 25/26

Spring term 25/26
Strand and ProfileProfiles in ClassIdeas for Home
Communication and LiteracyIn English, we will be focusing on the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We will use the first 2 weeks to immerse ourselves into the story before beginning to learn and map the 5-sentence story, write poems and become innovative changing the 5 sentence story to our own. At home, you could explore the story- thinking about the characters and the settings. Think about what we could change them into. You might wish to act out the story or practise re- telling it to each other.
Mathematics and Problem SolvingMaths this half term will focus on position and direction where we will focus on left, right, up and down. We will give directions and direct people to different places as well as using technology to work on our directional knowledge. We will then look at time starting with weeks, months and years before looking at AM, PM and beginning to tell the time. At home, you could practise directing each other both when out and about and at home. This could be through games or when traveling to different places. Time means you can talk about months, birthdays, and other events as well as starting to help the children say the time for different events.
Personal DevelopmentThis half term we will look at our personal skills and independence. We will begin to look at personal hygiene, hand washing, and the awareness of routines around cleaning. We will then begin to look at oral hygiene, recognising signs of physical illness and the importance of sleep. At home, you can discuss the different routines that you do at home; you could try visual prompts and encourage your children to be more independent. Try keeping a sleep log or when becoming unwell discuss the symptoms.
Physical DevelopmentPhysical development this half term is focused on gymnastics. We will look at different moves, working at different heights and begin to sequence different moves together individually and as part of a small group. Towards the end of the half term, we will beginning to use apparatus into the sessions to improve our skills. At home, you could practise different ways of moving and then start to sequence different types of movements together. You may wish to practice moving from one room to the other in a variety of ways.
Understanding the World - History We will be looking at the Vikings; we will look at different stories and pictures as well as looking at and making some of the different artefacts they may have had. At home, you could think about the Vikings, look at what food they ate and have a Viking meal. You could also role play as Vikings and tell stories. There is a Viking festival in Sheringham on the 11th April 10-7:30.
Understanding the World - ScienceThis half term we will look at Earth and space. We will begin to look at how the earth is made up as well as beginning to explore the moon, stars and planets. You may wish to look at the different planets, learn them in order or go and star gaze looking at the stars and the moon phases.
Expression and Creativity - MusicMusic focuses on a unit called journey to space. We will think about different music and how music can relate to pictures. We will begin to play music related to different space pictures as well as thinking about sound effects. At home, you might wish to explore sound effects, thinking about how we can impact the person looking at a picture using instruments or your voice as well as thinking about songs or instrumentals that fit with different pictures.
Expression and Creativity - DTThis half term we are looking at moving toys- we will be exploring how different toys move- the directions they move in and what techniques we can use to make things move. At home, you can explore the different toys you have- how do they move? Why do they move? What mechanisms are used?
Personalised Learning Throughout the half term we each child will have a chance to focus on their PLG’s which will take place at various points throughout the day. We will also have the opportunity to practise different skills to help promote independence and boost self-esteem.At home, you could encourage your child to be more independent by getting them to do tasks like making their own drink or finding their school clothes. You may also wish to focus on some of their EHCP outcomes in small chunks.