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Parent Information Booklet

2018– 2019

Sensory Phase

Two Rivers Primary School

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Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to our sensory phase.

We hope that your child will feel happy and safe with a sense of belonging

in our phase.

The sensory phase allows each teacher to tailor a curriculum to the

individual child’s needs, whether that be a more physical or structured

approach, a physiotherapy programme or communication rich environment.

Our class sizes are smaller and staff ratios higher than the other phases

to allow this. We encourage our children to be individuals and teach to

their strengths, to ensure a sense of purpose and achievement in all tasks

not just academically.

Our Sensory Curriculum helps the children learn skills and behaviours that

can progress into life skills for their future, and help them to become as

independent as possible. All our lessons are practical and take part within

the classroom as well as the local community.

Communication is always a focus with our sensory children and this includes communicating with our parents. In our sensory phase we believe parent– teacher communication is as valuable for us as it is to the child and encourage it through a variety of means.

Look forward to meeting you all.

Kelly Bailey

Sensory Phase leader

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Our sensory phase team

Claire Kelly Rosie

Jeneatte Lucy Nancy-Jayne Nadiene

Sue S Sue F Vikki Wendy

Christine

Our school nurse

Carlense

Music therapist

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Welcome to the Sensory Phase

This booklet is designed to support you and your child.

‘Learning at Two Rivers Primary inspires our pupil’s to dis-cover, explore and use their knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop themselves as citizens of the future’ Laura Slinn.

Please send in for your child:

We try our best to go outside out every day. Please send in appropriate clothing for the day e.g. a warm coat for colder days and sun hat/sun cream protection for sunny days. Wellington boots are also recommended to stay in school for wet days.

Social training is £1.50. This can be paid weekly or termly via Parent Pay. This helps cover the cost of snack and drinks each day, and when we access the community.

If transport has been arranged for you by Staffordshire County Council, please contact your bus company directly if you need your transport cancelling.

I hope you find the booklet useful and informative, however if you would like any further information or have any questions about primary phase curriculum your child will be doing next year; please do not hesitate to contact me at school.

construction sets, small world, mark making, books, role play.

The morning begins with a Hello session and a look at the pictorial timetable so everyone knows what activities they will be doing during the day ahead. The morning continues with child initiated and adult led activities.

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Food and drink at school

Snack time ( available morning and afternoon)

School provides milk, sugar free juice and a selection of snacks.

These include fresh fruit, raisins and bread sticks.

Allergen advice snacks may include soya milk and gluten

(Social training £1.50 a week contributes towards the cost of juice, bread sticks and raisins)

Dinner time

School dinners are available to all children. Individual dietary needs can be catered for by the school kitchen and any

specialist equipment will be assessed and provided by our OT

assistant for use within school.

Children can bring their own packed lunch and staff will support children to eat their lunch with their friends. Please label lunch boxes clearly with your child’s name.

Staff use dinner time as a valuable experience to teach

appropriate eating habits and social skills.

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Targets and IEP’s

In school we encourage our children to develop personal goals. This is done through the sensory curriculum along with IEP’s, Targets and speech/physio/OT and behaviour plans, building the children’s respect, morality, adaptability, communication, co-operation, enquiry and thoughtfulness. We will set targets 3 times a year and discuss these with you at Parents evenings. We welcome your ideas.

Pupil Progress and Assessment

Pupil progress throughout each subject is assessed informally

by the teacher at the end of each lesson. At the end of each term this teacher assessment is recorded in our assessing tool called Solar.

Solar is used to track and monitor the progress of your child over their school career. This is the data that you will see on your child’s Annual Review.

Parental Contact

We hold two formal Parents Evenings a year: Autumn Term and Spring Term. In addition to these, you will attend an Annual Review meeting and receive a written report detailing your child’s progress and attitude.

Our aim is for school and home to work as a partnership.

At the start of the year your child will be given a Home/School diary. This is to be used if there is any information you or the teacher wishes to share. These are checked daily.

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The sensory Curriculum

The 7 core strands are:

Communication development and ICT

Physical, motor and sensory development

Personal Social and Emotional Development

Mathematics development

Knowledge and understanding development

Creative development

Literacy development

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An overview of the areas of learning that your child is working towards

Communication and ICT development

Communication is the central part to the curriculum. We offer rich, stimulating environments to reach the early levels of communication. It is paramount that for communication to be successful it needs to be imbedded into all curriculum areas. This is supported by the help of Speech Therapists and or our onsite Speech Therapist’s Assistant.

Information Technology is a function and, for some pupils, a crucial part of communication and learning. The development and use of communication aids and technology such as Eye Gaze, touch screen, IPad, Interactive White Board, computers and switches can make learning individualised.

Throughout our phase we enhance our children’s learning with the use of PECs (picture exchange communication system) within the classroom and throughout school.

We also encourage Makaton as a whole school approach to

communicating together.

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Physical Development

We aim to give the children time everyday to develop physical skills both inside and outside the classroom, using small and large equipment. For children with particular developmental needs we can also incorporate physiotherapy and occupational therapy when developing fine and gross motor skills.

Our onsite Occupational Therapist’s Assistant will work with children during 1:1 sessions to help with any concerns raised by parents or teachers and be able to provide specialist equipment for use within the classroom.

Our onsite Physiotherapist Assistant will work through physiotherapy programmes 1:1 or in small group sessions weekly with your child. We are also visited by the Physiotherapist weekly to assess and evaluate progress.

Hydrotherapy and sensory swimming is provided throughout our phase offsite.

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Personal Social and Emotional Development

This strand is taught throughout our daily activities. It will allow the developmental progression in awareness of self, others, change, anticipation, preference and cause and effect. The children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities to provide them with the knowledge, understanding, skills and self esteem to make the most of their abilities.

Literacy

Our children encounter the world of Literacy everyday through songs, television, performance art, radio and the internet. We aim to provide a rich, stimulating environment with the use of these resources to help our children develop in this area. Reading skills for our phase help the children connect to their immediate environment. For example practicing eye movement to scan pictures relates to scanning a plate of food and choosing what is next to eat. Writing begins with fine motor skills which can then be built upon to hold a writing implement. The curriculum provides opportunities to make marks where ever possible. This may mean your child enjoys a messy activity and we suggest spare clothes are sent into school.

Mathematics

We aim to provide the children with the foundations that they will need for later numeracy skills, by developing counting skills and their understanding of number, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems through play. As well as the language to name and describe shapes, spaces and measures.

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Numeracy Development

Numeracy and maths is more than number. It is a way of thinking and expressing ideas and applying knowledge to solve problems. This strand is taught through a variety of activities, helping develop knowledge and understanding through practical activities, exploration and discussion.

Knowledge and Understanding Development

The children will have the opportunity to develop an awareness of the world around them, both natural and manmade. The children will take visits in and around our local community to enjoy different experiences.

Creative Development

We aim to give the children the opportunity to explore and investigate a wide range of media and materials. Activities covered include music, role-play and the sensory room to stimulate senses and develop imagination.

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Additional activities

Music therapy—each class within the sensory phase have the opportunity to have a class session with Carlense on a weekly basis. He provides the children with opportunities to become engaged and experience the opportunities that music provides such as communication., socialising, expression and happiness.

Horse riding— Our older sensory class are given the opportunity to experience horse riding, also known as Equine Therapy. As well as being fantastic for physical exercise, it is also a great therapy for children with Autism. Research has shown it can promote the development of communication and build upon skills in social, motor and sensory areas.

Community visit— Each class are provided with a weekly session to use one of our school buses to access the community. The teacher will use the social training provided to help each child experience and to know what is expected in places such as supermarkets, cafes, shops and local parks. This is an ideal time to build upon life skills.

Conkers—Each class has a season pass to Conkers. A splendid centre that provides many indoor and outdoor activities and caters to each individual need.

Rebound—Each class as a designated time to use our onsite trampoline room for Rebound therapy.

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Half termly topic planning.

We have a 2 year rolling program to ensure all areas of our curriculum are covered. Each strand from the sensory curriculum will be covered on a weekly basis following a

timetable of lessons.

Year 1

Autumn 1

Witches and wiz-ards

Spring 1

We’re going to the circus

Summer 1

It’s a pirates life for me!

Autumn 2

Celebrations

Spring 2

Traditional Tales

Summer 2

Food glorious food

Year 2

Autumn 1

Journeys

Spring 1

Magic Carpet ride

Summer 1

Who do you think you are?

Autumn 2

Festivals of Light

Spring 2

Amazing animals

Summer 2

We’re all going on a summer holiday

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Class timetable

**Please note that additional activities may differ between each sensory class

Less

on 1

B

reak

Less

on 2

D

inne

r ti

me

Aft

ern

oon

Less

on

Hom

e t

ime

Mon

day

Com

mun

ity

visi

t PE

Cs

and

snac

k

Com

mun

ity

visi

t O

ppor

tuni

ty

for

indepe

nd-

ent

skills

Cre

ativ

e f

ocus

Sin

ging

and

sign

ing

prac

tice

Goo

dbye

son

g

Tue

sday

Lit

era

cy f

ocus

PE

Cs

and

snac

k

Mat

hs

focu

s Ind

epe

ndent

sk

ills

M

usic

com

mun

icat

ion

Goo

dbye

son

g

Wedne

sday

S

ens

ory

swim

min

g

PECs

and

snac

k

Sens

ory

swim

min

g

Ind

epe

ndent

sk

ills

Com

mun

icat

ion

and I

CT

foc

us

Goo

dbye

son

g

Thur

sday

S

peech

thera

-py

PE

Cs

and

snac

k

Kno

wle

dge

and

un

ders

tand

ing

Ind

epe

ndent

sk

ills

H

orse

rid

ing

Goo

dbye

son

g

Fri

day

Com

mun

icat

ion

In

clas

s ca

fé

PECs

and

snac

k

Wri

ting

and

re

adin

g fo

cus

Ind

epe

ndent

sk

ills

A

ssem

bly

Mus

ic t

hera

py

Goo

dbye

son

g

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School newsletter

You will also receive a copy of The Two Rivers Spotlight every two weeks which will let you know what your child has been learning in school. This will also inform you of important dates, up and coming events, teach you Makaton signs and lots more.

School website www. tworiversschool. net

Please visit the school website for more information about the school.

There is a page dedicated to your child’s class, details on up and coming events, school policies, detailed curriculum policies a gallery of photos and lots more.

Please like and follow the school Facebook page Two Rivers School - we share information about learning and reminders.

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Rewards and Recognition

Superstar Learner award

Every week each teacher selects a child from their class for this award. If your child has been selected they will receive a certificate on Friday in Assembly and have the opportunity to sit at the special golden table in the weekly café on the following Monday . Their name will also appear on the fortnightly Spotlight letter.

House Points Awards

On entering Two Rivers your child will be put into a house. Each Friday in assembly children are given house points for good work or positive behaviour. They are given a gold coin to recognise their achievement. The house with the most coins at the end of half term will get a treat. We are working as a team.

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Health

If your child is ill and has an infection you are asked to keep them at home and inform school.

Children who have had infectious diseases will be allowed to return to school once the infection period has expired.

Parents are asked not to bring their child to school if they have had sickness or diarrhoea or until 48hrs after the last attack.

If a child becomes ill at school, we will speak to the school nurse for advice and then contact you if necessary to collect your child.

Administration of Medicines

A form for general medicines is included in the school welcome pack for plasters, nappy creams etc for you to sign if you wish.

A permission slip must be completed in order for the school nurse to administer medicines including asthma inhalers.

All medicines must have a pharmacy prescription label on if they are to be administered during the school day.

All children with a known medical condition will have a care plan produced by the school nurse

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For further information contact

Two Rivers School Primary

Quince

Amington

Tamworth

Staffordshire

B77 4EN

Tel. 01827 426123

Educate, Communicate, Celebrate

e-mail: office@tworiversschool.net

Produced by Kelly Bailey

Produced by Mel Brindley