We will be continuing with our topic ‘Ourselves’, with our focus this half term being on how we celebrate different events and occasions throughout the year. Through a range of sensory, creative and practical activities, children will explore celebrations such as Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day and Christmas, as well as the changes we see during the winter months. They will have opportunities to explore different traditions, including fireworks, Christmas trees and presents, through a variety of crafts, sensory experiences and attention circles. Our focus books this half term will include sensory stories such as Growing Up by Sensory Classroom, Twelve Days of Getting Ready for Christmas by Tanya Harvey and The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. We will also be focusing on developing children's mark-making and early writing skills through a range of fun, sensory activities and experiences.

For our White Rose Maths sessions this half term, some children will follow the Sensory Classroom curriculum, developing their early mathematical skills through structured, sensory-based activities. They will explore counting, number recognition, matching quantities and sequencing, as well as shape, pattern, size and simple problem-solving through practical activities using a range of resources. Familiar number songs, adult modelling and repetition will help to reinforce key concepts, while activities will also encourage attention, communication and turn-taking. Other children will further develop their understanding of shape and length. They will begin to explore the properties of different shapes and create and continue 2-D and 3-D shape patterns involving two or three steps. In our work on length, children will begin investigating measuring using both standard and non-standard units through a range of practical activities.

In our Science sessions this half term, our focus will be on Our Senses. Each week, children will take part in a range of sensory activities and experiences, exploring a different sense, including smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch. They will have opportunities to investigate a variety of objects, materials, foods and sounds, developing their awareness of the world around them and how we use our senses to explore it. We will finish the half term with a fun, Christmas-themed sensory session, bringing together everything we have explored.

In our PSHE sessions, children will continue to develop their understanding of themselves and others through a range of structured, sensory-based activities. They will explore personal strengths, individual differences, family relationships, homes, friendship and kindness, as well as different ways of communicating their feelings and needs. Activities will encourage shared attention, turn-taking, making choices and recognising that everyone is unique and valued. We will also be developing children's understanding of personal safety and respectful interactions, including how to communicate ‘STOP’, ‘NO’ or ‘HELP’ if something makes them feel uncomfortable or unkind.

Last half term, we introduced our new session ‘RISE’, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. We will be continuing with RISE sessions this half term, linking them to our Core Word Curriculum. Each week, we will focus on a different core word through a range of shared, sensory and interactive experiences. Our focus words will include ‘more/again’, ‘finish/all gone’, ‘stop’, ‘go’, ‘wait’, ‘turn’ and ‘Christmas’. These sessions will provide opportunities for children to develop their communication skills, explore new vocabulary and practise using their words, signs, symbols or communication devices in meaningful situations.

In Cooking, children will continue to explore a variety of tasty and healthy foods through practical, hands-on activities. They will have opportunities to wash, peel, mash, mix, spread and decorate ingredients as they prepare a range of dishes, including vegetable soup, mini pizzas, colourful harvest bowls and festive treats. Along the way, children will explore different colours, shapes, smells and textures, discover how cooking can change food and have opportunities to try new tastes and communicate their likes and dislikes. They will also continue to develop their independence and confidence in the kitchen by following simple recipes, making choices, serving food and sharing their creations with others.

Our off-site physical activity this half term will continue to be cycling. As the weather becomes colder, please ensure your young person comes to school with warm named clothing and additional layers for these sessions, including items such as gloves and scarves, as well as a warm, waterproof coat.

If there is any other information you would like me to provide or if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

Nikki and the Skipper Class Team