Welcome to the Hedgehogs Class Page! 

The Team

 Miss Garrett                             Mrs Nicholson                                   Leven

                                                                         Teacher                              Teaching Assistant                     Teaching Assistant 

Welcome to Hedghogs Class, a nurturing and happy classroom within our Woodlands SEN Unit, where every child is supported, valued and encouraged to grow in confidence and independence.

Miss Garrett's working days are Tuesday - Friday. If you have any questions, our dedicated Teaching Assistants are more than happy to help you when Miss Garrett is unavailable.

Important Information

• Our doors open at 8:45am and close at 9:00am. You can access our classroom through the gates on the left-hand side as you enter the school grounds, via the Woodlands Playground. Our school day finishes at 3:00pm, and you can collect your child via the same entrance.
• If you need alternative arrangements because you have a child at another school, please speak to a member of staff to arrange. 
• Our PE day is on a Tuesday, so please ensure your child comes into school according to the uniform policy (white t-shirt, navy/black shorts or trousers, black trainers). No sports tops. 
• Please can you remeber to pre-order your child's dinner on parent pay. If you need any support, please contact the school office.
• We use Tapestry as a way to show you what the children have been up to in class. If you need any support with this, our staff are happy to help.
• All correspondence from school will only be sent through the School Spider app. If you haven't done so already, please collect your login details from the main office, and download the app.
• Please check the school calender for upcoming events that are happening around school or in the Woodlands. 

Reminders

• Please provide your child with a labelled water bottle that can be used each day. There are facilities in school for these to be refilled.
• As we are a healthy school, can you please ensure that your child's water bottle is only filled with water or sugar-free cordial, and their snacks follow the Healthy Schools Policy (where possible). We do understand that some children struggle with foods, or have a diagnosis pertanining to this, so please make our staff aware and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
• Don't forget to clearly label any clothing/shoes with your child's name and class to prevent them getting mixed up or lost.
• Please provide your child with spare clothes and wellies if possible.
• If your child requires medication, please make staff aware and provide us with labelled and in date medicine/inhalers. 

An Overview of the Hedgehogs Class

Our aim is to help every child reach their full potential. We take time to work with each child on their persoanlised learning targets, providing tailored support to help them make meaningful progress. We understand that children learn at their own pace, and we celebrate every step of their development. ensuring a supportive and encouraging environment where they can thrive. We start our day off with "Hello Time", where the children will take part in self-registration, have the opportunity to express how they are feeling, and also learn the days of the week. We encourage play, active learning and movement breaks throughout the day to support engagement, focus and well-being. Children are given opportunities to explore the environment, learn through hands-on activities, sensory experiences and movement sessions. Please see our half termly newsletters uploaded on our class page for up to date information on the topics and areas of learning we are covering in the Hedgehogs Class. The children will have access to learning focusing on core subjects such as Maths, Literacy and Phonics which will be adapted accordingly to each child's individual learning needs and pace.

Communication and Interaction

In Hedgehogs Class, we strongly focus on supporting children's communication. We use British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton, communication boards, and a wide range of visual aids to support help the children express themselves and understand routines. Our Speech and Language Therapist works in the Woodlands every Friday, and strategies from these sessions are embedded into everyday practice. She also provides staff with interventions to carry out, as well as tailored programmes for each individual child which will will be followed daily as part of the children's 1:1 target time. The children will also have access to daily Attention Autism sessions. This supports thier shared attention, listening skills, communication, turn-taking skills and engagement with their peers and adults. 

Cognition and Learning

We offer personalised learning activities that are carefully scaffolded and adapted to suit individual learning styles, helping children to build confidence independence and key skills at their own pace. The children also access daily 1:1 target sessions where they will focus on working towards their own individual targets, and other areas of their development.

Social and Emotional

To support the children's social and emotional needs, we focus on emotional regulation, positive relationships and well-being through predictable routines, nurturing adult support and opportunities to develop social skills within the classroom. We do this through implementing circle time throughout the day, in a low pressure environement, where the children are supported to engage at their own pace.

Sensory Needs

We meet each childs sensory/physical needs by providing sensory friendly spaces, appropriate resources and adaptations to ensure all children can access learning comfortably and safely throughout the day. The children will have access to the sensory room as and when they need it, a fantastic outside environment, and access sensory circuits. We provide a wide range of sensory activities that allow children to explore and learn through their senses. These include opportunities to engage with different textures, sounds, movements and visual experiences. 

Topics Overview

Autumn  - All about me! - It's Good to be Me! 

Autumn 2 - We Can Celebrate!

Spring 1 - The Natural World- Weather and Seasons

Spring 2 - Creatures Big and Small - It's a Bug's Life  (Mini-Beasts)

Summer 1 - Creatures Big and Small - On the Farm 

Summer 2 - Creatures Big and Small - In the Jungle