Welcome to R and L Class! 

R and L class includes 4 pathways: Parrot, Butterfly, Bee and Bear room. Our curriculum is a combination of Exploratory and Building Independence.

Children within our exploratory pathways (currently Parrot, Butterfly and Bee) will be developing engagement through play and intensive interaction. Our learning environment includes structured opportunities and access to continuous provision to develop early communication and attention. Learning is child-led, developmentally appropriate with a strong focus on individual pupil needs. 

Children who access the building independence pathway (currently Bear) are beginning to build their skills in regulation and attention to complete more adult-directed tasks. Sessions aim to develop functional skills such as listening, communicating and developing relationships for children to become more independent. Learning is interactive, multi-sensory and focused on children’s interests to ensure participation.  

Across all pathways, we emphasise the importance of communication skills, social interaction,  self-regulation, physical development as well as the foundations for mathematical understanding and literacy skills. Pupils are working towards individual learning outcomes which are developed, set and supported by the class teacher, SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) and other professionals,  including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, and in line with EHC Plans that have been published for the pupils. 

Sensory Development 

To support children still building a sensory profile and to help them explore the world, learning is brought to life with multi-sensory experiences.  Every day the children will have a range of high-quality interventions to meet their sensory-seeking needs including sensory stories, sensory circuits, Attention Autism (bucket time) and more.

Language Development 

There are many opportunities for children to develop their language throughout the day, from our 'hello' routine in the morning to role play activities and enjoying stories in class. We encourage children to use sign, gesture, body language or a core vocabulary board to support their communication. Children may also have a personalised language curriculum that is developed by NHS Speech & Language Therapists and implemented in our weekly timetable.

Each day, an adult will use Box Clever intervention techniques to model and encourage language development. This is done through adults naming objects and actions children are using and narrating play. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development 

Everyday, children are supported with developing their PSED through carefully planned activities such as calming time, self- regulation breaks and turn taking. 

Children will be supported to manage their emotional regulation and interactions with others throughout the school day. They will develop their social skills by being supported with interacting with peers and sharing their learning space with others.

Physical Development 

R Class have PE on Wednesday and L class on Friday - please make sure children are wearing appropriate clothes to participate in physical activity - e.g. jogging trousers or leggings and a t-shirt. However, our children are given opportunities to be active every day through soft play, outside play, sensory circuits and more. We are building foundation physical skills everyday such as balance, jumping and climbing.  For some children this includes beginning to learn stretches and gymnastic positions that will help them develop their core strength further. To develop children's fine motor skills, they are given a range of opportunities, such as mark making, threading, cutting and messy play. 

Food Exploration

Each week, children will have the opportunity to develop their sensory tolerance of different foods. This includes a variety of colours, textures and tastes. Children go at their own pace and experience food as fun. 

When children are ready, they then begin to focus on developing key skills such as chopping, grating, mixing and rolling. 

We also learn about healthy foods, food hygiene and safety in a kitchen. Children may take home their food each week to encourage discussion and celebration with parents and carers. Look out for delicious dishes on Mondays and Thursdays and please remember return the containers so we can reuse them!

Early Maths

Children access early maths opportunities throughout the school day during continuous provision. They may also work with an adult to support them on a focused maths activity such as: 

• Numeral recognition
• Counting with 1:1 correspondence
• Sorting objects (for example by shape, size or colour)
• Developing our spatial awareness
• Developing the concept of 'more'

Early Literacy

We have a range of writing opportunities throughout the school day to develop early reading and writing understanding. We use a variety of fun and engaging activities to promote this, including pre-phonics games and songs, mark making in our messy trays, tracing sounds and more. 

Where appropriate, some of our children follow the pre-phonics or phonics programme (using RWI) which is the first part of learning to read and write. Some children will access interventions within small groups and some will do their learning 1:1. We also sing lots of songs that help the children develop their sound knowledge and understanding. 

Educational visits

Each year, we organise a range of educational visits and enrichment experiences to enhance children's learning. For different pathways and age groups, this may include going to the park, swimming lessons, visiting the farm, going to the shops and taking public transport to visit buildings and areas of interest, among many other things!

Important information 

Snack Time 

Fruit and crackers are provided for children in school but you are welcome to still provide a healthy snack of your child's choice.

Outdoor Learning

In L and R class, we learn outside in all weathers. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  

Parent Workshops

We will host parent workshops regularly throughout the year. You will be invited via Arbor. They are a useful way for parents to understand how we learn in R and L class, meet other parents and learn strategies that can support your child further at home.