At Manor Green we understand that children with ASC achieve their potential and feel happy when their environment, learning, communication and routines are structured and personalised to meet their individual needs.
We believe that consistent approaches to teaching and learning, structured classroom environments and cross-curricular use of visual supports enable the pupils to be independent and engage in learning. Therefore, across all specialist classes the following structures, approaches and routines will be established to ensure consistency and promote happiness and achievement for all our learners.
The classroom environment will be kept tidy and organised in order for visual, auditory and tactile stimuli to be less distracting for the learner and to enable them to access the stimuli presented for an activity. The whole team is responsible for prior set up of resources and for putting resources away after an activity is finished to help the children focus on what they are accessing at any one time. Classroom cupboards will be kept tidy to enable the whole team to quickly access the resources they need and to maximise time spent with the children. Ensuring the environment is enabling is an important part of each session and is well maintained through-out the day.
Resources will be motivating for the children; which may include personalising activities to the child’s current interest or motivation. Stimuli will be refreshed every half term in line with the change in topic or theme.
Every classroom will have an area dedicated to whole class/ small group teaching in the form of a ‘circle’ of soft chairs.
This area will be around the IWB to enable the adults to use ICT as a method for the children to access the curriculum. Tables and screens will be used to structure small 1:1 areas where the children can work with an adult or independently. These 1:1 areas will be ‘distraction’ free spaces; which are personalised for individual children and structured to allow
for a quieter, focused area to learn. As children learn to focus alongside others they may move to working in a shared teaching area.
In every classroom an area will be dedicated to ‘play’. This area will be used to promote co-operative play and social skills. Where possible this area will have an element of role play and be linked to the topic theme. Adults will model play skills, and ensure that the resources in this area are motivating and personalised to the children’s current interests in order to promote expressive communication.
In all specialist classes children will have access to a visual timetable, or where more appropriate individual schedules. These schedules will be used consistently to communicate to the children about what will happen now and next,
and for the whole morning, afternoon or day dependent on the child’s individual needs. These schedules will be set up by the class team to reflect the child’s day and are an integral part of providing prior knowledge and support for transitions between activities for all learners. Schedules will work from top to bottom, with coloured symbols made in CommunicateinPrint and be taken off the schedule when the activity is finished.
Aided Language Displays (ALDs), symbols and choice boards will be used across all teaching and learning activities to develop children’s understanding and promote expressive communication skills. These visual supports will be made in CommunicateinPrint, with colour symbols in line with the whole school Total Communication Policy.
On arrival to school children will enter into a stimulating and creative classroom environment. Activities will be set out that develop children’s play, communication and PSHE knowledge and understanding. Individual children will access sensory circuits as part of their personalised sensory integration programmes during this welcome period.
After all the children have arrived a good morning session will take place as a more structured welcome to the day. Activities will then follow a work/ choosing format with session lengths varying to meet the needs of the children. Whole class activities will personalised to the children’s needs and be no longer than a suggested 20 minutes. Activities will be resourced to the highest standard with stimuli that are motivating, mindful of the children’s interests and changed regularly to keep the children motivated and engaged.
Snack and playtimes make a natural break in the morning session and the afternoon session will be personalised by the class teacher into two or more activities. At the end of the day the children will have opportunities to access calming activities alongside opportunities to request for high motivators to form a ‘golden or choosing time’. Some children may need to access a calming reflective activity after lunch in order to be able to engage in learning activities in the afternoon whereas others may need to participate in an alerting or organising activity to meet their individual sensory needs. This reflective activity should provide opportunities for the children to reflect on their own learning using music, photographs and rewards.
The activities throughout the school day are structured around a highly individual and personalised timetable which
is child led and tailored to the child’s needs.
Inclusion is a very important part of the learning culture in Specialist Classes and identified students may learn best in a dual placement scheme where they access generic classes for curriculum areas such as English, Maths and Science or for social inclusion with other children in their peer groups.
All Specialist Classes maintain whole school learning and community values with all children taking part in school experiences such as playtimes and assemblies, if appropriate in discussion with lead learner, with support from core staff who help the children to make the most from every opportunity.
Independence will be encouraged at all times through the use of visual supports, key words, key signs and direct short verbal language. Children will be encouraged to transition between locations/ activities/ adults etc using their schedules or the class visual timetable to help them. Learners will have opportunities through-out the day to consolidate their learning leading to independent work. This independent work will follow a TEACCH approach to learning and the expectations will be communicated to the children by ensuring that all independent tasks have been taught first, a work system shows how many tasks have to be completed, a reward or choosing always follows completion of work. As the children’s skills, confidence and ability grow in working independently the children will be taught to request an adult to check their work as part of small steps towards self assessment.
Children in specialist classes follow a curriculum that is relevant, broad and balanced to their needs. Each class follows a thematic approach to teaching and learning which changes half termly. More detailed information on topics, themes and content can be found under the Long Term Plan section of our website.
Children also work towards independence in eating and drinking, personal care (toileting, dressing) as identified through their PSHE targets.
In addition, children have access to a multi-sensory programme including use of the light and sound room, sensory circuits, outdoor learning environments and soft play. All children have personal, social and emotional targets which help develop skills in expressing and exploring likes and dislikes, high interests and friendships with others.
Individual children are assessed by the Occupational Therapist for sensory integration programmes which are implemented through-out the school day. Hydrotherapy and rebound are key strategies used to develop physical, social and communication skills.
Communication between home and school is highly valued and class teachers will develop a system that shares the following information;
Identified children will have clear, concise and appropriate behaviour plans which will clearly show a photograph of the child, be signed by parents, displayed and shared in class teams and whole school meetings and saved on the server. Behaviour plans will be regularly reviewed and updated. Behaviours will be tracked and monitored using adapted behaviour recording systems which allow teachers and the lead for behaviour to look for patterns, triggers and strategies.
Learning should be personalised for all children, with some children needing 1:1 support following a highly personalised routine. These daily learning plans will always follow the same core routine, with shortened activity lengths, regular changes of location and adults. Class teachers will think systematically and creatively to produce organised timetables that maximise all the learning environments available including the outdoor areas.
