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Fox Hollies Special School

Fox Hollies Special School

 

 

Pathway 4 Curriculum Overview - Spring 2023 – KS3 (some parts for KS5)

“Environments and Wildlife”

Maths

English

Global Learning

Number and Counting

Reading: The Great Kapok Tree (Wildlife/ Environment)

Geography Focus - Environments

  • Daily opportunities for Number and Counting within a range of lessons and practical experiences.
  • Number games and songs, 1-1 correspondence.
  • Social interaction and group Maths songs and games.
  • Maths No Problems and Power Maths ongoing mastery programmes where appropriate

 

Geometry and Measures: Sequencing

  • Practical use of positional language and ordinal numbers within cooking tasks
  • Copying simple sequences of familiar animals and key details, e.g. Jaguar’s spots
  • Sorting familiar objects by shape, colour, size
  • Sorting familiar animals by simple criteria

 

  • Daily reading of Rapid Reading scheme books and personalised word and symbol books based on Wildlife theme, individual experiences and / or interests.
  • Daily opportunities for reading symbols, cue cards and symbol sentences across all activities.
  • Group reading- Sensory story time “Great Kapok Tree” with routine, signs, objects, actions and touch,
  • Further individualised topic reading - pictures, symbols, words and sentences related to the story and wider topic
  • Reading and Sequencing cooking instructions and identifying ingredients.
  • Reading (appropriately simplified) key theme texts – e.g. “Monkey Puzzle” Julia Donaldson and simple Factual Texts
  • Personalised social stories where relevant
  • Simple exploration, naming and matching of key elements and iconic wildlife of “Rainforest” environments
  • Exploring and simple recognition of key elements and features of contrasting Earth Environments, Sea, Mountains, Polar, Deserts
  • Link to temperature and weather and sensory exploration
  • Matching key iconic wildlife to key environments
  • Making models / art of environments and wildlife

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geometry and Measures: Sequencing

Writing: Environments and Wildlife

Science – Living things and Life cycles

  • Practical use of position language and ordinal numbers within cooking tasks
  • Copying simple sequences of familiar animals and key details, e.g. Jaguar’s spots
  • Sorting familiar objects by shape, colour, size
  • Sorting familiar animals by simple criteria

 

  • Developing pre writing skills through related fine motor control activities.
  • Mark making with a range of materials, paint, chalk, pastels, pens.
  • Tracing and copying key vocabulary, ingredients, names and places related to Environments and Wildlife theme and individually motivating / relevant words.
  • Rehearsing symbol or text words, phrases / sentences to describe key familiar experiences or personally relevant stories and activities
  • Recognising, Naming key features of iconic wildlife
  • Recognising simple stages of life for familiar wildlife and humans, labelling, ordering
  • Creating and exploring themed environments in the sensory room e.g. rainforest
  • Exploring sounds and textures of different animals within play, simple games and art
  • Identifying and linking iconic wildlife to key environments
  • Growing simple plants

Physical Education

•       Daily access to structured movement activities and sensory movement breaks

•       Swimming where appropriate

•       Regular Trampoline

•       Daily Scooters use

•       Daily yoga routine where appropriate

•       Multiple opportunities each week and daily to carry out OT plans and related sensory activities

•       Weekly community inclusion sessions using various parks and other play areas

•       Weekly walking for health

•       Daily individualised “sensory diet” for students.

  • Option to join weekly Dance groups

Communication

  • Expressive communication modelled through Communication books, Makaton, gesture, vocalising and speech across all activities,
  • Explicit modelling of language through personalised books and social stories themed on our topic “Wildlife and Environments” using colourful semantics approach to build vocabulary and structure.
  • Developing and Using objects of reference and symbols within familiar routines and structures

Creative Arts

RSHE – First Aid

Whole school

Assembly themes -     

  • Group social interaction via familiar group songs, sensory and musical stories e.g. “Going to the Rain Forest”
  • Developing 1-2 keyword vocabulary related to the theme of “Wildlife”, through the topic sensory story.
  • Exploring various instruments, rhythm, tempo, volume, voice and the ways they can be used to create motifs and themes for individual iconic animals, including electronic effects
  • Exploring simple drama, role play and interactions / expressions and turn taking to fit these stories, e.g. looking for the monkeys
  • Exploring simple Musical and electronic instruments – keyboards, etc with support to create “Soundscapes” for iconic Environments, e.g. oceans.
  • Using a variety of Basic Art techniques to create simple Iconic wildlife and environment backgrounds, e.g. Monkeys, Snakes, Whales, Rainforest, Oceans.

 

 

  • Building Tolerance, acceptance and understanding of a variety of First Aid Procedures within a routine structure / role play (not actually giving first aid!) E.g. plaster, bandage, ice pack, medicine, thermometer etc.
  • Embedded words, symbols, signs, communication books and social stories

Supporting and related activities:

  • Mental Health week
  • Pride and diversity
  • Internet safety
  • Wildlife day, World book day
  • Clean water / water aid
  • Easter

Food Technology – Wildlife Recipes

Preparing for Adulthood +16 students - ASDAN Life Skills Challenges (in addition to elements of KS3 Curriculum)

  • Making various simple recipes that support our wildlife theme E.g. Animal Biscuits, pastry snakes, Frog Cupcakes, turtle shaped break.
  • Communication embedded within activity
  • Procedural and ordinal language, sequence sorting and simple measure.
  • Improving ability to complete basic self-help tasks with less support.

Daily experiences and activities under the 4 PFA outcomes, both as part of a small groups and individualised, personally relevant activities:

· Employment

· Independent Living

· Community Inclusion

· Health

E.g. visiting local community facilities and places, choosing something to buy in a familiar shop, making simple drinks and snacks, looking after our “Flat”, choosing leisure activities.