Class Page

In 34BC, we follow the pathway 1 curriculum which means that we teach through the outcomes on student EHCPs. Our curriculum is process based which means that we focus on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ things are done rather than the end product.

Students in 34BC are encouraged to be as independent as possible.This involves lots of work around communication and independence. We break skills down into very small steps in order for students to achieve at every level.

What does this look like for our students?

Student A makes her own noodles with some oversight and carries them from the kitchen into the classroom.

Student B is learning to find his way to requested locations around school. He uses photographs of reference to understand how to get to different locations.

Student C is enjoying going out into the community. The park is his favourite place to visit. He is able to walk sensibly to/from a location.

Student D is learning to sit at the table to eat his dinner and to complete his work. 

Student E is learning to follow symbolised instructions to make his own snack and how to use symbols to communicate with others.

Student F is learning how to shop for his own lunch items and then to cook them using the oven.

Student G can use some symbols to show how much he understands. He enjoys making his own snacks using the microwave.

Student H is building relationships with a new staff team and is learning how she can stay regulated while following an exciting curriculum.

We also learn how to get on with each other and how we can work together and share things.

As you can see, pathway 1 looks very different for each student. We focus on the school values of respect, kindness, aspiration and resilience throughout our personalised curriculum offer.

Fire and Ice

This term, students in 3/4 RB have been enjoying our very sensory topic of ‘Fire and Ice’. During the first half term we concentrated on fire, learning about safari animals and hot temperatures through sensory stories and hands-on activities. Students created animal tracks, explored textures like ‘elephant skin’ and produced some brilliant artwork using a process-not-product based approach. One of the standout moments was our visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where we saw polar bears, baboons, lemurs, capybara, tigers, lions and their cubs, meerkats, giraffes and more! It was a fantastic experience and helped bring our learning to life.

This half term, things have turned much colder as we moved onto ice and snow. Students have been taking part in sensory stories and Sensology sessions, exploring frosty textures, cool colours and wintery sounds. We have particularly enjoyed sensory sessions exploring the Northern Lights. Within all sensory activities, we are learning to communicate our preferences, cause an effect on something in our environment and to tolerate a range of sensory textures and temperatures. It has been a busy and exciting term, and our students have worked very hard!

We’ve had a fantastic start to the school year in 3AM. Our topic this term has been ‘Fire and Ice’ and we’ve had great fun taking part in lots of activities linked to it.

In my communication sessions, we explored animals from Africa. One student shared some brilliant writing about a zebra, using his own ideas. Another student also enjoyed teaching the class the Makaton signs for each animal, which everyone loved learning.

Food has played a big part in our learning this term because 3AM love to learn through cooking! We used our senses to explore how food changes when it’s heated or cooled. We made popcorn, melted marshmallows to create s’mores and dipped apples in chocolate for Bonfire Night. Our themed dance sessions were another highlight. Some students especially enjoyed the different moves, and the whole class helped create our very own dance routine.

In my body lessons, we took part in lots of active games. Students had a great time getting involved, following instructions and staying active. In my thinking sessions, we focused on exploring temperature. Students enjoyed feeling different textures and temperatures and even used a thermometer to investigate further. Some students particularly loved the sensory side of our ice activities, including the messy sensory trays!

Finally, we all really enjoyed our ‘Fire and Ice’ workshop, where we explored magic bubbles, colour-changing flames and frozen balloons.

We’ve had such an enjoyable and exciting term in 3AM. We’re looking forward to continuing our topic and discovering even more fun learning together.

Our topic this term has been ‘Fire and Ice’, with a focus on fire. We began by exploring Africa through the sensory story ‘We’re Going on Safari’, where we identified different safari animals and learnt about their patterns and habitats. We also visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park with our friends from 3/4RB to see, in real life, some of the animals that we had been learning about in our lessons. We went on to explore aspects of African culture, including music, dance, traditional homes and clothing.

We then moved on to our Bonfire Night sensory story and learnt how to stay safe around fireworks and bonfires. As part of this learning, we also made edible sparklers, observing how chocolate melts when heated before dipping breadsticks to create a tasty treat. Some students explored making marks in a glittery, firework-themed tuff tray, whilst others wrote sentences about Bonfire Night using their senses. The team loved singing and Makaton signing Katy Perry’s “Firework”, and we hope to share this in assembly soon.

To conclude our ‘Fire’ learning, we celebrated Diwali – the Festival of Light. Students explored the colours, music, traditions and celebrations associated with Diwali. We created salt-dough diya lamps, Mendhi patterns and bright Rangoli designs, and we explored the story of Rama and Sita through yoga and movement.

We are very proud of the curiosity, confidence and enthusiasm that the students have shown in their learning. Keep it up, 3/4HS!

This term has been a wonderful start for our class. Everyone has settled in well and it has been lovely to see new friendships already beginning to grow. We have enjoyed a range of exciting experiences, from our swimming sessions at The Pods to exploring the stars inside the school planetarium. The M&M production of Aladdin brought magic and laughter to our week, whilst a powerful performance on anti-bullying encouraged us to think about kindness and respect. We also came together for a thoughtful remembrance service, reflecting on its importance as a community. It has truly been a fantastic term so far!

We’ve had a fun and busy start to the autumn term in 3/4RO!

As part of our exciting unit, Fire and Ice’, students have taken part in a range of engaging learning activities exploring the contrasting themes of hot and cold. In our ‘My World’ sessions we have worked together to investigate which foods melt, especially enjoying the chocolate! Students worked carefully in my thinking lessons using a thermometer to record and compare temperatures.

During our diversity day, students created their own food collage plates from around the world. They were very inquisitive exploring fire and ice-themed foods, using their senses to investigate textures, temperatures and tastes linked to our topic.

In our ‘My Community’ sessions students have enjoyed exploring hot and cold climate sensory trays, matching, naming and sorting animals according to their habitats. They have also loved joining in themed dances and trying on traditional clothing from around the world, helping us to understand different cultures and environments.

Alongside this, 34RO have been working hard on their personal outcomes. They have been developing their fine motor skills by creating colourful fire and ice-themed collages, as well as building their gross motor skills through fun throwing and catching activities.

It’s been a fantastic start to the year, and we’re looking forward to extending what we have learned through our next unit of work ‘Life in Colour’ during the spring term.

In knowledge and understanding of our world lessons, we have been learning about the Vikings. We have investigated where they came from, how they travelled to Britain, what happened when they arrived and their lifestyle once they had settled. We researched Viking longhouses and looked at how they are different to modern homes. One student pointed out ‘They were dark because they had no windows’ with another adding ‘The only light was from the fire in the middle of the house.’  We talked about how there was only one room in the longhouse with a student adding ‘The animals were at one end.’ They are of course absolutely right; during the winter, the farm animals shared the house with the Vikings. ‘Yuck, smelly!’ was the response from a student! To gain a full understanding, we also try to do hands-on learning. We achieved this by building our own longhouses. Each table worked together to research what materials were used by the Vikings and what the key features of the longhouse were. We then did our best to recreate this (with the help of the odd shoe box and sticks that we collected from the Grove). Everyone worked well together to create our three very different but authentic style longhouses. Communication between peers and positive interactions meant that everyone participated and enjoyed our hands-on learning.

In 7/8ND this term, we have enjoyed focusing on regulation, sensory breaks and movement breaks. This has helped us to regulate and prepare our minds ready for learning. We have enjoyed time out in the MUGA for short movement breaks involving ball games. Students have also enjoyed sensory time in our quiet room using lots of resources. They particularly enjoy tactile resources such as modelling clay and poppets and using a curling plate along the carpet. In team, we often enjoy mindful music and images on our screen whilst we work and students are beginning to understand the importance of calming their minds and bodies ready for learning and really enjoy these experiences.

In 7/8BW, we have had a great start to the term! There has been lots of creativity and exploring within our areas of learning. We have been adventuring outside to explore the types of wildlife that live around our school. We have also used our hands on skills to create our halloween masterpiece, with lots of glitter and gruesome insects. We have done lots of work around our emotions and building positive relationships. In our learning lesson together, we have been practising our physical moves with Taekwondo Tim and also developing our social skills by communicating with peers from a different team

It has been a great first term in year 9. As well as working really hard in our lessons, we have settled well into our new team and with our new peers.

Workshops and performances

This term, we have been very lucky to be able to take part in workshops and performances.

We absolutely loved the M&M Production of Aladdin this term. It was wonderful to see the students interact with the actors and the smiles on their faces.

During our Crime Scene Investigation task, we were able to practise taking our finger and boot prints in different ways. For the second part of the day, we used the skills we had learnt to solve a crime. It was very interesting.

Creativity

We really enjoyed taking part in the Halloween art competition. The competition was to create a witch or wizard’s hat. We all designed our own and shared these with the team. From this group discussion, we were able to talk about things that we liked from everyone’s designs. This led to all the students having a part in our final design.  Everyone made something to go on our witch’s hat, which was so lovely and really made it feel a group effort. We were so pleased that our hat came 3^rd out of all of the hats in school!

Learning

In our lessons, we have been working so hard towards our personal targets and learning aims. We have worked on how to write to argue in our English lessons, being able to share opinions with evidence from the text, Oliver Twist. During our my outcomes lessons, we have been working towards our own personalised targets.

Mrs Mayren and the team are so pleased with the effort that the students have shown. They are really working to our school values of aspiration, kindness, respect and resilience.  

Busy Bees in Action!

Yummy in the Tummy!
This term, we’ve been exploring new foods! We’ve made toasties and popped popcorn, all whilst learning kitchen safety. Yummy and safe – a winning combo!

Helping Hands
Everyone has been taking turns with classroom jobs, showing teamwork and responsibility. Our classroom really feels like a friendly, busy community.

Learning Time
In lessons, we’ve been busy with phonics, improving our reading skills and learning about money in maths. We’ve also practised using a cane for the blind, gaining confidence and independence.

Creative Corner
Our imagination has been soaring! We’ve made spooky witch hats and built a pyramid in creative arts. Everyone’s creativity has shone brightly.

Well done, 9LS! You’ve worked hard, learnt lots and had fun doing it. We can’t wait to see what adventures are next!

A Term Full of Effort, Enthusiasm and Discovery

10AH have enjoyed a busy and rewarding term, working extremely hard across all their subjects. In my outcome lessons, the class have focused on progressing toward their EHCP targets. A particular highlight has been the role-play shop sessions, where students have thrown themselves into practising communication, handling money and taking on different real-life scenarios.

The class also proudly supported the Macmillan Coffee Morning. They baked tray after tray of cakes—everything from simple sponges to beautifully decorated treats—and helped contribute to a friendly and successful fundraising event for a great cause.

In science, 10AH have been fully engaged in hands-on practical work. They have used microscopes to explore tiny details, learnt to safely light and use Bunsen burners and begun growing seeds in a window greenhouse, watching their seedlings develop day by day.

It has been a productive and enjoyable term for 10AH, and their enthusiasm shines in every lesson. We can’t wait to see what they achieve next!

A Ticket to Ride

As part of students’ learning together sessions, 11LF completed travel training this term. This involved travelling to local shops by bus and culminated in students travelling by train to Cleethorpes. It was an opportunity for students to gain the experience and skills in using buses to enable them to attain more freedom and develop and increase their confidence around the wider community. Remaining safe when ‘out and about’, especially when interacting with strangers was something else that students were reminded of and something that they excelled in. They demonstrated respect and maturity. Lots of the sessions involved shopping, which the class really enjoyed, and again something that they gained experience and confidence in. Students demonstrated their maths skills and the ability to budget.

The highlight of the sessions was going to Cleethorpes by train. The team were able to spend the full day there which they thoroughly enjoyed. The weather was not the kindest to them, but that did not dampen their spirits, especially when it came to fish and chips and visiting the arcades!

Overall, the sessions were a great success, and students were able to develop their skills and confidence in the wider community and demonstrate what fine young adults they are turning out to be!

Good luck on your future journeys 11LF!

The students in 10PJ have settled well this term. They now have options to choose from, and in groups they have enjoyed going to the Skills Centre and lessons in hospitality, land studies and digital media. They also have a performing arts afternoon for learning together lessons, where they have been doing art and music, exploring Australian culture. This half term, the team have started travel training, visiting Central Park and getting the bus to Ashby to buy things in shops.

On top of this, we have two students taking part in a multi-schools cross-country competition.

Finally, we bid a fond farewell to our TA, who has taken leave to have her baby.

In October, members of 11SDM, who had chosen the skills centre as their Friday options group, attended Foundations Live at Bishop Burton College.

The event saw potential employers in the construct industry showcase their companies and the different roles available to students.

The students from 11SDM enjoyed the day and were great ambassadors for St Hugh’s School. They all particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities that were available to them.