Welcome to Derwent Class. We are part of the Willows Department where we put great emphasis on nurture and sensory needs. Everyone has a wealth of experience to support the pupils varying needs in class.

We always start our day with a form of exercise to get us ready for some great learning throughout the day; this is often a dance routine or sensory circuit activity. Our classes are lively and interactive and full of discussion to help support language, communication and social interaction. We also use Lego Therapy in class to support speech & language, social skills and fine motor skills. We have a great outdoor learning programme, which covers gardening, exercise and Forest School activities during the year.

During 2024-2025 we will be covering a range of topics which support holistic, enriching and thought-provoking learning experiences, all linked to acquiring relevant knowledge and skills:

•  Autumn 1 – Me and my Memories (History Focus)
•  Autumn 2 – Make Some Noise! (Music Focus)
•  Spring 1 –  Let’s Get Fit! (PE Focus)
•  Spring 2 –  Exploring our Neighbourhood (History Focus)
•  Summer 1 – Nature Detectives (Science Focus)
•  Summer 2 – Colourful Carnival (Music Focus)

Sitting alongside topic work and core subjects, we spend time outside of the classroom during our ‘Beyond Bennerley’ sessions. Our focus themes for this year are: Friendships & Relationships, Hobbies, Personal Safety, and Travel. We will also be going into the local community to visit shops, cafes and the library to support pupils to gain independent living skills. Later on in the year, we will be taking part in our annual Enterprise scheme, where pupils will be creating their own businesses, and crafting their products. This will culminate in an Enterprise Market Place event during the summer term. This is a great opportunity for pupils to work together as a team and build on a range of skills to support them accessing the workplace in the future.

Important Information

PE is on a Tuesday morning, please ensure kit is ready to hang back on their pegs at the start of each term.

We will be doing Forest School in the summer term; we will let you know about the kit required for this separately.

We will send you updates about your child throughout the week using our class email. If you need to contact us, we check email before and after the school day. If you need to report anything urgent please use the main school email address or phone the office.

On Thursday Derwent and the other Stage Two classes went to Lea Green’s Soft Play Centre to start off our new topic “Let’s Get Fit!”. We had so much fun and it was also a great opportunity to put our Science lessons on ‘Forces’ into  practice. 
 

On Monday we met Beth and Victoria, two local police officers. They spoke to us about personal safety for Beyond Bennerley. We asked lots of questions and learnt about the equipment they use.

In Derwent this afternoon we had a cinema experience in our Beyond Bennerley lesson. Everyone had to line up outside and purchase a cinema ticket with their pretend money. They also had the opportunity to buy popcorn and a cup of coke. We all enjoyed watching Penguins of Madagascar whilst sat on comfy beanbags. 

Derwent enjoyed having a whole day dedicated to RE along with their friends in Shipley. We learnt how and why we celebrate Christmas, recognised objects used in the celebration, made an advent wreath and visited our local church.

In English we have been exploring how music can affect the tone of the scene. We started by watching some YouTube clips from well known films such as The Lion King but with alternative music. We then used our own instruments and as a group, accompanied Beth whilst she read the story The Bear and The Piano. 

In Beyond Bennerley we have been testing out different hobbies and interests. So far, we've learnt about board game cafes, volunteering, walking and this week, cooking. On Monday we made mini wrap pizzas. It was a great opportunity to practice our cutting, spreading and grating skills too. They looked delicious! 

This week in PSHE we were learning the importance of online safety with the help of a very catchy song. We then all designed a poster with the slogan “stop, close, tell”. 

Derwent had a great day at Gulliver's Valley Resort. We enjoyed rides such as the Ghostly Galleon, Blackbeards Barrels and The Wriggler rollercoaster.  Then we all ate chicken nuggets and chips whilst watching a Christmas pantomime. Before we headed home we were lucky enough to receive a very generous Christmas goodie bag. 

We had a really fun and messy Art lesson with Shipley class! We explored colour mixing, learnt about Jackson Pollock and created our own masterpieces inspired by him. 
 

We have had a fun and spooky last couple of days in Derwent. On Wednesday we made Halloween decorations ready for the disco and enjoyed activities with a partner as part of Beyond Bennerley. Then on Thursday everyone dressed up, went trick or treating and had fun in the disco. 

In Derwent and Shipley our class text is the non friction book, ‘Your Body, Your Senses'. In English we had a really fun and messy lesson exploring with our senses. 

In Derwent we have an outdoor maths lesson every week. This last fortnight we have been focusing on fun activities outside linked to number place value. 

On Thursday we had our first trip out into the community on the brand new accessible mini bus! We all enjoyed exploring and sharing the books at the library together. 

In Derwent recently we have been playing lots of different games as part of Beyond Bennerley. We have been practising taking turns, listening and being honest. 

In Science we learnt about our five senses and completed five small activities linked to them. We smelt a variety of spices - some were a hit and others not so. We played a fun household object listening game which was trickier than expected and looked through binoculars outside.