We would like to warmly welcome you to Hornbeam Class—a happy, safe, and flexible environment where every child is supported to thrive. Our F2 Resource Provision offers five full days of high-quality early years education, running from 8:45am to 3:15pm.

Hornbeam consists of two classrooms, each designed as a nurturing and engaging space. These environments provide sensory experiences, supporting emotional regulation, social communication, and transactional support. The resources in both rooms are carefully selected and adapted to meet the individual needs and interests of the children, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Total Communication Approach

In our calm and structured environment, staff use Makaton signs and objects of reference to support early communication development. Children are encouraged to express their needs using these tools, helping them build confidence and independence. Visual and auditory cues—such as puppets, songs, and instruments—support transitions throughout the day, including snack, lunchtime, and home time.

Children are welcomed with a greeting puppet and a welcome song, and a tambourine is used to signal snack time. The puppet and song are also used at the end of the day to help children transition calmly and consistently.

Learning Through Play

Hornbeam offers a rich range of continuous provision areas that children can access throughout the day, including:

• A cosy reading corner
• A creative area with paint, playdough, and crayons
• A construction area with wooden blocks
• A role-play home corner
• Sand and water play areas

To promote independence and communication, children are supported to use visual aids to request the resources or areas they would like to play with. This ensures that every child can make choices, express their interests, and engage meaningfully with their learning environment.

All resources reflect the children’s interests and are carefully selected to encourage exploration, creativity, and development across all areas of learning.

Outdoor and Sensory Provision

Children have direct access to an outdoor area, which serves as an extension of the classroom. Here, they can:

• Climb and slide on play equipment
• Explore the large sandpit and water play area
• Swing in hammocks to support self-regulation

In addition to the rich classroom and outdoor environments, children in both classrooms are also fortunate to have access to a dedicated sensory room. This calm space offers additional support for emotional and sensory regulation, and is available whenever a change in environment is needed.

Our Team

Hornbeam is led by Mrs Dunbar, a qualified and experienced teacher. She is supported by a highly skilled early years team, all dedicated to helping each child achieve their full potential. Each child is assigned a key person who builds a strong relationship with them, plans personalised next steps, and ensures their needs are met throughout the day.

The team has received training in Intensive Interaction and Attention Autism from specialist Helen Bibby. These strategies, along with the use of voice, body language, and facial expression, are embedded into our approach to support early communication. Learning is a blend of child-led and adult-guided activities, tailored to the level of support each child requires.