Aspen class offers a beautiful light and airy space for the children that has been lovingly created by the team. Aspen is led by two very experienced teachers, Mrs Harris and Mrs Raymond. Three experienced Teaching Assistants, Miss Arthur, Mr Richards and Miss Smith ably support them. We offer areas for children to explore, investigate, and play and learn alongside their peers. We also offer cosy spaces, such as our reading den ‘van’, where children can read a book, relax and chill. This can be important to some children if they need to watch what is happening around them in their own safe space.

Areas are set up with a few resources, which can sometimes look quite sparse, but this helps the children to learn to share, take turns and also put the resources away where they belong. Photos and pictures help them to do this.

We encourage the children to communicate with each other by cutting down on the space provided in the room. We have adults who model language and encourage the children to use their language to communicate wherever possible. We also as a school, use a Total Communication approach, this means that we will use signs, symbols and pictures to communicate with your child. You will notice the staff wear lanyards that have widget pictures for important transitions and other such signs, including emotions tokens.

Each term we have a topic that we plan our activities around. The topics run for a half term and are revisited each year, so that learning and knowledge is built upon. Learning is all done in fun practical way, such as in play dough, painting, sensory activities and role play. We also take learning outside into our playground area.

The outdoor space enables the children to have the freedom to run around, develop their gross motor skills and use resources suitable to the outdoor learning environment. It is also a great resource to develop their social skills.

Each child will be given a designated Key Person in the first few weeks of term. This will be a person who will develop a close bond with your child, meet their personal needs wherever possible and often work on adult led activities with them. We are lucky to have an additional teaching room, that we purposely keep as a blank space so that distractions are kept to a minimum. This is a perfect space for our ‘Bucket Time’ which the children love and it is fabulous for developing their attention and listening skills.

Within the morning and afternoon sessions, all children are offered a healthy snack along with water or milk, in keeping with our Healthy Schools Policy. We encourage the children to sit at the table in their key groups, with a focus on communication and opportunities to talk and practise skills of independence. Full time children can bring a packed lunch or can purchase a school dinner which they enjoy in the hall. Again children are encouraged to sit at the table, to use cutlery if appropriate and to develop social skills and conversation around the dinner table, supported by a familiar adult.

Weekly newsletters and Tapestry posts help to keep you informed about what your child has been learning throughout the week. Half-termly suggestions around Home Learning are also available on the Ganneys Website.