Furze Down School

Furze Down School

A Specialist School for Communication and Interaction

For more information and news

Verney Road, Winslow, Buckinghamshire, MK18 3BL

office@furzedownschool.org.uk

01296 711380

Birch

Birch

Overarching Themes and Topics Birch Class

The themes below are suggested for the year; however, they may change dependent on the children’s interests which we consider based on information from parents and observations in school.  Due to the nature of the EYFS provision, children engage with a range of learning opportunities; one activity can move a child’s learning on in more than one Birth to Five Matters Aspect, for example a painting activity can support the development of social skills, sensory exploration, and fine motor skills.  Regular and accurate observations of the children determine short-term planning and a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities are planned for in order to inspire and challenge all children, including through whole-class teaching, 1:1 work, small-group work, child-led play and teacher-directed learning.

 

Birch CLASS

Rotation 2

Autumn 1

Me and My Family

Autumn 2

Fairy tales and Superheroes

 

Spring 1

Over the Rainbow

Spring 2

Mini beasts and Explorers

 

Summer 1

People Who Help Us

Summer 2

I do like to be beside the Seaside!

PRIME

 

Personal, Social, Emotional Development

Making relationships with staff and new children.

 

Sense of Self: Responding to their name.  Making choices.  Family photos and books.

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation.  Learning class rules and behaviour expectations.

Making relationships:

Developing friendships.

 

Sense of Self: Responding to their name.  Making choices.  Similarities and differences.  Sharing our favourite stories.

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation.

Making relationships: Developing friendships.

 

Sense of Self: Joining in with class jobs.

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation.

Colours in the environment and what they mean (traffic lights, stop signs).

 

Diversity

Making relationships: Similarities and differences.

 

Sense of Self: Joining in with class jobs.

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation

 

Making relationships: explores wider range of activities.

 

Sense of Self: Joining in with class jobs.

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation.  Safety.  Visit from fire engine/emergency services. 

 

Making relationships: sense of belonging to the school.  Preparations for transitions.

 

Sense of Self: Accepting of change and new pupils visiting. 

 

Understanding Emotions including explicit teaching of Zones of Regulation.

 

PRIME

 

Communication and Language

·        Listening and Attention

·        Understanding

·        Speaking

Total communication approach at universal level:  Makaton, sing and sign sessions, choice boards, PECS, intensive interaction, visual timetables/posters, now and next boards, reduced language where appropriate, in-task schedules,

Attention Autism - daily sessions beginning with Stages 1 and 2, increasing to Stage3 and possibly Stage 4 by the end of the year.

 

Role Play:

Home corner

Role Play:

Castle

Enchanted Wood

Role Play:

Rainbow/coloured area/sensory

Role Play:

Jungle

Science lab

Role Play:

Hospital

Fire station

Role Play:

Beach

Ice cream Parlour

PRIME

 

Physical Development

·        Moving and Handling   Ball skills      Balance     Climbing       Riding trikes and ride-in cars     Weekly Dance session   Weekly PE Session

·        Health and Self-Care, including oral health.  Individual toileting programmes through the year as appropriate.

·        Sensory integration including sensory diets throughout the day as appropriate, Sensory circuits  Crossing the midline  Proprioceptive activities

·        Fine motor activities in mark making, handwriting groups.

 

P.E: Exploring movement

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

P:E: Exploring the equipment

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

P.E: Exploring movement (big and small)

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

P.E: Exploring movement (animal walks – jumping, hopping, skipping)

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

P.E: Ball games

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

 

P:E: Spatial awareness and negotiating space – Chasing games

Warm-up (alerting)

Organising

Calming

SPECIFIC

 

Literacy

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

Reading and sharing key texts linked to topic

 

Daily Quiet Time to include sharing books

 

Vocabulary Cards linked to topic

 

Fine motor skills and handwriting sessions

 

Sensory story sessions

 

Range of books, print and mark-making resources available through continuous provision

 

Read, Write Inc introduced as appropriate

 

See and Learn reading scheme used with specific children when developmentally appropriate

 

Key Texts:

Things I Like

 

I like bees, but I don’t like honey

 

Peppa’s First Pet

 

Pip and Posy – The Super Scooter

 

Peace at Last

 

One of those days!

Key Texts:

Supertato

 

The Gingerbread Man

 

Goldilocks and the three bears

 

The Foggy, foggy forest

 

 

 

Key Texts:

 

The Colour Monster

 

Love our Earth

 

Baby goes to Market

 

Rosie’s Hat

 

 

Key Texts:

Mad about Mini-beasts

 

Jasper’s Beanstalk

 

We’re going on a Bear Hunt

 

Key Texts:

 

Percy the Park Keeper – The Rescue Party

 

Non-fiction books – dentist, police, firefighters

 

Key Texts:

Sharing a shell

 

Commotion in the Ocean

 

Look what I Found at the Seaside

 

SPECIFIC

Mathematics

Number: Explore simple composition of number through rhymes. Object permanence.  Opportunities to join in with counting out loud/ on fingers/ supported by visuals.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Timetable.

 

Spatial awareness:

Exploring the classroom and buildings, PE, sensory circuits.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D shapes and mathematical language.  Daily routine.

Number: Explore simple composition of number through rhymes. Object permanence.  Opportunities to join in with counting out loud/ on fingers/ supported by visuals.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Patterns in the environment.

 

Spatial awareness:

Forest School, PE, sensory circuits.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D shapes and mathematical language.  Size.  Daily routine.

 

Number: Number rhymes. Opportunities to join in with counting out loud/ on fingers/ supported by visuals.  Counting small number of objects.  Numerals.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Simple repeating patterns.

 

Spatial awareness:

Forest School, PE, sensory circuits.  Spatial and positional language.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D shapes and mathematical language.  Size and weight.

 

Number: Number rhymes. Opportunities to join in with counting out loud/ on fingers/ supported by visuals.  Counting small number of objects.  Numerals.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Simple repeating patterns.

 

Spatial awareness:

Forest School, PE, sensory circuits.  Spatial and positional language.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D and 3D shapes and mathematical language.  Size and weight.

 

Number: Counting objects and matching with numeral.  Practical problem solving.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Creating own patterns.

 

Spatial awareness:

Forest School, PE, sensory circuits.  Spatial and positional language.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D and 3D shapes and mathematical language.  Size, length, weight, capacity.

 

 

Number: Counting objects and matching with numeral.  Practical problem solving.

 

Patterns: Repeated actions in songs and number rhymes.  Creating own patterns.

 

Spatial awareness:

Forest School, PE, sensory circuits.  Spatial and positional language.  Simple maps.

 

Shape and Measures: Explore 2D and 3D shapes and mathematical language.  Size, length, weight, capacity.

SPECIFIC

Understanding the World

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Labelling our Body parts and learning about what they do.

Labelling and identifying the different emotions we feel and how they affect our bodies.

Construction and houses – building our houses, building local buildings.

Maps and local area.

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Local castles, woods, and areas from fairy tales – what are they like etc.

Magic and spells.

Junk modelling

Fairy tales characters and personalities – favourites

Different superheroes/superheroes in the community.

Xmas celebrations.

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Colours – favourite colours, different objects of colours, patterns.

Colours in the environment and what they mean (traffic lights, stop signs)

Weather – looking at different types of weather, what do we wear in different weathers? Different materials to keep us warm/dry.

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Making bug hotels/houses

Looking at how mini-beasts grow, caterpillars-butterflies.

Exploring the outside area for any mini-beasts, using magnifying classes

Labelling parts of mini-beasts – legs, wings, head

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Trusted people and safety – why do these people help us, how can we keep safe?

Labelling emergency vehicles – engines, wings, rudders, mast, and steering wheel.

Uniforms and equipment.

What it’s like to work for the…police/NHS/fire brigade

Oral health

·        People and Communities

·        The World

·        Technology

iPad apps, interactive whiteboard, coding & bee-bots.

Collecting shells

Looking at different types of fish/and animals that live in the sea

What do you need on the beach? Umbrella, sandals, towel

Ice-creams and favourite flavours, how we make ice-cream.

Features of the beach – sand, sea, piers, flags

 

Cooking:

Key skills: washing hands

Sensory cooking, exploring textures, trying different foods eg. Sweet, savoury

Likes and dislikes.

Cooking:

Key skills: scooping and pouring

Salt dough

Decorating biscuits

Cloud dough

Cooking:

Key skills: using a spoon and knife

Fun with food colours

Fruit kebabs

Fruity yoghurt

Cooking:

Key skills: using equipment safely

using a toaster, blender, microwave

 

Cooking:

Key skills: following a recipe

 

Cooking:

Putting it all together!

Plan and make a picnic for the beach.

Jelly

Ice cream sundaes

Milkshakes and smoothies

 

 

Forest School:

Key Skills: Getting ready for forest school

 Transitions to different area.

Participating in games.

Sharing turn taking.

 

 

Forest School:

Key skills: transitions

Playing games/singing

Planting bulbs

Planting winter veg

Listening to stories.

Going for walks around our school.

Large scale construction.

Forest School:

Key skills: Use simple tools safely.

 Singing songs

Make a home for an animal.

 Making dens

Bird watching with “big birdwatch” Make bird food.

Forest School:

Key skills: Make a small world farm area.

Plant seeds/veg

Forest School:

Key skills Bug hunt

Make bug hotel.

 Outdoor Art

Make simple wand

Forest School:

Make a pirate flag.

Go pond dipping.

 Make and go on a pirate treasure hunt.

SPECIFIC

Expressive Arts and Design

·        Creating with Materials

·        Being Imaginative and Expressive

-large scale group art (e.g. designing and building a rocket, train and castle), Jackson Pollock, Matisse

-learning to use art tools appropriately

-planning, composing and performing topic related sound stories

-exploring and playing un-tuned & tuned instruments

-role play related to topic

-role play to learn life skills

 

Dance:

Action songs

 

Dance:

Action songs

Nativity practice

Dance:

Responding to music eg. Freeze, sit down

Dance:

Responding to music eg. Freeze, sit down

 

Dance:

Dancing with props eg ribbons, instruments

 

Dance:

Expressive movement

 

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

Music from other cultures

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

Music:

Listening & Responding

Exploring & Creating with our voices and musical instruments

Singing – rhymes and action songs

Sharing & performing

 

Sensory Art:

Exploring different textures, sensations, colour.

Sensory Art:

Exploring different textures, sensations, colour.

Sensory Art:

Recognising different colours and choosing colours for a purpose.  Colour mixing. Exploring and responding to textures and sensations.

Sensory Art:

Recognising different colours and choosing colours for a purpose. Exploring and responding to textures and sensations.

 

Sensory Art:

Choosing materials for a purpose.  Making marks and constructing with a purpose.

Sensory Art:

Choosing materials for a purpose.  Making marks and constructing with a purpose.

 

 

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and Exploring

  • finding out and exploring
  • playing with what they know
  • being willing to have a go

Active Learning

  • being involved and concentrating
  • keeping on trying
  • enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Thinking Creatively and Critically

  • having their own ideas
  • making links
  • working with ideas

 

Back to the Top