November 2024
Headteacher’s Message
I am pleased to say that we have had a very positive term since we returned from the summer holiday. The children have settled in well and have been working hard on our theme “It’s Good to Be Me!”.
This theme has enabled the children to learn about themselves and their environment as well as thinking about how things can affect others around them. We have looked at their hobbies and interests and had the opportunity to celebrate the variety of personalities and attributes we have across the whole school.
This term we have also held a number of events including our Pathways Event and an Art Exhibition! Huge thanks to the staff involved in organising these, particularly Miss Jenna, who raised over £230 from the art exhibition!
As always, thank you to those of you who have participated in these events. As ever, I am grateful for your continued support and kind words. It means so much to have so many of our parents working so closely with us.
We will shortly be sharing information about our events this term, including our Christmas plans but in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the build up towards Christmas!!!
Geoff Cherrill
Headteacher
Safeguarding and Participation Team
Meet the Designated Safeguarding Team
The Safeguarding Team oversee and coordinate all aspects of the school’s work to ensure that pupils are kept safe. They regularly attend training to ensure their skills and knowledge are up-to-date.
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Adam Bradford
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Geoff Cherrill and Jo Snow.
For a copy of our school’s Safeguarding Policy and other helpful links please visit the Safeguarding page on the school website.
Statutory guidance from the Department for Education helps guide us on policy and practice, this includes Keeping Children Safe in Education which is available on the link below:
Are you worried about a child or young person?
If you are worried about the wellbeing of a child, want to report abuse or are not sure what to do, please get in touch.
The Children's Service First Response Hub provides the public and professionals with advice, information and support for children who are vulnerable and at risk.
Children's First Response Hub can help if you:
- Are worried about a child or young person who is at risk of (or is being) hurt or abused;
- Know of a child or young person who may be vulnerable without additional help and support;
- Want to know more about services to support children, young people and their families;
- Need support to agree an Early Help offer.
If you're concerned, but not sure a child is at risk?
Discuss the circumstances with the Children’s First Team.
Contact Children's First Response Hub
If you are a member of the public please telephone or e-mail the team:
Telephone: 01202 123 334
Email: [email protected]
The First Response Hub is open:
Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 5:15pm
Friday, 8.30am to 4.45pm
Urgent Help Out of Hours
The out of hours service offer emergency support for any child who is in crisis, needs urgent help or is at serious risk of significant harm.
Contact: 01202 738 256
In an emergency, or if you believe a child is at immediate danger or risk of harm, call the police on 999
Operation Encompass
Our school is part of Operation Encompass which is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and police forces.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse.
As a school we have ensured that members of our staff, Adam Bradford, Jo Snow and Geoff (known as Key Adults), have been trained in the Operation Encompass procedures allowing us to then use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right.
On 24 May 2024 Royal Assent was granted to The Victims and Prisoners Act. The Act placed Operation Encompass into Law.
This places a statutory obligation on police forces to share Operation Encompass notifications with schools/educational settings.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and through Operation Encompass we will be able to provide the best possible support to our pupils.
Best wishes,
Adam, Jo, Nicki, Abi and Kelly
Every Day in School Matters
Did you know…
There are 175 non-school days in a year for holidays, appointments, weddings, shopping and spending time with friends and family.
Types of Absence
Every half-day absence from school, by law, has to be classified as either authorised or unauthorised. The absence is then given a code. This is why information about the cause of absence is always asked for. The school does not have control over the code. It depends on the information you tell us.
Authorised Absences
Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a valid reason such as illness, emergency medical or dental appointments (routine appointments should always be made out of school hours) and emergencies. Where there are high levels of illness (without proof that medical advice has been sought) these absences will not be authorised.
Unauthorised Absences
An absence is classified as Unauthorised if the reason was not recognised as acceptable. The Department for Education (DfE) and Local Education Authorities provide information for schools as to what is acceptable and what is not.
Examples of reasons that would not be accepted are;
- A birthday;
- A shopping trip;
- Day trips;
- Holidays - unless they have been agreed as exceptional circumstances.
If your child misses school without a good reason, local councils and schools can intervene and you may be issued a fine. Under the new national framework which came into effect from August 2024, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons.
From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. If absence continues to fall short of Government Guidance, the Local Authority may decide to take further action through the Courts. On the back of this guidance, Winchelsea consulted with parents in September and has now updated its Attendance Policy, which can be accessed using this link.
https://winchelseas.schoolzineplus.co.uk/_file/media/5018/attendance_policy_sept_2024.pdf
If you would like any support or advice on attendance or punctuality, please speak to your child’s class teacher. If you feel you are unable to comply with the new policy or have any questions about it, I would be happy for you to call me. The school would rather work with you if at all possible.
Best wishes
John Kunzi
Curriculum
It has been a wonderful start to the year with pupils settling well into their new classes and everyone getting to know each other, which is always supported by our thematic focus at the start of the year. I can’t believe we are already heading towards Christmas!
This half term we have been engaging with learning through our theme ‘It’s good to be ME’. Pupils have been exploring opportunities to learn more about themselves, and part of sharing their learning has meant they have learnt about others too! Pupils across school have explored their hobbies and interests, finding out what they are good at. It has been great to recognise and celebrate across the school that we are all different, that being different is great as it makes us more interesting.
The Enquirers had a fantastic morning at the start of term completing artwork about themselves and their interests and finding out little known facts about members of SLT… who knew that Mr Minton has re-wired air conditioning panels for the London underground, or that I like jumping out of aeroplanes and Alison Meachin has ridden an elephant!
Pupils have built on this journey of discovery over the half term, and this has linked across the curriculum subject areas. In careers, pupils have learnt more about how interests can lead to jobs and their Future Pathways. This was complimented by the Pathways Event in school where pupils in KS 4 had the opportunity to find out about options beyond Winchelsea. In My World and PSHE pupils have found out more about their bodies, how they work, keeping safe and change as we grow.
At the end of the half term and as part of their Arts Award pupils in KS 4 enjoyed watching the Parkstone Grammar performance of ‘Into the Woods’ – a story of self-discovery. There was some fantastic singing that will hopefully inspire our pupils for their Christmas performances!
The Discoverers started the term expressing themselves through art and this continued through the term to produce some fantastic work, resulting in the evening showcase of artwork at the end of half term. Pupils produced some fantastic artwork that showed creativity, self-expression and talent. Thanks to Jenna Ray (Discoverers Pathway Lead) for hosting the evening it was a huge success raising £235. It was lovely to hear how many parents attended and enjoyed the evening.
Pupils have enjoyed being out on a variety of Community visits this half term. They have been exploring and reacquainting themselves with the local area as well as continuing to work on their safety and social skills in the community.
The school community had a wonderful day joining together for our ‘I help ME’ drop day to understand and have opportunities to engage in activities that support their mental-health and well-being. It was a busy day at Forest Schools, where pupils enjoyed marshmallows and chats round the fire.
As always, the theme incorporates many linked opportunities to develop key vocabulary, read, explore texts, listen to and enjoy books and stories in a variety of ways. Reading opens our World in so many ways and takes us on journeys we might not think imaginable, and the reading slot at the end of the day creates time and space to really focus on this with pupils across the school in a variety of meaningful ways. Again, this year we are keen to support you to develop these opportunities at home as well, through exploring suggested texts, or books sent home. Please continue to engage with your class teacher about reading at home and share with us your experiences.
We hope you have had a restful half term and are ready for…. ‘Tomorrows World’ – all about technology and space.
Hannah Parry
Curriculum Lead
Ocean
What an amazing half term Ocean class have had. Chloe and Srini have welcomed 10 new children into the class, and we could not be prouder of them. We are equally proud of how our new children have embraced the beginning of their learning journey at Winchelsea.
This term we have focussed on developing relationships with the adults and other children in class, becoming familiar with the routine of the day, and leading the adults, through our play, how we would like the environment to be. Most of the children now know where drinks bottles are kept, when snack and lunch breaks are, where we wash our hands and use the toilet. The adults are beginning to know what activities we like, and those we don’t like! 😊 We have also practised what we should do when the fire alarm bell rings – a number of times.
This term our topic has focused on who we are, and what different parts of our body are called. One of our favourite songs at the moment is ‘One Little Finger’ and some of the children are beginning to do a few of the actions. We have also explored Autumn colours and materials by using paint, messy play materials, and real-life objects such as leaves, pumpkins, fruit, vegetables, and conkers. The new climbing frame has also proved to be popular, where we spend time developing our gross motor skills (key for the development of fine motor skills) and turn taking.
We have just started exploring the wider community such as the school field, the park, and our first visit to Upton Park. We would like to give a gentle reminder that boots, coats, hats and gloves will be essential for the coming wetter and colder months.
As we move through our second term, our topic will be ‘Tomorrow’s World’. We will be focusing on the book ‘Little Glow’ as we look at all the different celebrations in the World.
The Ocean Class Team
Harbour
As we reach the end of another exciting half term, we want to share all the wonderful activities and learning experiences your children have enjoyed! This term has been filled with exploration, creativity and fun as we focused on our theme: ‘Living My Best Life’. As part of this theme, we’ve been immersed in the delightful book ‘From Head to Toe’ by Eric Carle. The children have loved exploring different ways to move their bodies and interact with animal props that go with the story. It has been a joy modelling to them animal movements and watching them begin to try to express themselves. The children have also created their own adapted version where they have decorated the animals from the story using paints and craft materials.
We have been learning about body parts like facial features, arms, fingers and toes, have explored our faces using mirrors, and created fun facial art using playdough and Mr Potato Heads. The highlight was making pizza faces with toppings for eyes and mouths, and even creating splat faces with Angel Delight and sprinkles! With all of our activities we have been using Let’s Chat Boards with the children and it’s been lovely to see so many being used with parents at home as well! We also used Let’s Chat Boards to label body parts while cleaning baby dolls, enhancing our vocabulary in a playful way. Through small world play, we learned about feet by stamping animal footprints in Weetabix and walking on bubble wrap.
We’ve also been focussing on developing our fine motor skills with exciting activities. The children have used tweezers to rescue dinosaurs from cooked spaghetti, poured and scooped dried rice, and enjoying pegging clothes on a washing line. We also did hand and finger painting, which was a huge hit! When learning about feet, we explored barefoot with various textures such as baked beans, dry pasta, sand and foam soap, and even painted our feet to make fun footprints.
The children have had a fantastic time on our community visits, especially at Kinson Common Forest where we explored nature and splashed in the stream. We experienced the textures of bark, leaves and sticks and also enjoyed PE sessions in the park where we practiced using our gross motor skills.
To enhance our learning, we’ve looked at photographs from home, celebrating our families and the places we live. This has helped the children connect their experiences in class with their lives at home.
Oyster
We are one term into the year so it’s time to look back at the success we have had with the children and what we have been focussing on with them.
As always, we have started with getting to know each other, understanding the routines and expectations. We have seen where we could stretch the children and how far, in relation to the boundaries and routines that are now a staple of the week. As well as these routines we have been providing a wide range of resources and activities to support regulation strategies for each child, working towards a new or updated toolkit. Some of us have still got more exploration in this area but everyone has been moving forward in a positive manner.
The theme has given us the opportunity to explore ourselves, as well as our likes and dislikes across all areas of the timetable at Old Town, Winchelsea and in the community (once we were able to!) One of the most captivating aspects of this has been to see children with the same interest tolerating each other near them, sharing resources and stepping towards collaborating interactions.
Our story along with a wide range of practical activities spread across the day have supported many areas including developing our core strength, resilience, persistence and motor planning. Who would have thought acting like monkeys and donkeys could have such a positive impact?
We have also been developing our attention, instruction following and exploration through the different painting techniques we undertook. We think the final two staged art product produced was the favourites judging by the smiles, mess and engagement we saw when making them.
We would like to thank all of you who have managed to join us in one or multiple events we have organised, from the parents evening drop in and gallery evening to the Macmillan coffee morning. We know how attending these things can have obstacles so your time is always greatly appreciated and really makes them worthwhile.
Starfish
Starfish have had a fantastic start to the school year.
The last half-term has been all about getting to know each other, their new adults and peers, and for some, new environments. The children have shown such resilience, tolerance and willingness to try new things, and we are extremely proud of them.
As part of the theme during Autumn 1 we have been thinking about ourselves, our likes and dislikes and what it is like to be ‘me’. The children have created beautiful art pieces representing themselves and their families, they have been looking at themselves in mirrors and starting to recognise key features, along with starting to request their wants and needs with more independence.
As well as working on those key communication skills, the children have been making the most of our broad and varied curriculum, accessing a range of outdoor spaces across the week such as Forest Schools, outdoor learning time, swimming and lots of local walks around the community. The children loved exploring, problem solving and regulating in these different environments and they have become favourite times of the week! It has also enabled the class team to work on those crucial life skills of following key instructions, and walking and transitioning safely, which are an integral part of their learning.
We cannot wait to see what the next term brings For Starfish Class and the wonderful progress they are sure to make this year. Well Done Starfish Class!
Jellyfish
Here we go again… Another great start to this school year with Jellyfish Class! I cannot believe I am writing our first Newsletter of the year already! Time flies when you’re having fun!
The theme for this half-term was ‘It’s Good To Be Me’ – you may have heard your child singing this song from assemblies! We focussed on a different ‘Word of the Week’ each week and this led us into some lovely learning though the term. The words were ‘me’, ‘school’, ‘family’, ‘feeling’, ‘want’ and ‘where’. Hopefully, all the pupils remember the sign for each of these words and can teach you at home! For ‘me’ week, Jellyfish focussed on themselves and what makes them “me”. Over the next few weeks, the class learnt and talked about their school and family, including who is in those categories. Jellyfish pupils had a big focus on using their Toolkits and The Zones… the pupils even made their own version of The Zones which was so brilliant it’s now our classroom computer screensaver! The pupils looked at likes and dislikes across a range of learning opportunities and really explored themselves and what they want in life. This half-term, Jellyfish Class began building on their friendships with each other and working on consistent and trusting relationships with adults – we have all been getting to know each other’s likes and dislikes! One of our other main focuses was using adult’s names to gain attention as well as the pupils listening out for their own names when listening to instructions.
At the beginning of the term, we decided we would visit the same place weekly for our Community Visit so the pupils could practice staying safe when out and about as well as have some fun outside of the classroom! We visited Poole Park nearly every Thursday afternoon which was so much fun! I say “nearly” every week as there were a couple of weeks where the weather was not our friend and Jellyfish Class learnt that grown-ups cannot control the rain and wind! However, they all did very well to support us with our problem and help us fix it by either staying on the bus for a scenic drive around Poole Harbour, staying in the classroom to enjoy some fun calming activities, and to turn-take on our new class trampoline and swing. Jellyfish pupils have also been very successful when transitioning to and from swimming at the local leisure centre. On Friday afternoons we have been using the Cooking Room to cook our pasta and grate cheese for Food Therapy. We have cooked spaghetti, macaroni, tagliatelle, penne, fusilli, conchiglie and the most exciting one… Halloween shaped pasta!
Next half-term, our thematic focus will be ‘Tomorrow’s World’. Jellyfish pupils will be thinking about different technology they might use as well as learning about different festivals as we journey through the term. We are all looking forward to the festive period and the fun learning opportunities that this will bring nearer the end of the term.
Thank you for all your support as we have navigated through the beginning of this year. We are grateful for your ongoing support and communication!
Miss Naomi and the Jellyfish Class Team; Miss Jo, Miss Laura, Miss Hayley and Miss Jane
Dolphin
It has been a fun and fast-paced start to the school year with pupils adjusting brilliantly to a different Dolphin Class, in a new environment, with a new teacher and new peers. We’ve already come a long way since September, establishing routines, expectations and firm friendships. The team have worked hard to develop a safe, nurturing environment which fosters a sense fun, exploration and a genuine love of learning.
Our theme this half term has been ‘It’s Good to Be Me.’ We’ve explored who we are and learnt about those around us. Pupils have loved relating aspects of their lives by sharing photos and telling each other about their pets and families. This has been a fantastic way to build relationships with our new classmates and get to know each other better.
Our focus text for this half term was ‘Incredible You’ written by Rhys Brisenden and Nathan Reed. Dolphin Class enjoyed exploring new skills and activities from the book, which gave them a great sense of achievement. It helped them realise, that they are all incredible, and that they can each achieve anything if they have a positive attitude and try their best.
The team have had a particular focus on supporting pupils to develop their interest in books and reading this year. Every day, pupils independently choose from a wide range of age-appropriate books, that pupils can read or will have read to them. We have had amazing success with some new readers, utilising the sounds they’ve explored in phonics to blend words together and read their first ever books on their own.
In problem solving, we have been looking closely at our understanding of number. Stripping it back allowed us to see if we know what those numbers actually represent. This was achieved firstly by utilising physical concrete items, such as blocks, then expanding this and linking it to the written pictorial digits and then onto recognising and matching them in a variety of different contexts. For example, we’ve taken our skills to the local park, had a number hunt and recognised a range of numbers, with some pupils adding them together and searching out the correct answer. We’ve been very impressed by all the amazing efforts of the whole class this term.
In our other subjects, we’ve seen a positive increase in the gross motor skills and general fitness of the class through their 3 PE lessons a week, along with Active8 boxes developing key fine motor skills. In our My World lessons, pupils have loved the practical sensory approach to learning about our bodies. This half term we’ve used balloons to demonstrate how the lungs work, made brains from playdough and built skeletons from pipe cleaners which has really helped pupils better understand their bodies. In our Pathways sessions we have been exploring different careers; having an experience of each role and then thinking about whether it is something we would like to do when we grow up. This term alone, we have been delivery drivers, builders, gardeners, and ice cream sellers. It’s been fantastic to see pupils giving new activities a go and thinking positively about their future.
We can’t wait to explore time and space together in our new theme for next term ‘Tomorrow’s World.’ We’ve already had a fantastic start to the school year, working together, making friends and establishing expectations and routines. Now it’s time to see what heights we’ll fly to next!
Octopus
Dear Parents and Carers,
We’ve had a wonderful and busy start to the school year in Octopus Class! Our first-term theme was ‘All About Me’, and the children have enjoyed exploring who they are and their school community. Early on, we focussed on identifying ourselves by looking at photos, exploring body parts, and using mirrors and loose parts to create representations of ourselves. We also introduced fun movement activities like yoga and physio videos, helping the children discover the different ways their bodies can move.
As part of our exploration of school life, the children learned about the different areas of the school and who is in their class. They enjoyed activities like a scavenger hunt and labelling various school spaces, which helped them become more familiar with their surroundings.
We also introduced the children to emotions through our sensory story and creative activities. They made scented playdough to help with calming and explored how colours relate to different feelings. To support communication, we worked on expressing wants and needs using various methods, such as symbols, individual communication aids and let’s chat boards. We wrapped up the term with Halloween-themed activities, revisiting the idea of identity and self-expression.
Looking ahead, our next theme is ‘Tomorrow’s World’, where we’ll dive into learning about technology, how things work, and cause-and-effect relationships. The children will have plenty of opportunities to experiment and investigate, while also celebrating key events like Bonfire Night, Diwali, and Christmas, helping them explore the concept of time and what they look forward to.
Best Regards,
The Octopus Class Team
Shells
Shells class have had a fantastic start to this academic year. Our theme this half term has been ‘It’s Good to Be Me’, and it has been great to get to know the children and what they enjoy.
Each week we have had focus activities related to our word of the week (as seen in our weekly newsletters!) The children have really enjoyed the opportunities to express themselves and share their likes and all the fun things they do outside of school! Over the weeks we have developed our communication skills by using photos from home and school to talk about the things we have done and what they liked or didn’t like, using small world resources such as dolls houses, farm sets and zoo animals to develop our vocabulary related to our topic, and role-playing familiar scenarios such as looking after babies, being doctors and shopkeepers!
We have also had lots of opportunities to explore our creativity, the children had lots of fun making playdough versions of themselves, using chalk to draw around each other and create maps on the floor, mixing colours with paint to create the different emotions, and using lots of different decorations to add some extra sparkle to photos of themselves. The children have also worked very hard over the past 8 weeks to create some amazing pieces of art. They have been expressing and exploring the things they like and over the weeks have created two pieces of art that are uniquely them! It was so wonderful to see it all come together at the art gallery, and all the children were super proud of their hard work.
We have also been on lots of walks out in our local community, and related to our theme we have visited three parks to explore which one is our favourite. We are so proud of how brilliantly the children walk when we are out in the community, and they have demonstrated fantastic listening on every single one of our trips.
Next half-term our theme is ‘Tomorrow’s World’. We will be learning about what makes our world with a focus on technology and how things work. Children will have lots of opportunities to explore, experiment, investigate and learn about simple cause and effect. Alongside this focus, the children will be learning about key points of interest coming up in our near future e.g.: Christmas, Bonfire Night, birthdays and Diwali. This lends itself to the basic concept of time and thinking about what we are looking forward to.
After such a busy first half of the term we hope your week off was fun and restful - we can’t wait to explore the exciting things we get up to next half term!
Shells Class Team
Penguins
The pupils in Penguin Class have had a fantastic start to the new school year, with all pupils settling in well to the first half of the Autumn Term.
Our topic this half-term has been ‘It’s Good to Be Me.’ This has involved many fun learning opportunities based around getting to know ourselves and each other.
The pupils in Penguin Class have been thinking about our own likes and dislikes and we really enjoyed painting self-portraits.
We also had a lot of fun on our well-being day, which was a whole day dedicated to self-care, that we spent at the main Winchelsea site. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the chance to spend some time in the Forest School area - including toasting marshmallows.
We have also impressed our adults with our amazing walking in the community as we went on a number hunt around Poole High Street - we even saw two trains crossing over the High Street!
Our next topic is ‘Tomorrow’s World,’ which is all about technology, inventions, celebrations and space.
Thank you for your continued support,
The Penguin Team
Sea Lions
Well - where did that term go?
Sea Lions have had a fantastic start to the new academic year and all settled in wonderfully!
We have all enjoyed getting to know each other and it has been really interesting focussing on the Topic ‘It’s Good to Be Me!’ The pupils have really got to know each other’s likes and dislikes and are very tolerant and thoughtful towards every one’s differences/needs. One of the highlights was when we made a friendship web and shared information about ourselves.
This term we have also explored the artist Frida Kahlo, and it has sparked some wonderful discussions ranging from artefacts to fruit. The pupils have produced some imaginative colourful self- portraits with artefacts of their choice in the style of Frida Kahlo.
A firm favourite of the class is Wednesday afternoons which is our STEAM sessions - we join with Sea Turtles class and the pupils are all enthusiastic and engaged. I think the pupils have enjoyed all the sessions but particularly finding out which items dissolve and how to do the perfect bottle flip!
We have finished our ‘Flat Stanley’ book and it was a great story! The pupils were engaged and eager to find out what happened next. During English the pupils were all given 6 pictures to represent what happens in the section of the story we read out, then after I finished reading, they ordered the pictures to ensure they had understood. This came to a wonderful dramatic end whereby the pupils acted out the end of the story by creating freeze frames of the two brothers!
The pupils enjoyed going to main site for the day for the “Drop Day” and roasting marshmallows while focussing on the importance of mental health. The children had a fantastic time seeing their friends based at main site and playing together.
Also, a huge well done to the pupils who were horse riding this half-term. This has proven to be very successful and a real benefit to the children involved.
Finally, I would like to wish the three pupils who are moving on from Sea Lions all the luck in the world in your new setting and feel sure you are going to be amazing!
Hope you had a wonderful half-term break,
Kind Regards
Sea Lions Team
Sea Turtles
What a fantastic half term we have had! Our theme for this half term has been ‘It’s Good to Be Me’. This has been a wonderful topic to work on with Sea Turtles as it has allowed us to explore our varied and different interests, hobbies and likes. Pupils have really begun to explore what is meaningful to them. It has been a wonderful opportunity for pupils to also learn about what is important for their friends.
In English, we have looked at a wonderful book called ‘What makes me a me’ by Ben Faulks. It’s a lovely book about a boy exploring all his interests, hobbies and things that make him him. We have used this text to practice writing simple sentences. Our big focus has been using full stops, capital letters and finger spaces. Sea Turtles have also been working really hard on applying their phonics to their reading and spelling.
This has flowed into our ICT where pupils have been learning how to log onto their laptops independently and how to use Word. Pupils have practiced typing by typing up the sentences that they have written in English.
In Maths, we have been working on a variety of different skills. We have been working on adding a range of different numbers, particularly looking at bonds to 10 and 20. Some of us have challenged ourselves and worked on using column addition to add 3- or 4-digit numbers! Pupils have also started to explore different ways we can represent information, such as a tally chart or a bar chart.
In RE, we have been learning about the parables of Jesus. We have learned about stories such as ‘The Parable of The Sower’, ‘Jesus Feeds The 5000’ and ‘The Parable of The Lost Sheep’. Sea Turtles have been able to discuss the different stories we have read and recall facts about Jesus.
Pupils have enjoyed creating a variety of art this half-term based on the work of Frieda Kahlo, a Mexican artist known for her interesting portraits. We created a variety of different portraits and were amazed with Sea Turtles creative flare!
We have had excellent sessions cooking this half-term. We have worked on a variety of skills such as using the kettle safely, and using the toaster and the microwave. We particularly enjoyed making mug cakes!
Sea Turtles enjoyed going to main site for the day for the Mental Health Drop Day. We enjoyed a variety of activities such as roasting marshmallows and focusing on the importance of mental health.
This half term, our theme is ‘Tomorrow’s World’. This is going to be a technology/ ICT based theme.
Kind regards,
Miss Nancy, Miss Sarah and Mr Rob
Puffin
We have had a fantastic start to the year in Puffin Class, we are so proud of all the pupils!
We have had a brilliant time over the last half-term, enjoying learning linked to our topic, ‘It’s Good to Be Me’.
In English, the pupils have worked hard to plan and write informal and formal letters. The pupils have focused on identifying the language used in different types of letters and choosing the most appropriate language in their own letters. We are proud of the letters that the pupils have produced.
In Maths, the pupils have continued with developing their number, addition and subtraction and statistics skills. The pupils have learnt about place value, rounding and ordering numbers. Following that, the pupils focussed on number bonds and some of our pupils identified how they can use their number bonds for addition and subtraction of larger numbers. Lastly, the pupils have learnt about different types of charts and diagrams. The pupils interpreted tally and bar charts and then collected data to create their own charts.
As part of our wider curriculum, the pupils have been engaging in different activities which include retelling the stories of different parables, identifying their interests with others through a range of activities, learning about what skills and qualities they have which would help them in a job role and practising our social skills through barrier games. In addition, the pupils have been learning about their physical health and identifying ways that they can be physically safe.
We are really excited for our new topic, ‘Tomorrow’s World’. We can’t wait to become engineers!
Best wishes,
Puffin Class Team
Lobsters
Lobsters class have worked extremely hard throughout this long 8-week term and settled brilliantly into our new routines. We have welcomed three new pupils, as well as three new staff members, who have all slotted in seamlessly!
With this term’s topic ‘It’s good to be me’, we have focused on what makes us unique, developed a better understanding of our like and dislikes, as well as considering the attributes that we feel represent our personality. This all came together beautifully through our ‘fab finish’, where pupils used all of this information to create an explosion box that represents who we are and why ‘It’s good to be me’. Valerie particularly enjoyed this project and did and fabulous job of making and decorating her explosion box. Hopefully these have found their way home so you can discuss and celebrate these together.
Much of our cross-curricular work this term has focused around setting up our class Café – Lobsters Light Bites. We utilised our PSHE lessons to practice our cleaning in the Life Skills Flat, where everyone mucked in to give the flat the deep clean it needed to be ‘customer ready’. William has particularly impressed us with his attitude and efficiency when it comes to hoovering, washing up and mopping floors. Please feel free to encourage more cleaning practice at home if you can!
As part of English, we began the term by researching, designing and creating our new Café menu. In order to practice and remember how to prepare some of the food and drink items from our menu, we took the opportunity to practice our helpful listening skills, in order to write and follow instructions for making jacket potatoes, toast and hot drinks. More recently we have also been preparing and practicing for our English and Maths exams, which will take place during the first week back after half term.
Much of our Maths work this term has also fed directly into our Café preparation, where we have had the perfect opportunity to develop and apply our Mathematical skills in real life situations. Initially, we invested our time in practicing our money skills and combined this with taking Café orders, as well as applying this to operating a cash till. Lilly showed us her impressive fluency in working out various amounts of money and could also combine this well with taking orders and working out the change required. A special mention must also go to Bradley, who has quickly learned how to take orders and operate our new cash till in an incredibly professional manner. Having written detailed lists of all the equipment we would need for our Café Menu; pupils had a wonderful day out at Ikea in Southampton and managed to buy all of the items needed. Pupils behaved brilliantly throughout and really benefited from looking through the showrooms and discussing various items. It’s safe to say that the highlight was visiting the restaurant, where we enjoyed the delicious food and came up with a few additional ideas for our own café.
We used some of our ICT time this term to research and plan our new Café menu, with the added challenge of trying to steer towards healthier options. We discussed the importance of offering these healthy options to our customers, but also how valuable it will be to learn how to make these things ourselves in the future. We then used the stock takes completed in our Maths lessons to practice completing an Asda online shop, ready to re-stock for the following week.
Café opened for the first time in mid-October and it’s safe to say that all our hard work has paid off and we’ve made a very promising start to the year. There were of course things for us to work on for next time, but overall, it went brilliantly well and everyone stuck to their roles and did a fine job in the process.
In our next half-term topic will be ‘Tomorrow’s World’, where we will focus on various types of technology we use now or may use on the future.
We hope all the pupils and their families have a fantastic half term break and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Lobsters Team
Seahorses
It has been a busy half term in Seahorses class. Some of the pupils were initially apprehensive about moving around classrooms for different lessons and meeting new staff, but they have settled in really well. The class have been getting to know each other really well and working together as a cohesive unit.
Pupils have been busy, working hard in lessons, with many of these lessons and assemblies linking to our overall topic – ‘It’s Good to Be Me’. Pupils have been learning to believe in themselves and have been encouraged to say:
“I am amazing.”
“I can do it.”
“I will be respected.”
One of the main highlights this half-term has been the Mental Health/ Well Being Day Drop Day. Seahorses had great fun picking out yellow props to wear for their photobooth pictures, this caused lots of laughter amongst the group. Later in the day our class teamed up with one of our younger classes (Oysters), and we danced and played together in the main hall. We think they really enjoyed our company, and we really had a fun time with them. It was very cute indeed to watch the interactions between them. In Forest School on that day pupils have had a lovely time just sat in our Forest School area around the camp fire, drinking hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. We all just chilled out and enjoyed the peace and quiet, learning that just relaxing and sitting quietly can help your mental health and awareness.
In Maths, pupils have been working hard to tell the time using clocks. This has been challenging but we are slowly getting better at understanding telling the time. We have also been working on money using coins, solving money problems and trying to improve the pupils’ knowledge of how to add money and count money.
As part of the pupils’ Creative Arts project Seahorses class, along with other key stage 4 navigators’ classes, went to visit Parkstone Grammar school to watch a production called “Into the Woods”. This was an amazing show and highlighted the casts singing and acting skills. Our class really enjoyed watching it so much that we have now watched the film version at school.
As part of our RE topic, we have been lucky enough to enjoy a visit to St Aldhelms Church. We got to meet Father Philip who gave us a tour of his church. He explained all about the shapes and acoustics in the church, and we learnt all about the font and why it is used today. Some of Seahorses even got to ring the bell! It was a really lovely visit, enjoyed by the children and the staff.
In our new Finance lessons, we have been learning all about setting a budget, saving, spending, and our wants and needs. The class have been learning the importance of money. We ended the term playing games using the skills they have learnt to survive life. i.e., running cost of a home, employment, living expenses and such. It was very eye opening for them.
We look forward to a new term, with our new topic of ‘Tomorrow’s World’, which is all about the advancements in technology.
Magna Seals
Seals have had an excellent start to the academic year, where we have welcomed back familiar faces and introduced new pupils to our satellite. Our thematic learning this half-term has been all about how ‘It’s Good to be Me’!
Seals have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each other, such as likes and dislikes as well as understanding how being different to one another is a great thing... we since concluded life would be quite dull if we were all the same person!
In English, we have been developing our ability to fill in forms that ask for information. We have worked hard to ensure we check what the form asks for before filling it in, such as using the right colour pen, using block capitals (if it says to) and learning how to fill in our basic information. Using our visuals when needed, we have been able to successfully fill in forms that should include our forenames, surnames, date of birth and addresses (and more!) We then finished the half term by creating our own story based on ‘The Days the Crayons Quit’, by writing letters impersonating objects in the classroom.
Maths has covered a wide range of skills this half term, although sometimes tricky to grasp, Seals have demonstrated resilience and perseverance when solving problems as well as learning concepts such as partitioning a number and identifying the value of each digit. We’ve then used this to round to the nearest 10 or 100, a skill we use as adults most days! Seals have also been using exchanging to complete addition and subtraction calculations.
My World and STEAM have been the perfect opportunity to embrace what our bodies can do. My World has included investigations into our heart rate and its link to exercise and healthy eating. In STEAM, pupils have enjoyed making models of our hands to highlight how they move. We’ve also created our own heart pumps... and caused a mess in doing so! It’s been amazing to see pupils make connections from the practicals to our actual bodies and gaining a better understanding.
Seals have enjoyed using the Magna Food Tech kitchen for some of their cooking lessons. We have been able to make apple crumble, apple cupcakes, gnocchi, dessert wraps and more. It’s been great to see those who are naturally more independent in the kitchen be challenged further as well as support others in accessing cooking lessons using their facilities.
Seals have been working incredibly hard in PE this half term. On Wednesdays, we have been using the Magna track to develop our stamina when running. We have been using the field on Thursdays to develop our throwing and batting skills to play cricket.
We are looking forward to our next theme, Tomorrow’s World, where we are learning all about technology.
The Seals Team
Manta
In Manta class, we have been reflective during our topic ‘It’s Good to Be Me.’
In English, we explored creative writing in the form of diary entries. We identified the features and developed success criteria to include to write our own diary entries, some of which were very funny! We also looked at non-fiction writing and have learnt how to layout and write a letter of complaint using formal language.
In My World, we learnt about different inspirational people through the ages. We then chose our own inspirational person, then used our reading and researching skills to produce a presentation on them and what makes them special.
In Maths, we have been learning about money, time and applying number skills in these areas. We have also been building our confidence with exam papers, in preparation for our upcoming exams.
We have become excellent chefs in Manta, following recipes, preparing food safely and cooking it, the smells are amazing and we have been making decisions on how to innovate our recipes.
In RE, we have learnt about the importance of Parables in the Christian faith and written our own, using our own experiences. We reflected on when we have made good choices and bad choices and what we have learnt from them. We visited St Aldhelm’s Church, where father Pip gave us a tour.
We were very lucky to be invited to Parkstone Grammar, where we watched their outstanding performance of ‘Into the Woods’. We also had a chance to meet and chat with the cast.
As always, we have been celebrating each other’s successes and had a big emphasis on teamwork and resilience in all areas of our learning.
Silvia and Ruth
Orca
We have had a great first half-term of 2024-25. We welcomed new members into the Orca class team and it was great to see that as we broke for the first holiday, we had pupils who were settled into their new class and friendship groups forming.
This half-term, our focus has been ‘It’s good to be me’. Throughout this half-term, there has been a particular PSHE focus where pupils have explored what their strengths are and what their barriers are. We have discussed the benefits of positive affirmations and weekly, in assembly, the pupils have said aloud the following affirmation: ‘I am amazing, I can do it, I will be respected’. We feel that it has been a great opportunity to build self-reflection and self-esteem.
In our Careers lesson, we have used the topic as a way to reflect on our future pathways and goals for the future. This has also been complimented by the Future Pathways event that was held in the hall. The pupils had the opportunity to speak to different Post 16 providers about the courses they offer, the location of their provision and the entry requirements for the courses. After the event, the pupils were very excited and motivated to explore further possible Post 16 destinations and studies. We will develop this further next half-term, as we will be taking the pupils in KS4 to some of these colleges to have a look around.
In RE we studied parables, with a focus on how we all have our own stories. We took a trip to St Aldhelm’s Church in Branksome where we met Father Pip and he gave us a tour of the church before sharing a parable with us. During our visit, we saw some of the important features of the church like the font, the alter and the bell tower. Some of us were even allowed to ring the church bell. After our tour, we gathered around the front of the church where Father Pip showed us the different things that a vicar wears and the symbolism of the colours. During the trip, the pupils were extremely respectful and asked some brilliant questions.
In English, we have been practicing our writing skills. We have learnt about formal and informal language and how to develop our vocabulary. We learnt how to write formal letters and our final outcome this half-term was a formal letter of complaint. The pupils’ writing has demonstrated that the pupils are able to structure their writing into clear paragraphs and can develop sentences within these paragraphs. We were also impressed with the style of their writing and their ability to think carefully about the vocabulary that they use.
During the final week of the half term, all of KS4 visited Parkstone Grammar School where they watched a performance of ‘Into the Woods’. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the performance and, for their Bronze Arts Award, gave some interesting and detailed reviews of the performance, looking not only at the acting and singing but also being able to review the costumes and set design.
We hope you all had a restful half term. Next half term our topic will be ‘Tomorrow’s World’ which will focus on exploring how technology has developed over time and what the future of technology might be like.
Post 16
What an amazing start to the new academic year! Such a positive start for most of our students. They have adapted well to being off the main Winchelsea site and have enjoyed being at the Broadstone Youth Centre and The Bourne Hub.
The theme this half term has been ‘It’s Good to Be Me’. The students have been looking at their strengths and weaknesses and learning about themselves and where they fit in the world. It has been great to see some of them identify qualities and skills that they never knew they had.
The Animal Care Options group have been looking at how to hold and give health checks to various animals. We have even had a visit from Daisy the bunny, who is always very popular with the students (and some staff!)
The Textile Options group have been learning how to create templates and cut out fabric. They have also been developing their hand-sewing skills as well as learning how to use a sewing machine; the students have each created some amazing bunting. We visited Hobbycraft at the end of term to select materials and equipment for our next project.
We now run a café at the Bourne Hub on a Tuesday and Friday morning, and all of the students’ confidence is growing. They are having a go at all aspects of café life from serving to table clearing. Ty has become an amazing teacher to his peers after completing a year in the café last year. The students’ communication skills and teamwork throughout this time is developing.
Out and About Post 16 go to Broadstone town centre and love to go into the shops looking at the different prices, reading the labels, and of course buying items! This helps their money and reading skills. We always go past this lovely cake shop and a few of the students will say, “Look at that Miss, that would be nice to have wouldn’t it”! I wonder what they are suggesting...
In Maths, we have been focusing on addition and subtraction, and in English, punctuation, adjectives and conjunctions.
It has been great getting to know the students this half term, there have been lots of laughs, fun and of course hard work!
What do students think about Post 16!
“I can’t wait to start a new term” - HG
“The work is a bit hard but still fun. My favourite day is when I played Pool and two people could not beat me, but then I lost, I thought it was funny and fun.” - TF
“Post 16 is good. I miss my friends from main site. It’s funny with my friend, we laugh which is good. I find his laugh a bit evil but good. It’s good to learn about Life Skills and Household Skills so I can be independent in life.” - BG
Music
We have had lots of fun down in the Explorers, learning simple songs such as ‘One Little Finger’, ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’, and ‘Red Light, Green Light.’ We have been exploring new instruments such as chimes, ocean drums and rain shakers. Classes have been playing to music and practising playing to the beat.
The Discoverers have been playing to the beat, exploring rhythm and call and response. We have learned the vocabulary ‘performance’ and ‘solo’ and put these into practise, taking turns to perform to the class. We have explored using chime bars and putting these sounds together to make a song. Some classes have used iPads to create simple pieces of music and explore instruments on these.
It has been a fun and action-packed half-term in Enquirer’s music. Classes have been exploring how the movements and sounds of our bodies can be expressed through music and movement. The pupils have moved on from this by looking at rhythms in nature. Classes have been making animal sounds using musical instruments and have combined this with drama by moving like a whole host of different animals.
Our KS4 pupils who are working towards their Arts Award have been exploring musical genres and have begun a song writing project. Working in groups they have composed lyrics and are now looking at writing rhythm tracks to accompany their songs.
Forest School
Autumn has now arrived in full swing. The turning of the season seemed to be a little later this year but now our trees and woodlands are a beautiful golden brown and orange colour with lots of leaf litter under foot. It has been great to watch our younger pupils find their feet - quite literally - and really notice and explore all the sights, sounds and adventures that Forest School offers. From crunching crispy leaves to splashing and squelching in muddy puddles.
Our older pupils have shown a passion for using their wood craft skills to make items to add to our ever-improving onsite forest school area. They have been busy designing and making some wonderful sensory boards, beautiful bird houses and some very artistic bug hotels. As well as showing off their practical tool skills, they have been having great fun practicing their teamwork skills, exploring our offsite woodland area and cooking up a few treats on the campfire.
PE
It’s been a great start to the year in the PE department and we have been busy getting active.
Our Discoverers pupils have been learning about circuit training using sensory circuits, hand eye co-ordination circuits and bodyweight strength circuits.
Summer said, “I liked the circuits. They were fun!”
Our Enquirers pupils have been using exercise equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls as part of their fitness circuits. They have also been creating their own circuits from the equipment and explaining what muscles they are working, plus explaining how to make an exercise easier or harder.
Malachi said about circuits, "I like it. It is fun, we move around and make our bodies strong."
Our accreditation groups have begun their accreditation sports this term with a large focus being on Boccia. They have been improving the accuracy of their throws, understanding of the rules and their refereeing skills. They have enjoyed our take on ‘Crazy Boccia’ which is just like Crazy Golf but using Boccia balls! In the picture you can see Edward using a trampette to complete a Boccia shot. Edward said about Boccia, “It was fun. I liked the one with the trampoline because I didn’t know where the ball was going to go.”
Our physiotherapy group has begun, and they have been working hard to improve their strength. In the picture you can see Sabrina and Rocco running over a bench carrying a heavy medicine ball. Sabrina said, “I like it, I like jumping.”
This half-term we will be continuing to develop our fitness by completing a variety of circuits with our Navigators and some of our Enquirer’s classes. In our Discoverers classes and Early Enquirers, we will be looking at gymnastics and the key skills around this. This includes jumping, holds and transitions.
Online Safety
Please find attached a useful and informative document to look at when considering internet safety at home. If you should have any questions about this, I will be holding an online safety drop in during Autumn term 2. More info to follow.
Alex Dunnachie (Online Safety Champion)