About our Language Classes
Sharks
The Speech and Language Provision
Welcome
Welcome to Sharks class page, we welcome you to our Lower Language class as part of the Language Provision here at Raglan Primary School. We welcome any questions and will be on the Shark’s class gate at the beginning and end of the day. The best time to come and talk to the team is after school, however if you do have concerns then please do come and see us in the morning. Alternatively, you can email us on the class email which is llc@raglan.bromley.sch.uk.
We also have a dedicated team of teaching assistants and speech and language therapists to support the learning and education of the children.
Class Curriculum Letters
Each half term parents will receive a class curriculum overview of the topics we will be covering and other important dates. Curriculum overviews will be sent home via Arbor.
Curriculum
Teaching and learning in Sharks class is differentiated accordingly, to support the needs of the children in the class. The topics set are carefully thought of and chosen in order to promote the communication, understanding and speech of the children within the provision. This year, Sharks class have implemented a continuous provision approach to the children’s learning. The classroom’s layout is designed with a range of areas/zones for the children to access their learning more independently, as well as providing opportunities for them to develop their communication, speech and language skills, as well as their play and social skills. The learning is delivered in small focus groups, with the support of visuals such as Makaton signing, cued articulation and symbols/photos, to support the children’s understanding. Each child will have the opportunity to work with the teacher in both English and Maths, with the learning differentiated according to their needs and abilities. Our first topic is “Amazing Adventures” and we will be learning about different journeys, modes of transport and exploring our local community.
Assessment
Yearly Overview
Weekly Timetables
- Sharks Class Timetable – Autumn Term
- Sharks Class Timetable – Spring Term
- Sharks Class Timetable – Summer Term
Half Termly Overviews
English Overview
Maths Overview
- Maths Learning Journey Overview – Autumn 1
- Maths Learning Journey Overview – Autumn 2
- Maths Learning Journey Overview – Spring 1
- Maths Learning Journey Overview – Spring 2
- Maths Learning Journey Overview – Summer 1
Science Overview
- Science – Learning Journey Overview – Spring Term – Materials
- Science – Learning Journey Overview – Summer Term – Understanding Plants
Home Learning
PE
PE lessons take place twice a week, once with the class teacher and the other delivered by our specialist coach, Coach Alahji. This year, children should come into school wearing their PE kit on their PE days. This should include navy shorts/tracksuit bottoms, a Raglan PE shirt and plimsolls/trainers. Sharks PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday.
Outdoor Learning
The children thoroughly enjoy our Outdoor Learning lessons and we will continue with Outdoor Learning this year, together with Frogs class. Please ensure that your child comes into school in their own clothes which are weather appropriate. For the wetter and colder months in the Autumn term, waterproof clothes are recommended. All children should bring a pair of wellies in, which will be kept in school.
Life Skills/Trips
This year, Sharks children have buddied up with a child from the Upper Language Class (Frogs) on a Friday and will be working with their buddies on developing their life skills, including visiting the local shops, park, practising crossing the road and learning about road safety. We will also be meeting members of the community and visiting places such as the local bus station. We are passionate about providing such opportunities for our children in the provision, particularly after a very tough 18 months with the pandemic. Providing them with opportunities to communicate and to develop their communication and life skills, is essential in order for the children to gain confidence and awareness of their world around them.
We will also be planning trips linked to our exciting topics and we will keep you up to date on future trips.
Home Learning
Please try to hear your child read as regularly as possible and write in their reading records when you have done so. We love to hear about what your child has been getting up to at the weekend, so please ensure that you have filled in their green home learning book weekly, with their weekend news as this allows them to share what they have done over the weekend, as well as allow the adults working with your child to ask specific questions.
Behaviour
We will be using a Recognition Board in the classroom to support the children’s behaviour for learning. Children will be recognised for following our “Kind, Safe, Ready” motto, as well as for wonderful walking and legendary lining up, amongst other positive behaviours. The children will have their photo placed on the recognition board and will receive a sticker and team points! Furthermore, each week the children will have a particular behaviour to focus on, such as good sharing, turn taking, listening and on a Friday, Mrs O’Brien will decide who will be Star of the Week and get to take Shelley the Shark home for the weekend! Celebration assemblies also celebrate the successes of the children in the class, which are held on a Thursday morning.
If there are any behaviour issues, we will speak to you as soon as possible.
Letters/Communication
Please check your child’s book bag, emails and Arbor messages regularly for any letters. If you have a letter to send into school, please tell your child it is there and that it needs to be given to their class teacher.
Your child also has a yellow home-school contact book that needs to come into school every day. If there are any messages in your child’s contact book from school, it will be left open on the page of the message and placed in your child’s book bag. Please ensure that if you do have a message, you place the contact book open on the page in their book bag. This will make it easier when the teaching assistants are checking the children’s bag on a daily basis.
Speech and Language Therapy
All children as part of the Language Provision will receive intensive speech and language therapy, delivered by our fantastic Speech and Language therapists Mrs Wright or Miss Maguire, as well as our speech and language therapy assistant, Miss Norris. Speech and Language therapy is delivered in a variety of ways, including 1:1, paired and group work, as well as whole class interventions. This term, Sharks class are focusing on developing their Makaton signing skills, with Mrs Wright and Miss Norris supporting them on a Monday afternoon with a whole class intervention. We also have a sign of the week, that we are encouraging to be used across the school as the children are now mixing more with the rest of the school.
Your child will receive termly targets for Speech and Language therapy, that are set and reviewed by our Speech and Language therapists. These targets are set in accordance to the needs of the child and assessments of the children will take place at the beginning of each term. These targets are shared with the staff working with your child and regular practise and daily activities for the children are incorporated into the school day, to work on those targets as well as develop their language skills.
Key Workers
This year, Sharks have introduced a key worker system so that each child has a particular adult that is responsible for the development of their speech and language targets. Your child’s key worker will work closely with them, to develop their speech and language skills on a regular basis. You will receive information about who your child’s key worker is at the beginning of the school year.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs O’Brien