Lobster
We have had yet another busy term in Lobsters Class including; our ‘Amazing Animals’ topic, continuing to build on our Café success, World Books Day, Eid drop day, the Talent Show, a trip to Marwell Zoo, examination preparation and continuing to work on our Laser accreditation units!
This term Lobsters class have begun new Laser Accreditation units in; Health and Fitness, Using Time, Independent Living and Looking After Yourself at Home. These have been very successful and we will look to finish off these unit’s early next term.
It has been a really positive term as pupils have been highly engaged in our topic of ‘Amazing Animals’, where we have begun researching different types of animals, building fact files and writing descriptive sentences, which were finally integrated into some of the Animal Artwork that pupils produced with Miss Tash. Vicky and Ty really shone with this topic, as they were able to combine some of their key strengths including researching, recalling information, creating animal art and writing beautiful descriptive sentences about their chosen animals.
The highlight of the term was undoubtably the end of term trip to Marwell Zoo. Pupils loved exploring the animals up close and in person and recognised many of the animals that they had researched and written about throughout the term. As always, the behaviour and attitude of Lobsters Class was perfect and it was a wonderful way to celebrate all of their hard work that had gone into this term.
Thank you to everyone who visited our Lobsters Light Bites Café earlier in the term. Hopefully you gained an insight into all of the hard work pupils have put into this and can see how our curriculum is supporting relevant life skills that can be applied practically in the future.
Our next half-term topic will be ‘Let’s Go’ where we will continue to develop our understanding of public transport and being ‘Out and About’.
We hope all the pupils and their families have a fantastic Easter break and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Lobsters Team
Teen Life
EarlyBird Plus
Signalong
Comic Relief
Thank you for all the donations for Comic Relief. We had a great day raising awareness and raised over £65. Thank you for all the awesome 80’s outfits. In the pictures you will see Mr Alex and Nathan perfectly matching and our Post 16 students showing their leadership skills by helping and working as a team to finish our ‘build the school of the future’ Lego challenge.
Winchelsea Wellness
“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day” - Dalai Lama
For this half term’s wellbeing at Winchelsea, we have been focussing on all the different spring colours we have been seeing. We have been playing colour eye spy games and practising our deep breathing.
Our deep breathing consists of breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. You can add counting; for example - breathe in for 2 seconds/hold your breath for 1 second and breathe out for 2 seconds.
Online Safety
PE
This term we have been busy in the PE department.
Our Discoverers pupils have been practising their Boccia skills, showing great throwing accuracy and teamwork. They have also developed their understanding of the rules of Boccia.
“I liked hitting the white ball, I’m very good at it.” - Raf
“I like Boccia, I enjoy throwing at the target.” - Rocco
Our Enquirers pupils have been developing their football and basketball skills. They have shown great dribbling skills and have been passing accurately to each other. They have also shown great teamwork and shooting skills.
"I have enjoyed basketball and football because
I like playing with my mates and teamwork” - Ethan
“I like dribbling the basketball because
I like bouncing the ball” - Dean
Our Magna classes had the opportunity to compete in the Lord Taverners Table Cricket Competition, competing against multiple schools from the Dorset area. They came in a very respectable 3rd place and were a credit to the school with their conduct.
“I enjoyed it and I was happy
that we nearly won” - Jay
“I liked rolling the ball and
playing in a competition” - Seli
Our accreditation groups have been working towards their OCR Entry Level qualification. This half term they have completed a performance analysis on a game of Boccia and have continued with their fitness and football lessons. As the weather is continuing to get better and the temperature warmer, we will be aiming to be outside for as many of our PE lessons as possible.
Have a fantastic Easter holiday break.
Forest School
The golden spring sun beaming through the trees and the beautiful, serenading bird songs brings joy to all our students. We have been making the most of the sunshine and exploring animal habitats, minibeast spotting, and most excitingly of all, we have seen birds nesting in the bird boxes our students made and mounted.
We had a magical time celebrating World Book Day with our Forest School area transforming into a wand workshop and potion making station. It was truly spellbinding to watch the magical creations our students made.
We look forward to telling you more next time.
Creative Arts
Art
Tinga Tales
As part of our ‘Amazing Animals’ topic, some of our Enquirers classes have been looking at ‘Tinga Tinga Tales’. These are colourful origin stories from Africa that tell the tale of why animals behave the way they do. Children have enjoyed such titles as ‘Why the Giraffe Had a Long Neck’ and ‘Why Bee Stings’. Puffin class have loved using oil and chalk pastels to make these colourful, larger than life animal drawings in a ‘Tinga’ style.
Octopus Step in to Spring!
Spring has finally sprung! And Octopus class have been busy bees. They have been making paper flower pictures. This has really brightened up our art lessons over the past few weeks and put a smile on Miss Tash’s face! Check them out….
Music
It has been a wonderful half term in music.
Our KS4 Arts Award group have been exploring how technology can be used to create rhythms and add sound effects to visuals to create music videos. They have used digital technology and a range of percussion instruments to create sounds associated with animals.
In our Enquirers music lessons, we have been looking at different pieces of classical music linked with animals. We have listened for high and low-pitched sounds and begun to create rhythms linked to animals.
Our Discoverers have been exploring animal rhythms and creating music with percussion instruments and djembe drums, to match the habitats of different animals. Three of the classes have enjoyed working with Mike from Sound Storm to explore technical equipment linked with music and create animal noises and soundscapes.
Our Explorers have had a great time exploring sensory musical equipment including our new Cosmo Switches, to stop and start music and begin to layer sounds to create music. Children have been encouraged to perform ‘solo’ pieces with a different instrument each week.
Post 16
What an amazing half term we had in Post 16 and what can we say about the weather, it is getting warmer! Spring is here!
This half term our topic has been ‘Amazing Animals’. We have been looking at all different animals and learning about them from the great David Attenborough. We have been out on a few adventures from Kingston Maurward to Marwell Zoo. We have also been looking at different birds for the RSPB to see what type of birds are in the local area.
The students have also completed a 10K walk for Comic Relief! I think they were exhausted after that, but we did have some fun along the way with some of them even singing with us!
We have been out on some Community visits including Poole, Bournemouth and a Careers Fair at the BIC.
We had World Book Day where the theme was Harry Potter. Some of the students made up their own potion recipes, so you can imagine the things that went into them!
It’s also been a great time for our gardening project. The students have been out in the garden planting different bulbs from crocus to daffodils. Their herb plants and vegetable plants have been re-potted to allow for growth and tare coming along nicely.
In animal care the majority of students completed all work for their accreditation.
In Maths the students have been learning about rounding numbers to the nearest 10,100 and 1000. They have even ventured into the world of fractions and symmetry. They have been measuring volume and capacity.
In English the students have been discussing fact or opinion which led to few interesting discussions. They have been getting ready for their exams by learning about proof reading, spelling, sentences and paragraphs as some of have found it hard to read back through their work to see if it makes sense.
In both Maths and English, students are now sitting mock exams in order for us to see what they individually need help with.
Next half term will be “Let’s Go” where the students will design a kite each and attempt to fly it! They have threatened to put Post 16 teachers faces on them... Have a lovely Easter Break!
Best Wishes
Post 16
Magna Seals
It has been a fantastic and busy term in Seals, filled with exciting learning opportunities!
Our topic this term has been ‘Amazing Animals’, and we have explored various aspects of the animal kingdom, from habitats and adaptations to classification, diet, and lifestyle. The children have been fascinated by how different species survive and thrive in their environments, and they have engaged in some great discussions about the natural world.
In English, we have been putting our research skills to the test by creating detailed animal fact files, showcasing everything from the diet of a spider monkey to the incredible adaptations of deep-sea creatures. The children have also been developing their debating skills through discussion texts on a thought-provoking topic: Should animals be kept in zoos? This has led to some insightful conversations, with students considering arguments for both conservation and animal welfare.
In Maths, we have been focusing on money and time, two essential life skills. The children have been working on solving real-world problems involving budgeting, calculating change, and understanding best-value deals. They have also been developing their time-telling skills, converting between 12-hour and 24-hour clocks, and solving time duration problems. These topics have encouraged practical thinking and problem-solving, and it has been great to see their confidence grow.
This term, we have also enjoyed some fantastic trips that have brought our learning to life. A boat trip around Poole Harbour gave us the chance to observe a variety of birds in their natural habitat. Our visit to Monkey World provided a fascinating insight into primate rescue and conservation, and the children were particularly moved by the stories of the rescued monkeys and apes. Finally, our trip to Marwell Zoo allowed us to see a range of animals up close, deepening our understanding of habitats, adaptations, and conservation efforts. These experiences have truly enriched our learning and sparked even more curiosity about the animal world.
It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and curiosity the children have shown throughout the term. Their ability to question, research, and present their ideas with confidence has been fantastic to witness.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to another exciting term ahead!
Navigators - Orca, Manta and Seahorses
As we reach the end of another busy half term, we are excited to share the progress our students have made in their studies. This half term, our focus has been on ‘Amazing Animals’, and we’ve been working hard across different subjects to explore the fascinating world of animals from both scientific and creative perspectives. Here’s a brief overview of what we've been up to:
English: Persuasive Writing
In English, students have been learning how to craft a persuasive argument, focusing on the topical and thought-provoking issue: Should animals be kept in zoos? They have developed their writing skills by incorporating techniques such as alliteration, rhetorical questions, and emotive language to persuade and inform. This culminated in a final piece where students presented their well-reasoned arguments on this debate.
My World: Animal Adaptations
In My World, we have been investigating how animals adapt to their environments to survive. Through studying different species, students have learned about the fascinating mechanisms that enable animals to thrive in diverse habitats. A key part of our learning has been the study of the Dodo bird – understanding how this once abundant species went extinct and the factors that contributed to its demise.
PSHE: First Aid and Animal Safety
In PSHE, students have been learning essential first aid skills, focusing on how to handle burns, cuts, and head injuries. These practical lessons have empowered students with the knowledge and confidence to respond to common accidents and injuries, both at school and in everyday life. We also explored animal safety, linking this to our broader studies on animals and their care, ensuring students understand the importance of empathy and responsibility when interacting with animals.
Religious Education: Animals in Religion and Spirituality
In RE, students explored how animals are represented and valued in different religious traditions. They learned about the symbolic roles animals play in various faiths, deepening their understanding of the spiritual connection between humans and animals. At the end of this topic, students creatively designed their own spiritual animals, reflecting on the traits and qualities they would assign to animals based on personal beliefs and values. This exercise helped promote a deeper reflection on the relationship between nature, spirituality, and humanity.
STEM: Animal Beak Adaptations
In STEM, we conducted exciting experiments to demonstrate how animal beaks adapt to different environmental needs. Using various implements, students explored how the shape and function of a beak are crucial for survival, whether for picking, cracking, or scooping food. This hands-on experiment led perfectly into our trip to Arne RSPB, where students observed real-life examples of birds with specialized beaks, linking classroom theory to practical, real-world applications in animal adaptation and conservation.
Educational Trips
We’ve also had some fantastic opportunities to take learning beyond the classroom. This half term, students enjoyed trips to:
Marwell Zoo: A hands-on opportunity to learn about animal conservation and adaptations.
Margaret Green Animal Rescue Centre: Students gained valuable insights into animal rescue and welfare.
Arne RSPB Reserve: A visit that focused on local wildlife and the importance of preserving natural habitats.
Etches Collection at Kimmeridge: A fascinating trip that linked to our study of extinct species and fossil records.
These trips have been incredibly enriching, helping to bring our curriculum to life and deepen students' understanding of the topics we’ve been exploring in class.
We are incredibly proud of how engaged and enthusiastic our students have been this half term. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to what’s to come next term half term where our topic will be ‘Let’s Go’!
Puffin
Puffin had a great half-term enjoying learning linked to our theme, ‘Amazing Animals’.
In English, the pupils have read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books about animals. Over the half-term, the pupils learnt about the features of non-fiction and fiction texts. The pupils then wrote their own brilliant non-fiction fact files using headings, subheadings and paragraphs.
In Maths, the pupils have continued with developing their number skills. The pupils have been learning about multiplication and division in a range of contexts. In addition, the pupils have been learning about money; completing fluency, problem solving and reasoning questions. Over the last two weeks of the half term, the pupils have been learning about time. They have used the vocabulary of time in a range of contexts and have read 12 and 24 hour digital and analogue clocks. Some of our pupils have also been comparing timescales and events using an appropriate standard unit of time.
As part of our wider curriculum, the pupils have been engaging in different activities which include learning about how different religions view animals. In our My World lessons, the pupils have been learning about animal habitats around the world, which links to our STEAM project, where the pupils have designed and created their own bug hotel!
Puffin Class have had fantastic experiences over the last half-term, including a boat trip around Poole Harbour to see the birds that live around the Harbour. A highlight of the boat trip was when we saw a white-tailed eagle! Another highlight of our half-term is when we saw the chicks that had been growing in Shells Class! The pupils enjoyed seeing the chicks and learning about their life cycle. We have also continued to enjoy going to the Café run by Lobsters Class. At the Café, the pupils have used money and vouchers to buy a range of healthy light bites!
We are excited for our ‘Let’s Go’ topic next half term.
Thank you for your continued support and we hope you have a wonderful break.
Best wishes,
Puffin Class Team
Sea Turtles
What a lovely half term we have had! This half term, our theme has been ‘Amazing Animals’. We have explored various ways to categorize animals, such as mammals, amphibians, and fish, and have studied different types of habitats. We have also thought about the difference in language used to refer to adult and baby animals. As part of our learning, we went to Poole quay to go on a boat trip around the harbour. During our boat ride, we were able to spot a variety of different birds, such as gulls, Canada geese and even an eagle. To conclude the topic, we enjoyed a trip to Marwell Zoo. Congratulations to the Sea Turtles class for demonstrating excellent behaviour during the visit.
In English, we have a big skills focus us on information recall and sentence structure. To support recall, we have been learning how to make helpful listening notes. We have been making notes on a variety of different habitats such as rainforests and savannahs. We have then used our notes to create sentences. To support our sentence structure, we have used a technique called shape coding. Originally developed by speech and language therapists, shape coding is a valuable tool for visually organizing and understanding the components of a sentence, helping children recognize parts of speech and their roles in communication.
Sea Turtles have continued to impress us with their reading this half term. They have engaged well in a variety of different phonics activities and one to one reading sessions. Pupils have been working hard on applying their phonics knowledge. IT has been wonderful to see all their hard work pay off. We also had an excellent World Book Day this year; there was an amazing range of costumes in our class and we enjoyed engaging in a variety of activities such as a Harry Potter themed potions class and designing our own book covers!
In Maths, we began our learning by looking at the time. We looked at a variety of different ‘past’ and ‘to’ times. We were very impressed by the way some pupils could apply their learning to their day, by identifying key times in our routine such as lunchtime and home time. We have also explored our times tables such as 5s and 10s. Some Sea Turtles even explored simple division, and how some numbers can be divided into equal groups. To finish off our half term, we have been looking at money. Pupils have astounded us with their money skills this half term, applying their previous learning of 5s and 10s to help them find different ways to pay for items. They have also been able to identify when they can hand over a larger amount and expect change.
As the weather has become warmer, we have been able to go further afield in Forest School. Pupils have enjoyed exploring habitats in our local area and discovering natural materials we could use to build dens or nests for animals. It has been a joy watching pupils develop the confidence to climb trees and explore the local habitats around them.
In ICT, pupils have continued to develop their independence when logging on to laptops. The focus for this half term has been how we can access Word and use a keyboard. Pupils have been able to practice typing up our sentences created in English. In RE, we have been exploring stories from a variety of different religions such as Noah's ark and the Monkey King. All our stories have animals in them and we have been exploring the different morals of the stories.
This half term, we have managed to continue our swimming sessions. Well done to pupils who have been able to participate! Our swimming sessions conclude at the end of this half term.
Next half term, our theme is ‘Let’s Go’. The class team will be emailing about upcoming trips.
Have a wonderful Easter!
From Miss Nancy, Miss Sarah and Miss Sana.
Sea Lions
As the Spring term draws to a close, it's hard to believe how quickly it's gone by! What an eventful term it has been, filled with exciting activities and memorable trips!
There have been so many highlights this term, and here are just a few:
Swimming: The children have had a fantastic time developing their swimming skills, with some even overcoming their fears! I’m incredibly proud of all their hard work. What really stood out was their willingness to step outside their comfort zones, even when feeling apprehensive, and the trust they placed in the class team who supported them in the water. It was so rewarding to witness many of them achieve milestones, whether it was swimming without floats, jumping into the pool, or simply having the courage to take their feet off the bottom of the pool!
Maths: The class has shown exceptional resilience when tackling challenging objectives this term. They're accustomed to using tools that support their understanding of maths, making it more visual, and this term, they’ve really excelled in using money to make amounts!
Boat Trip: The Sea Lions class had the incredible opportunity to explore Poole Harbour, observe the wildlife, and identify various bird species. The weather was absolutely perfect, and there were so many smiles all around! The children were a credit to the class, showing excellent manners and respect towards the boat crew. The whole team was incredibly proud of them.
Creativity: Throughout the term, we’ve explored a wide variety of art techniques including mixed media, watercolours’, Brusho, and 3D clay sculptures. What consistently impresses me is the creativity the Sea Lions bring to every art project, along with the pride they take in their work.
Drama: In our English lessons, the children have had a blast acting out different parts of the stories we’ve studied. It’s been such a joy watching them build confidence while deepening their understanding of the story. With such talent in the class, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of our Sea Lions find themselves at the Oscars in the next 20 years!
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter break and enjoy the beautiful spring weather!
Kind regards,
Sea Lions Team
Penguin
The pupils in Penguin Class have enjoyed a busy and fun filled half term, with activities based around our topic: ‘Amazing Animals.’ Animals are always a popular and engaging theme, with plenty of learning opportunities across the curriculum.
We have been using small world animals to practice counting in Maths, with some of us adding one more and one less. Our class texts in English have really captured our imaginations and we have engaged in these through sensory stories, exploring symbols and animals from the stories and for some of us, mark making and writing.
In My World, we have been creating our own zoos, taking part in role play and caring for animals, talking about them and describing them. We have been using Play Doh to create animals and parts of animals, such as tusks, horns, stripes and tails, developing our fine motor skills. Some of us have also been writing labels for our zoos.
One of our favourite activities this half term was making and decorating our fantastic animal masks in Art which were on display at the Discoverer’s Art Gallery. We were very proud of our creations and we all worked very hard!
Next half term, our topic is ‘Let’s Go’ which is based around exploring different types of transport. This topic will be an opportunity to encourage creative thinking, labelling, early phonics with environmental sounds and exploring the world around us.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Penguin Class Team
Shells
The children have thoroughly enjoyed our theme for this term, ‘Amazing Animals’. We have had some great opportunities for practical learning, we have thought about what animals need and how to look after them, we have been working on our describing language and have really enjoyed developing our physical skills.
At the beginning of the half term, we were very lucky to have some baby chicks arrive in class for 2 weeks! The children were so excited when after a few days they began to hatch from their eggs. They stayed in the incubator until they were dried and ready to be transferred to a bigger home. The children loved having the opportunity to regularly handle and feed the chicks, they were all so gentle with them and keen to learn all about them as they grew. We enjoyed learning about how the chicks were changing as they grew - the children had lots of fun watching them learn how to fly as they grew feathers from their wings!
The children have also been working very hard creating fact file pages for animals of their choice. They were able to use a visual to choose an animal to write about, they would then look at pictures of their animal and write down sentences that described them. Some of the children also enjoyed researching different animal facts with the adult to include in their fact file. They would then add a drawing of their animal to finish their fact file – they worked so hard and all of the fact pages look great!
A big project we worked on over this half term was creating animal masks for the Discoverer’s art exhibition. The children were able to use visuals or their words to tell us what their favourite animal was, we then created a base and they helped to paper mâché multiple layers over it so that it was ready for painting! We then used photos of their animal to help them make choices on colours and patterns whilst they were painting it. The children have worked so hard on these over the space of a few weeks and we are so proud of the end result - they all look amazing!
We were also very fortunate to be able to visit Bournemouth Oceanarium as part of our theme. We enjoyed looking at all of the different animals - we spotted lots of different sized and coloured fish, we watched the otters being fed, had an exploration session with one of the staff where we were able to hold different artifacts from the Oceanarium, and really enjoyed the penguin area where one of the penguins came right up to the window to say hello! The children absolutely loved our visit and listened and followed instructions brilliantly - we were very proud.
After such a busy half term we hope you all have the opportunity for a relaxed and lovely Easter break. We look forward to coming back next half term for our topic ‘Let’s Go!’, where we will be focusing on journeys and transport.
Shells Class Team
Octopus
Dear Parents and Carers,
This half-term, Octopus Class has been exploring our exciting theme, Amazing Animals! We have been learning about different animals, their habitats, and what makes them so special. The children have been using describing words and labels to talk about animals, helping to develop their communication skills.
Alongside our animal learning, we have been focusing on developing personal care routines. The children have been practising brushing their teeth, getting used to applying sun cream in preparation for summer, and brushing their hair. These important life skills have been incorporated into our daily activities to encourage independence.
Our community visits have taken us on local walks, where we explored animal sounds using the natural environment and sound buttons. We also had an exciting trip to the Oceanarium, where the children saw sea creatures up close, and a visit to Pets at Home, where they enjoyed observing and learning about small animals.
Next half-term, our new theme will be Let’s Go, where we will be exploring transport and journeys. We look forward to another fantastic term of learning and discovery!
Best wishes,
Octopus Class Team
Dolphin
Dolphin Class have really enjoyed our theme this term ‘Amazing Animals.’ It has seen us go on fantastic trips to the Oceanarium and wonderful wildlife walks in our local area. We have seen some great success with pupils utilising their communication skills to discuss different aspects of animal life. This has been supported by learning from our new book for this term, ‘Monkey Puzzle.’ With students using the story to describe animals and expand on their comprehension of diverse habitats. Students especially enjoyed our moving pictures lessons this term and using cuddly toys in a guess who game to extend their descriptive language skills.
Dolphin Class love stories and this is reflected in their engagement in reading across the week in our end of the day story time. It is also evident in our phonics sessions, iI which we have now explored every sound in phase 2 with pupils proving their amazing recall in a recent end of term phonics recap.
We find every opportunity to communicate with others, so our ‘show and tell sessions’ after lunch have been a big success. With pupils discussing or sharing photos of things that are important to them. Thank you to those who have sent in images, it is working well, and we’ll continue next term.
In problem solving, we have been exploring size and measure. This has included looking at key concepts such as bigger and smaller, and short and long. We have physically explored these concepts by measuring animals, each other, by using rulers, metre sticks, cubes and even our own hands.
As part of our Dolphin Cleaning Crew, the class have been working hard across the school site to complete jobs set by our staff who need extra help with big cleaning jobs. Dolphin Class have been scrubbing windows in Starfish, hoovering in Puffin Class and making the reception sparkle. We’ve seen a brilliant effort from everyone involved.
In My World, we have continued to develop our understanding of public and private and what are expected and unexpected choices in different environments. We have now begun looking at how we can look after our bodies especially when they begin to change in puberty. We hope this will give pupils the skills to independently safeguard themselves in their lives.
In ICT, we have been using the Purple Mash app to explore animal activities and learning camera skills to help film our own nature documentaries. The class even managed to capture video of new birds nesting in the boxes up in our Forest School area.
In STEAM, we have completed a range of animal related crafts, from making owls and racing them across the classroom, to building a barn for our farm animal toys and more recently making binoculars to get a closer look at animals in the zoo.
We have had a varied selection of super special events this term with Red Nose Day, World Down Syndrome Day and our Eid al-Fitr drop day. These have seen an increase in positive social interactions, with building friendships and bringing the whole school closer together.
We will be sad to say goodbye to our amazing animal learning this term, but we are excited to rev up our engines and go out on some fantastic adventures as part of our new theme ‘Let’s Go!’
Thank you again for all your ongoing support.
Dolphin Class
