Year 3 and 4 Explorers

Our Class
We are taught in a small group by Mrs Darbyshire and supported by Miss McCloskey. We follow a semi formal curriculum to help us learn and access the curriculum in a way which helps us to achieve our true potential.
Each morning we follow the same routine
  • Registration and maths games
  • Phonics
  • Literacy
  • Break time
  • Maths
  • Thrive time
During all of our learning experiences we are working on key goals : to take turns, to work with peers, to follow instructions and to interact with staff members. 

In an afternoon we focus on learning life skills through a practical, multi sensory approach. We benefit from cookery lessons, biking, road safety sessions , horse riding, swimming as well as spending time developing team work and communication skills. 
 
Please see the visual timetable below.
Information for Parents
  • Every Monday is our Forest School session. Please ensure children have a waterproof coat and a change of footwear.
  • Reading books are changed every Friday so please ensure children have their books with the,
  • Once a term we will be visiting the library - please look out for our texts to inform you of the next session.
  • Every 4 weeks we will attend Clarty Commandoes and Howick Hall.
  • Every Friday in Autumn term we have horse riding 
Please login to your child's Seesaw account for all of our information and frequent posts of our learning.
Forest School
Every Monday we have forest school sessions with Mrs Atkinson. In these sessions we focus on key skills:
  • teamwork
  • communication
  • listening to other people's ideas
  • working with staff members
  • developing confidence to share conversation with staff members and my peers
  • following instructions.
Maths
In maths we follow a semi formal curriculum geared towards 'stage not age'. We follow the principles of maths mastery and take small steps to ensure we really understand the concept. In our class we use lots of hands on learning involving concrete and pictorial methods to help us understand. 
Clarty Commandoes
Every 4 weeks we attend Clarty Commandoes outdoor learning provision. Here we use our skills in a different way - learning to work as a team, use tools safely and use our problem solving skills to enhance our learning.
Horse Riding 
Each Friday during Autumn term we will be attending horse riding lessons. These sessions not only develop physical skills and core muscle strength but also offer skills in communication, sensory integration and coordination.
The therapeutic benefits of horses and horse riding for neurodivergent individuals are undeniable. From emotional connection and sensory integration to physical development and social skills, horses offer a unique and powerful form of therapy. The bond formed between a horse and rider can provide a safe and nurturing environment for personal growth and development. Whether it’s in a therapeutic riding program or simply spending time with horses, the benefits of equine-assisted therapy are truly remarkable.
Our Adventures
We learn best with hands on , real life experiences. Over the course of the year, we will be enjoying visits to a range of places to make our learning have meaning and help us to commit our experiences to our working and long term memory.
 
We visited a cafe to help us understand the senses felt by the main character in the story The Highway Rat.
Asda
After reading The Disgusting Sandwich we thought about what our favourite sandwich would include. We went to Asda to buy the ingredients. We used our maths skills to check the prices and look for the best value items. We then scanned them ourselves. We made the sandwiches back at school.
Northumberland Zoo
In literacy we are looking at whether animals should be kept in zoos. We visited the zoo to grind out about how they help with conservation and to understand what a zoo is like before we begin this topic. We were amazed at how close we were to the snow leopards and loved seeing the handler with the owl. We have found out so many facts to use in our lessons. 
Treasure Island
We wrote in role as Ben Gunn who was abandoned on the island. We then put our letters in glass bottles and threw into the sea as he would have. We also drew treasure maps in the sand. 
Thrive Time
We have a dedicated Thrive time each day. During this time we enjoy child initiated play opportunities to enhance our team work, communication skills, sharing and taking turns and develop our imagination.