Smart brailling!

Here's something you don't see every day.... Tandem brailling! We were very fortunate to purchase our second Smart Brailler this year and here is a brilliant example of how we can use resources 'differently' to engage our pupils. For. Pupil with a visual impairment, doing is always best. So to model and scaffold an activity in parallel provides a real hands on experience whilst also giving the pupil the opportunity to be independent and get it wrong! (which is where the learning begins).

Sinking & Floating

Hands-on learning is a huge feature of Early Years practice and is also a major part of VI provision. 

Giving children the opportunity to explore real objects from the world around them provides them with relevant learning experiences.

It is also lots of fun dropping things in the water tray to make a splash and see if they float.

By placing a hand on the object, we can use touch to feel if the object is 'bouncing' in the water or whether it has sunk! 

Year 6 Residential to Brownsea Island

This years residential for our Year 6 pupils was a little bit different than usual. Year 6 were to spend a whole week on Brownsea Island, Poole. They were to take up residence at  South Shore Lodge, just along the shore from where the Scout Movement was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in 1907. Today the island is owned by the National Trust, but you can't help bumping into the odd Scout while on the island!

The island itself is a haven for wildlife and the scenery is amazing...

So a real challenge to ensure access for two Partially Sighted and one Registered Blind pupils.

Luckily technology does help and with an ipad in hand the staff and pupils were able to capture little glimpses of the local wildlife.

Then with a pinch of the screen the children could zoom in on the hidden deer!

There was also the tactile environment to explore, engaging with the natural world that surrounded us with new smells and sounds, as well as the odd adventure into the unknown!



But it wasn't just the wildlife the children got to enjoy....



There were Low Ropes, expertly guide by the Headteacher....

...and Archery...

...with brilliant guidance from the National Trust Rangers.

Sailing....

...and Kayaking in Poole Harbour provided all of the children with a challenge, which on a beautifully sunny day, with a light breeze was 'hard work', but thoroughly enjoyed!







On the way home we decided to pop back to the 16th Century, visiting Scaplen's Court on Poole Quayside.



Where we were introduced to some Tudor dancing...

...and some Tudor cookery.

All very tactile and sensory experience, especially with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

 

The whole Residential experience was a fantastic success for all of our pupils. Not just for the experiences and activities that have been shown here, but also for each child personally. They were given the chance to be independent young people, helping with all the daily 'chores' to keep the Lodge clean and tidy. We had no caterers and all helped with cooking or preparing food each day. All of the children rose to the challenge of being away from home brilliantly and hopefully discovered something about themselves and what they are capable of.

 

Thanks go to all the children and staff at King Copse,

Brownsea Island National Trust & the Rangers,

Harbourside Challenge, who provided a brilliant day of water sports,

the team at Scaplen's Court Museum

& Staff & Crew at Poole RNLI station. 

 

 

 

Guide Dog Summer Fair

 

 

Thank you to everyone who came to our School Fair back in July and supported our Guide Dog stall.  I think everyone enjoyed very much our Puppy Dog Tombola and also meeting Tom McInulty with his Guide Dog, Brunel.

 

We raised in total, £132-00.  £66-00 pounds going to the Guide Dogs & £66-00 going to the Macular Society.

 

We have recieved a lovely thank you letter from the Guide Dogs.

 

 

 

 

Thank you again for your amazing support and raising so much money for both charities.

Messy Feet!

We began the new academic year with a spirit of adventure, exploration and mess!! The focus for this months In-Reach was to explore our sense of touch ....using our feet! Well, we use our hands so much, so Mr Cownie wanted to know what our feet would tell us. 

Our pupils and our guests from surrounding schools were faced with ten trays, each with a different 'substance' to put their feet into. 

There was.....jelly...

... And pebbles....

....dried Cous-Cous....

...swell gel (that goes in hanging baskets)....

...shaving foam....

...which also produced some dodgy 'santas'! ...

 ....feathers....

...wet Cous-Cous....

... Beans!...

...and spaghetti....

...and lastly, corn flower.

All the children had to come up with good describing words to tell us what they felt with their feet. 

We also had some new younger VI visitors who joined in with their feet, but also enjoyed the sensory toys on offer.

A great afternoon was had by all. There was plenty of chat and socialising by adults and children alike.

Which included a quick bit of afternoon tea and cake! 

Thank you to all of our visitors and participants.... Next In-Reach on November 7th. 

Making a start....

In Year R, the children are settling in and finding their feet. This means there are lots of new things to find out, but not just for the children. The teacher and her assistants are finding out all about the children and what things interest them. 

For our new pupil with a visual impairment this is the Fire Service! So out come the dressing up clothes, out come the walkie talkies and out comes the tricycle/fire engine....and off we go! 

Sometimes there are babies that need rescuing.... 

But there can be a lot of waiting in the fire station!

But if we are really lucky..... 

We find one of these visiting Year 2 just waiting in the playground! After a little chat with Alf the fireman...

We're in! Not just driving....there is important hose work practice!

Providing real-life first-hand experiences is what triggers children's engagement with school and learning. Finding out what makes a child tick and the using this is good practice, not just for pupils with a visual impairment, but all children! 

Sound Posts Farewell

It was the last Sound Post Session of the year today. 

Sound Posts is run by Year 5 and 6, and we had to say goodbye and a BIG thank you to our departing Year 6's.

 One young man in particular has been fantastic over the past few years, with his dedication and enthusiasm as well as his technical knowledge! Mr C would like to say THANK YOU and good luck in your new schools to all of Year 6.