The Early Years department at Queensmill School consist of four classes (Green, Gold, Yellow and Turquoise class) with students from 3 to 7 years old (from Nursery to Y2). For Nursery and Reception pupils, teachers follow the statutory Foundation Stage and pupils are working towards Early Learning goals through their individual targets. At the end of Reception, students are assessed against the Early Learning Goals through the Foundation Stage Profile. For Y1 and Y2, students are working towards the National Curriculum through their individual targets.
The focus in EY department is to give the students a good start regarding our autism specific interventions so they have strong foundations to acquire new skills throughout the rest of their journey at Queensmill. The long term goal is for our students to become independent young adults.
Throughout daily activities, students are learning new skills in the following areas:
Prime Areas:
Physical Development:
- gross and fine motor skills: occupational therapy (OT) programme designed by therapist and teacher, delivered by the class team throughout the day via outdoor activities, sessions in the various multi-sensory rooms, weekly PE sessions and structured sessions in class.
- Self-care: OT programme designed by therapist and teacher, delivered by the class team throughout the day regarding dressing/ undressing skills, toileting, eating.
Communication and Language:
- -SALT programme designed by therapist and teacher, delivered throughout the day and using functional activities.
- -In class sessions but also during playtimes and weekly music sessions.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development:
- -promoting pupils independence skills using visuals and TEACCH principles in their daily routine but also regarding task completion.
- -working towards independence regarding children’s self- regulation with their sensory needs following SCERTS principles and using Sensory Integration.
Specific Areas:
Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design are taught throughout the day in a range of contexts. Learning takes place outdoors but also in class using enticing and fun multisensory resources. Individual skills are learnt in different contexts and using different resources.
The characteristics of learning are also used but adapted following our general principles and interventions as our students have their own way of learning.