Children at Summerhouse get a structured and well-rounded day full of educational and behaviour focused activities. While we provide learning opportunities similar to school, pupils at Summerhouse also benefit from working in small groups, lots of lesson breaks (sensory and movement), and many additional enrichment activities. We use all aspects of the day, as an opportunity to reflect on behaviour, feelings and problem solving.
Mornings:
When the children arrive on the bus, they are greeted by staff, who will give them the opportunity to engage in a range of activities to help regulate them, and set them up for a fantastic day. These include;
- Emotional Check In (journals, diaries, visual representation)
- Movement/ sensory breaks
- Quiet independent work (fine motor skills, quiet reading, phonics)
- Toast Time (to encourage positive interactions and a time to talk)
Learning Time:
All children engage in English, Maths and PSHE lessons every day. Teachers plan lessons to meet the individual learning needs of all pupils by;
- Utalising hands on learning, peer interaction, games and many other strategies)
- Explicitly teaching good learning behaviour (turn taking, asking for help, answering questions, working with others/ independently)
- Working in collaboration with the children’s mainstream teachers to provide opportunities which reflect their needs in both settings
- Planning learning experiences designed to meet the same expectations as in mainstream schools
- Building in movement/ sensory/ brain breaks
- Encouraging the use of visual timetables, planning formats, checklists etc.
Playtimes:
Children who attend Summerhouse, often find break times and playtimes at school challenging. At Summerhouse we support our pupils during break times by;
- Providing structure and a high level of adult support to encourage a positive playground experience
- Offering the children a range of activities and equipment for a wide breadth of play experience
- Engaging and playing with the children, modelling positive play and problem solving when needed
- Encouraging healthy eating choices and habits by sitting and eating with them
Additional Support/ Enrichment Activities
As well as learning in three core subjects of English, Maths and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic), we offer pupils additional sessions to; develop their social and emotional wellbeing, promote a healthy lifestyle, and explore their creativity. These sessions can include;
- PE and Games
- Taekwondo
- Peer Massage/ Mindfulness
- Cooking and Baking
- Music and Drumming
- Drama
- Play or Art Therapy
- The Pupil Development Centre
- Assemblies
- Trips/ Outings
- Guest speakers/ visitors
- Special Theme Day (Sports Day, Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas Show)
Afternoons/ Reflection Time
Social and emotional development is absolutely central to our curriculum and ethos. The activities and experiences described above, are all focal points for this development to be facilitated, and it is acutely important that social and emotional learning is embedded throughout the whole day.
However, there are also times in the day when the children are explicitly asked to reflect on their behaviour and/or emotional state. The afternoons before the children leave on the bus are key times for this and can include;
- Discussing their two behaviour targets, and if they have/ have not been met and why/why not
- Reflecting on what specifically has gone right/ wrong and what could be done next time
- Rewarding positive behaviour with stickers/ rewards/ Golden Time (choosing time)
- Acknowledging positive behaviour on reward charts (lunch time, bus, PE/ Taekwondo)
- Sharing positive behaviour and learning experiences in assembly with “Golden Leaves” for the Summerhouse display and “Star of the Week”
- “Checking In” emotionally through the use of journals, diaries, displays, games and toy
The children are then escorted to the bus for their goodbyes at the end of the day.
Here is a video you can watch, showing some of the activities that our pupils enjoy.