Our Learning
Outdoor Education
November 2025
We have had such a wonderful Autumn Term 2 in Sun Class, filled with new sensory experiences, connection, and lots of joyful moments of learning. This week brought a particularly special highlight as we went on our very first mini-bus adventure to the park! Every child did amazingly well, and all the adults were incredibly proud of them.
Trips like this are especially valuable as they give children the chance to explore new surroundings at their own pace, experience different sights and sounds, and develop confidence as they adapt to unfamiliar places. They also support independence, helping children feel secure while trying something new. During our visit to the park, there was rich and meaningful learning happening for every child.
From a Physical Development perspective, the children were wonderfully active— moving freely in their preferred way, climbing or exploring equipment, practising balance, and developing gross- and fine-motor skills through movement, touch and exploration of natural materials. The outing also supported Personal, Social and Emotional Development as the children showed fantastic resilience and regulation skills as they coped with the journey, the new environment and all the excitement that came with it. They shared space with others, took turns with gentle adult support, and celebrated each other's successes. Many children showed growing confidence by trying activities that were new or challenging for them. Understanding the World was also enriched, as the children connected with a real local place in a sensory and meaningful way. They noticed autumn leaves, listened to birds, felt the cold air, explored textures underfoot and recognised familiar sights from a new perspective. These experiences help our children build awareness of their community and make links between what they see in school and what exists beyond it. Experiences like this spark curiosity, support communication, and help our children develop a deeper sense of belonging and identity.
The children’s enthusiasm and confidence this half term have been truly inspiring, and we can’t wait to build on this momentum with even more adventures, discoveries and opportunities to grow to help our Sun Class learners shine even brighter.
Autumn Term 2025
November 2025
In Sun Class this half term, we have been joyfully exploring colours in lots of creative and sensory ways. We’ve loved sharing books like The Colour Monster to help us explore our different emotions and link these to colours, and we’ve had great fun experimenting with colour mixing through a wide range of sensory activities. The children have been incredibly busy producing beautiful artwork inspired by colour and by special events such as Remembrance Day and Children in Need. Our Friday afternoon Food Tech sessions have been a particular highlight—linked to celebrations like Bonfire Night, where we made chocolate sprinkle sparklers, and Halloween, with our themed cookies! We’ve also been extremely lucky with the weather, which has stayed mostly dry for our Forest School sessions. These have been full of outdoor learning, including more delicious campfire cooking and some wonderful exploring of light and dark using our senses. Another exciting addition this half term has been our hydropool sessions, which the children have taken to brilliantly—everyone has made incredible progress and settled in far better than we could have imagined! Our soft play and light room sessions have been a huge success too, perfectly complementing our colour theme as we explored light, colour, and our senses. Well done to all of our amazing Sun Class children for such a fantastic half term!
Settling in
September 2025
During the first week of school, children in Sun Class have been supported through a range of engaging activities that encouraged exploration, communication, and connection. Mark-making in messy play allowed children to express themselves freely while developing fine motor skills and sensory tolerance in a fun, relaxed way. Playing with cars and small world toys supported imaginative play and helped pupils build early social interaction skills, such as turn-taking and joint attention. Building with blocks and completing jigsaws encouraged problem-solving, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination.
Outside, pupils collaborated to build bridges, promoting teamwork, resilience, and gross motor development in a stimulating outdoor environment. Painting autumn trees offered a sensory-rich way to explore seasonal changes, colours, and textures, supporting both creativity and communication.
Exploring musical instruments helped children develop sound awareness, rhythm, and self-expression, while time in the sensory light room provided a calming space for regulation, visual exploration, and emotional wellbeing.
The week was focused on helping each child feel safe, understood, and confident in their new environment, laying the foundation for a positive and supportive learning journey ahead.
