Unicef Rights Respecting Schools

February 2025

“I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously”

Unicef Rights Respecting Schools Article 12

Oak Class are actively encouraged to voice their views and opinions throughout the school day which is supported by communication resources that are accessible at all times. We are learning that when we need some support we can use our Newlands core vocabulary board to tell an adult what we need; such as an outside movement break, toilet or a drink. We know it’s difficult when things we enjoy are ending and when we really want a go at  something we like so we have been learning a 3, 2, 1 countdown as we wait for our turn.

In our Greeting lessons to start the morning and afternoon we can use switches to hold a conversation (it is lovely to hear what everybody has to say!) and we can choose if we want the thing that is offered to represent today, for example a scented spray or bubbles. At Snack Time we can use the Newlands core vocabulary board to say if we ‘want’ or ‘not’ a snack that is offered, and we are learning to tap ‘more’ to request more of something we want or ‘help’ with tricky things like wrappers and lids.

Our opinions and choices are celebrated in all lessons across the curriculum. In Art we have worked hard to create fabric faces, creating designs and exploring and combining different materials. We then gave our views by evaluating our finished pieces using symbols that are already familiar.

Jabadao

November 2024

You may have received Class DOJO or EARWIG observations that reference the word 'Jabadao' and be curious as to what that means. In Newlands we have weekly Jabadao sessions in Pathways 1 and 2 to encourage early speech and communication and developmental movement. The Small Hall is transformed with different equipment that encourages certain types of movements such as crawling and spinning, the lights are dimmed and specific music plays to create a calm space. The children can then move around the space freely, and the role of the adults is to copy the children exactly, following the fundamentals of intensive interaction. If I say "eh!" and an adult says "eh!" in response and I recognise that, or I swirl a piece of lycra and an adult joins me and also swirls a piece of lycra in the same way, I am learning that my speech is being heard and acted upon and is important, and I am learning that other people can be a source of shared fun and enjoyment. I am then on my way to more purposeful communication attempts in the future. Here are some photographs of what we get up to in the sessions. 

English

October 2024

We have some very enthusiastic readers, writers and talkers in Oak Class who have been making amazing progress in lots of areas of Literacy throughout the day. In Phonics we can sing along with letter songs, select the correct letter for the sound we can hear, and copy the movements in writing letters. In morning and afternoon greetings we can use  communication boards and switches and the microphone to hold conversations. We like to listen to and look towards poems from a book at the end of each day. We can share our reading book with an adult, turning the pages and pointing towards things that are hiding in the illustrations. Throughout the day we are doing great at using our core vocabulary board to initiate conversation when we need or want something. Great work with your Literacy, Oak Class!