The Willows

Our Willows classroom is taught by Mrs Patrick and has been developed to provide an inclusive environment for our children in Early Years and Key Stage One. It is a place where they can develop lots of skills - cognitive, physical and social. Depending on their needs, children spend varying amounts of time in the Willows - they may visit for a session each day, or even longer should the learning opportunities meet their needs.  The children who attend the Willows also spend time in their own classrooms with their peers. 

The curriculum in the Willows is child-centred, but each week follows a different theme that is often linked to a book. Children are stimulated in an environment that has been specially developed to promote a love for learning whilst developing a range of skills. The experienced team in the Willows work with Mrs Patrick to maximise the learning experience for our wonderful children. 

Our Children

Our Staff

We are very lucky to have a range of experienced staff teaching in The Willows. 

Mrs Patrick - Class Teacher

Ms Mean - HLTA

Miss Foy - TA

Miss Youdale - TA

Miss Leggatt - TA

Miss Finlinson -TA

Miss McGee - TA

Our Classroom

The WIllows has it's own classroom, including a bathroom that has an adjustable bed for changing and a toilet. There is a large carpet area with an interactive whiteboard and tables for guided learning. We have an amazing outdoor space that includes a fantastic sensory pod that we access daily. 

Our Learning

In The Willows each child's learning is tailored to their specific needs. We use the Autism Progression Framework which is a comprehensive, flexible tool designed to support education professionals in identifying learning priorities and measuring progress in areas which relate closely to autism differences: Social Understanding and Communication; Sensory Processing and Integration; Flexibility, Information Processing and Understanding. The document provides a framework for assessing the impact of these differences on our children's social, emotional, independence and learning needs and supports staff in planning to meet these needs. Below is a diagram of the 8 overarching areas of learning.

Communication and Language

In The Willows we have a range of communication and language styles. One of these styles is through visual symbols called 'widgits', the children have nicked named these 'badges'. Below are some examples.

Ms Mean is trained in Makaton and she is teaching sign language to the other staff members. 

Learning in Action

Please have a look at some of the learning that has been happening in The Willows!