Orange Class are currently enjoying our class book of Skater Dog. This is a very lively little character that finds himself in all types of mischief! We have been following different adventures of Skater Dog by reading his stories on the class whiteboard. Looking at the many colourful pictures, Orange Class have been working together to try and explain what is taking place in the story. This activity requires all class members to join in, and help to tell the stories with some of the popular sounds that are in the book. We have heard plenty of “Wooosh! Wheeez! and Arghhh!” around Orange Class.

We have been continuing our table work in Class 1G focussing upon helping the students to make sentences from a series of words. We have moved our vocabulary on to talk about the different forms of transport that we see around us. Using Communication in Print, we have been keen to get the students to match the symbols with the words. We have used this technique to form simple sentences such as “Roads are busy” or “Motorways are long.” We then advanced this exercise to include some writing to help complete the sentences.

As part of our English work, Class 1M have been looking at natural disasters and different types of landscape. In particular we have focused upon volcanoes, earthquakes and mountains. The pupils have been learning why volcanoes and earthquakes can be dangerous, as well as some of the names of the most famous mountains.

We then used this knowledge to practice our handwriting skills. We also introduced an exercise asking the children to match up pictures of different types of landscapes with the words. This is a vital recognition exercise, which we also reinforce and support with plenty of signing.

We are working hard in Green Class this term on improving further our understanding and range of phonics. We have been encouraging independent thought and activity in this process, asking the children to organise their own work and to take responsibility for it. The main class resource that we use for this is the excellent jollyphonics learning pack. This is a fun way for the Green Class pupils to help improve their understanding of different sounds and letters.

The table work activities for these sessions are aimed at the individual attainment levels of each pupil. Some children have been concentrating on the alphabet and learning to identify each letter, and then name something around them which starts with a particular sound. Other Green Class pupils have progressed to using phonic sounds to spell out simple words.

We have been greatly impressed in the way in which Class 11 are approaching their various Entry Level and GCSE exams. This can be a tricky time of the school year for our pupils. All of Class 11 have shown great maturity and interest in working to the best of their potential. Our study of Macbeth during English lessons is a great example of this. We have looked at the traditional Shakespeare text, and then compared this with a modern day BBC production. Different English exercises were then completed, depending on the level of ability of each pupil. You can listen to an overview of this fine work in the podcast below.

Red Class have really enjoyed reading our current class book of Not Now Bernard – so much so that we have built our very own Turney School friendly monster! All of the children took part in helping to create the magnificent display. We carefully cut out the materials needed, and then worked as a team to complete our display.

We have also been very active out in our local community. Red Class have been visiting the nearby Rosabelle Allotment over the recent weeks and helping out with the gardening. The children have been learning about different types of soil, as well as learning how we can use stone and other natural resources around our gardens.

Class 11 have been working incredibly hard ahead of their various GCSE exams that will take place after the Easter break. In literacy lessons the pupils have been working independently on different exercises that suit their own targets and ambitions. Some pupils have been learning all about the life of William Shakespeare, and then writing a short biography of the playwright using Communication in Print.

Another group has been finding out what is meant when we talk about synonyms within literature. Using the school dictionaries, we compiled a list of synonyms for some of the more common words that we use during our written work. Poetry has also been important as we prepare for our GCSE’s. In the podcast below you can hear one of our Class 11 pupils describe in details about some of the recent literacy work, as well as reading out one of her favourite poems.

Class 1G have had great fun going on the Turney School Bear Hunt! This is one of our favourite reading books throughout the school, and one that has many opportunities to explore the ideas, and to encourage participation from all of the pupils.

Using Communication in Print, we asked each Class 1G member whereabouts they wanted to go hunting for the bear. Once the selection was made, we worked together as a group to help to sing and act out the song. You can find out how the Class 1G Bear Hunt went by watching the video above!

Red Class have been reading and acting out the wonderful story of The Gruffalo. We have used this book as the starting point for a pice of work that will conclude with an assembly for the rest of our primary schools friends before half term. We have introduced the children to the different animals within the story, and then asked then which are their favourite.

The Gruffalo has also been helping Red Class during drama and music lessons. We have been acting out the movements and sounds of each animal, and then learning a special Gruffalo song that we will be singing during our assembly. All of the characters will be signed out, with Red Class showing their knoweldge of the story. You can watch a short video of one of our early rehearsals above.

Our main topic during PHSE lessons in Purple Class this term will be to explore all about ourselves. We are keen for the children to find out what makes them healthy, and how they can help to maintain a healthy lifestyle. To help us to achieve this, Purple Class have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This is a brilliant book in introducing the idea of a balanced diet, as well as helping our young pupils to start to recognise the spellings for their favourite fruits. You can watch a short literacy based activity involving this work in the video above.

Our weekly guided reading session in Class 12 is always eagerly looked forward to as we start off by asking our young adults to recount an event or activity from their weekend. This encourages the pupils to speak confidentially within a small group, as well as to recount an event from their own life in sequence. It is also a great opportunity to share our hobbies and interests with one another!

Our guided group reading for this term is focusing upon reading different fairytales. We have started off reading a number of giant stories, using different resources that match the skills and ambitions of each pupil. Some of the class members are aided with Communication in Print recourses; others are confident to read directly from the book. You can listen to a couple of our confident young readers in the podcast below.

As part of our guided reading sessions, Class 12 have been working on different interpretations of the classic Robin Hood story. We have a number of resources in within Turney School to help the different levels of reading within the group. Some of our young adults have been working off a more traditional text, whereas others have enjoyed following the story using a Communication in Print copy of the book. Together we have been able to explore the characters and plot, and to try and see what message we can find within the classic Robin Hood story. You can hear a couple of the Class 12 members talking about the book in the podcast below.

Gold Class have started a major new literacy project that aims to help make our school based reading and writing more relevant to our own lives. We want to try and make the children see how works of fiction can be tied in with our own experiences, and then creating some fictional stories out of ideas that we can relate to. We started this exercise off by asking the children to write an account of their half term break. We wanted them to think about what they did over the short break, and then to try and describe this in as much detail as possible. We then held a class discussion to see how events in our own lives can them become part of a fictional tale. You can listen to some of the Gold Class ideas being read out in the podcast below.

Class 1G started the second half of the autumn term with some literacy work combined with some music. We asked the children to think of their favourite songs, and then we all sung along as a class. We played around with some of the words, to add in our own Class 1G names. This was the perfect warm up exercise for our literacy table work. We are thinking about the autumn weather, and what we can see around us. We asked the children to describe the different colours of the leaves, and what else we can see during this time of year. Our table work has also involved a look at various fruits. We talk about the colours and how each piece of fruit is different. You can listen to a short burst of the Class 1G singing in the podcast below.