P12


 


On a carousel


Ros How’s school has introduced carousel days to provide the students with a wealth of sensory enrichment.






At the School for Profound Education (formerly St Margaret’s) we have one day each term that stands out from the rest, our carousel day. The school developed carousel days to provide a special opportunity for all our learners to take part in a range of structured, whole class multi-sensory experiences linked to a central learning theme.


Carousel days are a chance for our learners to have great fun experiencing different sights, sounds, smells, tastes and even movements that we use to bring our topic work to life.


We have six classes in school and each plans an activity in a session that lasts approximately 35 minutes. Each session is led by two members of staff, with the learners moving around the classes and taking part in three activities in the morning and three in the afternoon.


Focusing on sensory enrichment is key when working with our learners. We specialise in the education, care and therapy of children and young people aged five to 25 who have profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex health needs.


We have developed our own curriculum – the profound education curriculum – and use this to set individual targets and assess progress.


Creative and leisure activities form an important part of our 24-hour curriculum, providing learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. They are planned round termly whole school topics and encompass a range of pursuits.


This topic work is a valuable way of uniting all our learners in whole school and college activities.


Last term our topic was music through the ages. It resulted in a host of ideas. Offering a feast of sounds, typical of the activities our learners take part in during carousel days.


In Class 1, for example, the musical theme was Mary Poppins. Everyone dressed up as a chimney sweep or Mary and enjoyed a tea party which was a lot of fun. Bubbles blowing around the room added to the feeling of floating through the air.


Class 2 was decorated to look and sound like an American diner – learners made ice cream sundaes and danced to sixties music.


Class 3 put on a music festival. Visitors were greeted by folksy music and the smell of incense. Then came the inevitable shower of rain – to listen to and feel – as everyone sheltered in a huge tent.


 


Continued on p13





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