The Hub

Welcome to The Hub

Rationale –

We recognise that all children have a vast set of strengths, traits, differences and needs. We understand that every child does not travel down the same developmental pathway. We believe our early education system must prepare us to empower and embrace children with lifelong differences.

“The language of inclusion is changing, and we are repositioning children with special educational needs from problems back to learners”

Heiskanan et al., 2018

Intent –

“We have to stop assuming that every child is travelling down the same developmental pathway”

Kerry Murphy, 2022

We aim to provide a curriculum model which embraces the children’s holistic profile of development and commits to the idea that every child is unique, diverse, competent and valuable. Support is child led and focused on affirming neurodivergent traits and ways of being. The child is not expected to mask or change who they are in order to fit in. Our curriculum is based upon a celebratory model, following the children’s interests, strengths, traits, needs and differences.

We understand the importance of self-regulation to enable children to access provision, it is only by being regulated by a caregiver/educator that a young child learns mindful ways of self-regulating. Without, self-regulation, children struggle to form relationships, communicate reciprocally, succeed at school and thrive personally. More relational approaches to understanding and supporting behaviour are adopted.

The Hub has a total communication approach where all forms of communication are used to help with understanding, attention, social skills and more.

We are committed to collaborating and connecting with parents to form respectful and meaningful relationships as we understand they are a critical part of a child’s developmental journey.

Implementation -

Our provision is based on the celebratory framework.

A celebratory model –

Interests – We follow a curriculum which is child-led and play-based. We tune in to the child’s interests, motivations, repetitions and fascinations.

Strengths – We recognise that all children have unique strengths and we ensure these are acknowledged and celebrated.

Traits – We recognise that children have individual traits, these differences are not problems.

Differences – We recognise that some children have delays in learning and development but this could be attributed to a lifelong difference – for example, autism.

Needs – All children have individual needs that will need support, scaffolding and adaptive practices.

Our provision acknowledges that children have social differences and can communicate and interact in a variety of ways. We use visual supports and sensory equipment in all areas of learning and play to aid self-regulation and to produce an inclusive environment.

It allows opportunities for diverse play and special interests (Spins) and understands all children have their own communication identity. It also recognises and is adapted to take into consideration the diverse sensory profiles the children may have.

All pupils access an individual timetable based on their strengths and needs and have access to interventions for social and emotional development, fine and gross motor skills plus speech and language.

Interventions and programmes, if used, are flexible and honour and affirm difference.

To gain a greater understanding of the child’s holistic needs the staff have attended the following training:

Colourful Semantics
Pecs
Launchpad for literacy
Makaton
ELKLAN
Sensoryworx Twilight
Making sense of Autism
PDA

We have also liaised with the following external agencies to support our Hub model:

Educational Psychologist

OT
Sensoryworx
Speech therapists
Portage and Preschool service

Impact –

“Neurodiversity offers us an opportunity to expand our thinking about development and to embrace the fact that we are all different, and in different ways. Once we begin to do this, only then can we change the landscape of inclusion in the early years”

Anna Freud, 2023

Outcome measures focus on autonomy, self-advocacy, engagement, the promotion of self-regulation, well- being and belonging. We aim to enable pupils to become more able to regulate or manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviours with increasing independence.

This is evidenced through pupil engagement, the use of floor books, observations, provision maps, ISP/EHCP reviews.

Provision into Practice

Chinese New Year 2024

This week we have been learning all about Chinese New Year. We have explored different Chinese New Year maths by ordering the animals in the race and using the language of positioning to move our animals across the river.

We have had lots of practice at writing the numbers 1 to 10 in Chinese.

We have used the stories of The Great Race to help us learn how the celebration came about and different traditions and customs.

We have written lists of the animals in the story of Chinese New Year and drew our favourite animals.

We have made different traditional Chinese New Year items, like drums and lanterns.

To complete our celebrations on the Eve of the Lunar New Year, we enjoyed a Chinese buffet of noodles, rice and prawn crackers and even tried different sauces.

What the Ladybird Heard - Julia Donaldson

This week our story was What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson. The children loved playing lots of matching games to help us remember the key characters and events from the story. We matched pictures based on animal sounds, events from the story or just visually.

For maths we completed lots of activities! We subitised using dice and the dots on the ladybird's back. We wrote number sentences for addition with the help of ladybird dots.

We explored our Ladybird tuff tray and did lots of counting, ordering and sorting activities.

Our mark making areas were busy this week and we have had lots of practice with painting and using different tools to make marks with- including our hands!

The Tiger Who Came To Tea- Judith Kerr.

This week we have been reading the Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr.

The children enjoyed listening to the story and have completed lots of activities to go along with it:

we gave the tiger a hair cut using scissors, to practice our fine motor skills
the children created their own tiger using arts and craft supplies
we drew the tiger by following adults instructions
we played Bingo, the children were able to match all the correct food that the Tiger ate items to the images on their bingo cards
we listened for and identified initial sounds of the food that the tiger ate in the story and then we practiced our letter formation by writing a list
we had a tea party like Sophie and her Mummy in the book but this time the Tiger wasn't invited