In Octagon class we have 8 wonderful pupils!

We are all working on every aspect of the curriculum and developing our social, communication and life skills.

The Octagon class is ran by Shona, Siobhan, Kim, Sian, Matt and our midday supervisor Pirsoka.

Meet the staff team 

Meet the pupils

Our classroom environment

Like the other classes at Rosehill we have a suite of rooms, each with a specific purpose:

• Group room – for whole group ‘circle’ activities including ‘hello’ group, some curriculum lesson and ‘transition times’
• 2 work rooms for 1:1 work sessions.
• Activity room– for curriculum lessons as well as painting, craft activities, messy play, construction toys etc.

Also used for snack time.

• 1 balance room – an environment where pupils can relax and take a little time to themselves, interact and communicate with staff or enjoy the equipment on offer.
• We also have an enclosed outside area for outdoor play.
• We also have some toilet cubicles, urinals and a Personal care room.

By structuring our classroom environment, we can reduce the anxiety many of the children experience as a result of being unsure of what is expected of them or what will come next. For instance, they know the type of activities to expect when in the group area and they know our expectations of them e.g. they are expected to sit on their chairs. They are 'cued' into an activity by physically moving to the appropriate area.

This structure extends to our timetable which, although not the same each day, has certain fixed 'points of reference', such as morning 'hello' group, snack time, dinner time, afternoon group. We use a symbolic timetable to give the children a clear visual sequence of their day. Once we have this structure in place, we can introduce gradual variations so that the children become better able to cope with unexpected changes and new experiences.

Important Days for Class 8

Curriculum