Welcome to Pine class
Jim (Class Teacher), Carly, Sandra, and Emily would like to share a warm welcome to Pine Class for September 2025.
Our primary focus continues to be building independence for our learners’ futures, alongside functional skills to make sure all of Pine Class have the widest set of skills for whatever their next steps may be. Alongside this, we’ll be making sure we have a wide and balanced curriculum and a range of experiences to build interests, identify talents and widen horizons.
We, and the wider school team, will make sure we know our learners as well as possible, allowing us to build skills, identify how we can best support and challenge them, whilst providing opportunities for them to put their skills and knowledge into practice.
Please see our class timetable below for more information.
We will make sure everyone has the chance to communicate and be communicated to in the way that best suits them, whilst also helping them explore new ways of sharing their needs, wants, and aspirations.
We follow the Moving On curriculum that is appropriate for our older students – and we follow their progress using a range of tools to make sure we’re accurately tracking what they will learn next. We accredit their achievements through Asdan certification, alongside a range of other external and internal accreditations. Students will be working hard towards completing their Asdan modules, and they will contribute to choosing the next modules to undertake, based on personal interests.
We are currently planning a range of one-off and regular visits, visitors and experiences for the class. These will be fully linked to the curriculum and will deepen and broaden their learning, and will also enrich and add to the students’ experiences. We’ll share details as soon as these are confirmed!
Reading in Pine: All students have bespoke reading and writing plans, tailored to their current individual levels. The students undertake reading throughout the curriculum, whether it be to read their work or to gather information to be used within sessions such as for recipes or instructions. We do also have specific reading sessions to build upon the students phonetic knowledge, high frequency words, functional text and signs and symbols for life. Students are encouraged to extend their reading at home for pleasure and in a functional way, for example reading subtitles, or reading visual text in their environments.
Staying in touch:
In Pine class, we capture evidence of our learning through Evisense. Please check your child’s page to see what we have been doing. Ping will also be used regularly for sharing information, alongside Home-School Diaries. We are always happy to talk in person, on the phone, or via email about anything you would like to discuss – we’re all focussed on the best we can do for your child, and anything we can do to strengthen the home-school relationship is great!
Careers:
As part of ‘Horizons’ the Academy Careers Programme, the students will each get comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance from a Careers Advisor both in small group sessions and in 1:1 sessions to help support them with their Transition and Career choices. During organised ‘Careers Days’ and during National Careers Week, the students will get the opportunity to meet with different employers and employees from local businesses to learn all about the skills needed to do many different jobs. They will also get the opportunity to visit local colleges such as Cheshire Colleges, Coleg Cambria, Riverside College, Reaseheath and Pettypool Colleges as well as participating in taster courses at Cloughwood Academy.
In addition, identified students from years 11 upwards will take part in both internal and external work experience placements. These are tailored to match the interests and strengths of individual students. Some recent external placements have been at GroZone, Pets at Home; Mere Brow Permaculture Project; Jane Mullen Speech Therapy Ltd; The Hub Café; The Food Hub (Northwich Community Support). This experience is invaluable in the development of essential skills, confidence building and preparation for Adulthood. Students are given their own personal targets to work towards and are fully supported by our Job Coach throughout the placement.
Below, are some learning Links that you may find useful to further the learning at home….
Curiculum links:
Phonics Guides for Parents | Phase 1-6 Home Learning
Maths For Life - A Differentiated Approach®
Independent travel training | Cheshire West and Chester Council
