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Hi everyone,

Well, we鈥檝e made it to the end of January, and actually, oddly, halfway through the school year as well 鈥� time really does fly sometimes! It won鈥檛 be long before some thoughts turn to arrangements for next year with Annual Reviews and other planning鈥�I hope you鈥檝e had a good start to 2025! It鈥檚 a really rich and interesting blog this week, so I hope you find something that interests you, from pasta, cooking & Chinese New Year, to high-level stuff about Postural Management, Online safety, UNICEF, BfL, Safeguarding and all sorts, as well as the usual lovely things with Early Years (including a Dragon!), Stars and Wellbeing鈥�

There鈥檚 also Eileen鈥檚 Family Liaison blog and Joel鈥檚 one, and the rest of the PHS and Foundation websites to keep you going!

And the Keswick trip is next month too, so exciting times!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday, and all the best for a lovely weekend

John S

馃槉 from John & the PHS Team 馃槉

We have 3 Super-Steering Groups which deliver our Key Drivers through our curriculum. The Key Drivers are Communication, Wellbeing and Independence. The Groups are Literacy, Physical Development and Personal Development

听

Literacy

Becky, our Literacy Lead, leads a team that improve all aspects of literacy, including this year a lot of handwriting and oracy (it鈥檚 OK, she鈥檒l be going into explain all of that) as well as reading, phonics, books and all sorts!

Outdoor area book nook update

We were really delighted this week to explore some of our new books from the 鈥楤rilliant Box of Books鈥� which we were gifted from .

We used some of the amazing selection to update the 鈥楤ook nook鈥� in ELTBA鈥檚 outdoor space. You may remember last year we had two 鈥榖ook nooks鈥� installed in both ELTBA & the Outdoor Learning space, which proved very popular in the Summer Term! It鈥檚 lovely to see that the book nooks continue to be popular through the winter months and continue to encourage a Love of Reading 馃槉

You can see here Joe, Thomas & Teddy finding something new that interested them. We鈥檙e looking forward to continuing to explore the box with students in the other curriculum pathways in weeks to come

Happy Reading!

Physical Development

Everything that is fabulous in the world of Physical Development! This includes physio, hydro, MOVE, PE, HI, VI, a lot of OT and all sorts of key areas for us, including all of the Outdoor Learning, John Muir Award and many other aspects. Steph oversees this and will ensure that an aspect is shared in the blog each week.

Postural Management

What is Posture?

Posture is the position in which someone holds their body when lying, sitting or standing. Some children have difficulty with moving, changing position, sitting, standing or walking on their own. This may affect their muscles, joints and posture. This can include shortened muscles (contracture), hips moving out of joint (hip displacement) or spinal problems (scoliosis or kyphosis). This can lead to pain, reduced movement and function. It can impact on breathing, digestion, sleep, mood, communication and eating and drinking.

What affects posture?

Some children may have low tone, which means their muscles are floppy. This makes it more difficult for the child to move or lift their head and body into an upright position. Some children may have high tone, which means their muscles are stiff and tight. This can cause muscles and ligaments to stay in a shortened position resulting in less movement at joints. Some children have movements that they cannot control and do not want to make. Some children may have a combination of low tone, high tone and uncontrolled movement.

What is Postural Management?

Postural management involves anything that supports posture and helps the child with the activities they carry out every day. Postural management programmes are different for each child and may include exercise, positioning or using special seating, night-time support, standing supports, and orthotics (splints). To be most effective, postural management and positioning needs to be carried out over 24 hours every day, during the day and at night. It may involve monitoring the development of a child鈥檚 hips or spine, which could also involve taking x-rays or measurements of your child鈥檚 movement.

Why is it important?

Positioning and support with posture helps children to function and access their surroundings. Postural management can help to protect body shape by using careful positioning and encouraging physical activity. It aims to increase a child鈥檚 comfort, help them be in a better position to play and learn. It may help reduce deformity including hip displacement.

Use of Equipment

Postural management equipment works alongside a therapy program by supporting children in a symmetrical posture where a gentle stretch can be applied to muscles. When children are well positioned in equipment, they are more able to join in with activities. This can include being able to eat and drink, communicate, play and learn. Using equipment can help your child to feel safe, secure and well supported

Lying

Children with complex physical needs may spend a lot of time lying down, especially during the night. Their preference may also be to lie in a similar position during waking hours, but this can make joints stiff and muscles tighter and may lead to changes in their spinal posture.听 It can help to support postural positioning when lying down, if the child is supported well with support aids. This can also help them to feel secure and can help with sleep and comfort. In school we have lots of options to support lying postures, this includes the use of an Acheeva bed, E-rolls and postural wedges.

Sitting

Some children find it extremely challenging to sit up independently and maintain their balance. Having access to a supportive chair can help keep their body in a good position whilst enabling them to complete activities they like doing such as playing games, socialising with friends and family, eating meals and accessing learning in school. In school we have varied options to access supported seating through for example corner seats, but we also like to challenge the children鈥檚 balance to improve their core muscles to enable them to maintain a strong core and spine; seated activities on the trampoline are a fantastic and motivating way of doing this!

Standing

Access to postural aids such as standing frames can provide an alternative change in posture. These enable children to stretch their legs and weight bear through their feet which is highly important for bone development, muscle strength and digestion.听听It can also help children to feel more alert and can optimise their engagement in learning.

Look at the students in 4CH all working hard in different postural positions as part of their postural management programme. Whilst in these positions they鈥檙e also able to develop their coordination, upper limb movements, exploration, anticipation, and communication skills!

Doing activities or exercises that involve children moving their body can help optimise their posture both now and as they grow. It also helps to improve their comfort, mood and well-being.

Useful references听听

Personal Development

One of the best things about the school and one of the most important for our pupils, PD covers PSHE, Wellbeing, Careers, Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural, Online Safety, Behaviour and similar areas. Jo pulls it all together. Let鈥檚 see what Jo and the team have in store for us this week! The inspectors really loved all of the PD we do!

Lots of News!

SMSC

3BE have enjoyed exploring items to do with Chinese New Year this week. We have also made snakes, Chinese inspired art and listened to traditional Chinese music.

In 3KH we have been looking at RNLI SOS Day. Pupils joined in discussions about what the RNLI do and how to be safe by water. They found the dangers in the picture and talked about how they can be safe by the sea.

In 6RD we researched the Holocaust memorial day and discussed why it was important that we remember this day. We watched a video which showed other students discussing this and gave us an insight to what the Holocaust was and how it affected people. Aidan said that it was important to remember the people who died and their families. Faith said that it was important to remember the Holocaust as it is the anniversary this week.

听

Careers

鈥�Work Experience Wonder!

We鈥檇 like to say a huge well done to Shannon for their work experience achievements this week.

Shannon is mid-way through their work experience at Newcastle Eagles Basketball Academy, where they support the coaches to deliver training to a group of young people and adults.

Sam, the Beyond Team鈥檚 Liaison Officer visited them on placement at the Vertu Motors Arena this week.听 She talked to Shannon and their supervisors Susan and Laura and was delighted to offer an extension to their placement for a further six weeks to continue to work on their confidence, practical coaching skills and communication with unfamiliar people.

Wellbeing

Here are Andy and the Wellbeing Team about what鈥檚 happening this year in their brilliant Connect Challenge series! Go Andy!

In our fast-paced lives, it鈥檚 easy to forget the importance of nurturing our passions. This week, our ‘Connect Challenge’ encouraged everyone to take a little time for their talents and interests, and the results were nothing short of inspiring!

Callum decided to put his culinary skills to the test by making a delicious toastie. With a few simple ingredients (cheese, ham and what some might say was rather a lot of onions), he transformed a mundane snack into a gourmet delight. It wasn鈥檛 just about the food; it was also about the joy of creating something from scratch.

Meanwhile, Bobby found a unique way to blend leisure with skill-building by practising his keepy-ups during his break. Whether it鈥檚 a quick game in the park with friends or a few keepy-ups on the school yard, these little bursts of activity can make a big difference to our overall wellbeing.

Joe took a different route by dedicating time to practise his keyboard skills鈥攁 new interest he recently picked up with the help of Daniel and Chris-the-music-man. Learning an instrument can be incredibly rewarding, offering a creative outlet for self-expression and emotional release.

This week鈥檚 challenge shows that making time for our talents and interests shouldn鈥檛 be a luxury; it鈥檚 essential for our mental and emotional health. Engaging in activities we love reduces stress, boosts our mood, and enhances our overall quality of life听

Thursday 6th听February is our next whole school resilience day 鈥� the theme of which is, 鈥淭ime to talk鈥�. With that in mind, our connect challenge for the whole week is: 鈥淭ime to talk鈥� 鈥� we want to break down the barriers of talking about mental health and encourage everyone to get talking! Although we are using the term 鈥渢alk鈥�, this includes any method of communication used by our students such as signing, VOCA, hand or facial gestures or visual aids

Stay connected!

Behaviour for Learning (BfL)

Let鈥檚 hear from Aylisha about all the exciting work this team are doing.

Another week has passed, and it has been another busy week for the BfL team.听 This week our focus has been on supporting staff in classrooms when working with children who can show behaviours of concern sometimes

We work very closely with agencies such as Children鈥檚 Services and CYPS (Children and Young Peoples Service) or CAMHS (Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Services)

We continue to deliver training to our Learning Support Assistants and completed session 3 this week.听 The training provided this week was an overview of how we are trying to systematize Behaviour for Learning in our school and how that looks for us now as it continues to develop.

If you have any questions or you wish to know more about behaviour here in school, feel free to contact the Behaviour for Learning Team direct.

Preparation for Adulthood 鈥� PfA

PfA is a real priority for us, and Hannah and others do a huge amount of work on it. Let鈥檚 find out a bit more about what Hannah has been up to with this crucial area

Parents of students on the Engagement Pathway were invited to attend a department coffee afternoon this week, and the particular area for discussion was on Preparation for Adulthood

As a school, we are focusing 听on really getting to grips with what 鈥榥ext steps鈥� look like for all of our students. It鈥檚 so important that we get this right for every child and young person, and we can only do that with your insight, so it was fantastic to be able to talk to parents about this over a cuppa.听We were delighted to welcome Kasha and Mel from Hedleys College, who were able to tell us about Continuing Health Care assessments and why they could be important in helping our students to progress onto their next destination with as much support as possible. There are so many possibilities out there, and our aim is to help you to navigate through the (sometimes overwhelming) amounts of information available to ensure that your children get the very best transition into early adulthood and beyond

Although this event was for Engagement families, we will be hosting more opportunities to chat about all things PfA over the coming months, so keep your eye on the calendar, and let us know if there is anything in particular that you would like to focus on. You can do that by contacting Hannah Fuller or Eileen Robinson at school.

Cooking Club with Darren

Darren has been having fun with some students ! Let鈥檚 hear and see what he鈥檚 got going with cooking club this week! Yum, yes please!!!!!

This week at cooking club, the students took their taste buds around the world in celebration of Chinese New Year

We celebrated year of the worm, with sweet and sticky chicken noodles.

Darren鈥檚 Cooking Club looks amazing! Gimme gimme gimme!!!

Early Years 鈥� The Ducklings!

There are 6 children in this class that only opened in September! Anyway, it was lovely to see them all again. Let鈥檚 hear from Kerry about what they鈥檝e been up to! And then see some of her pictures!

In Early Years this week we have Celebrated Chinese New Year. We have had lots of fun. Our tuff tray became a Chinese restaurant serving rice, noodles and prawn crackers. We painted boxes red to make a big dragon

In our phonics session we played a listening game, we had to guess the animal from the sound they made. All the animals we heard were part of the Chinese story. We have counted gold coins and filled up the good luck envelopes. In attention group we watched as the confetti fell to the ground and got a fright when the snake popped from the tube

We made our own red dough and made Chinese cakes with coins in them

Another busy week in Early Years with The Ducklings!

Therapy Star of the Week 鈥� love therapy Star of the Week, especially when it鈥檚 the Tuesday Therapy Group, with a particular shoutout to Benjamin!

Clara and Jaimee run a group, so let鈥檚 hear what they鈥檝e been up to!

My Therapy Star of the Week this week is mine and Jaimee鈥檚 wonderful Tuesday therapy group, with particular shoutout to Benjamin.听The group have been working hard to create a newsletter containing artwork, sports news, movie and holiday reviews as well as a jokes page and a music page.听

This week Benjamin worked hard to create the music page, asking what everyone鈥檚 favourite album or song was.听Benjamin asked everyone in the group, including unfamiliar peers and staff, collating a document of album pictures.听See below a snippet of our newsletter, The Percy Post, featuring the music page!

Wow, this is terrific stuff! Well done the Tuesday Group and Benjamin!

UNICEF Award update with Rebecca

We got the Bronze level of this, and Rebecca and others are working on the next level. We particularly like it because it puts the voice of the child at its centre. Let鈥檚 hear what鈥檚 been happening

This week we are thinking about Article 3 on our journey through the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award:

Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states that

a child’s best interest should be the primary consideration in all actions that affect this

For adults working with children means that:

1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
2. States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and, to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures.
3. States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.

As always if you would like any more information on the Rights Respecting School award please visit听

Pasta of the Week with Lori!

This sounds awesome! Let鈥檚 hear what Lori has been up to! Ooh, and there are pictures too!

In my therapy group for this term, Sadie, Ayaan, Patrick and Ellie have been doing a pasta crafts project! Last week we looked at the different types of pasta and we dyed them with paint and food colouring. They did very well at weighing the pasta accurately and spreading the colour evenly across all the different types of pasta! This week, we created some pictures using the coloured pasta and glue 鈥� they look amazing, well done everyone!

Sports News of the Week with Nathan!

OK, what have those PE guys been up to? Let鈥檚 get the latest from Nathan!

Table cricket has been an activity that has been added to few lunch clubs and slowly becoming one of the top favourite sport for our students and this week we also took upper and post 16 members to an table cricket event and all took part and worked as a team, Here’s a Picture of Jack Warwick and Nikhit Kankipati.

础濒蝉辞鈥�

One of the standout student in Lower School PE is Toby Horner who achieved one of the PE award certificates of the week.

Brilliant stuff 鈥� Physical Development of all kinds is so important!

And Finally鈥�

Our wonderful catering team put on one of their special days this week 鈥� Chinese New Year! Here鈥檚 the menu and some pictures! Total Yum! I had the quorn in black bean sauce!!!

鈥�..from John & the Team here at PHS

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Our Key Drivers

Communication, Wellbeing, Independence