Embedded Files
Central Idea: People express themselves in many different ways.
Line of Inquiry 1 (Form): The ways we share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
Line of Inquiry 2 (Connection): Communicating our thoughts, needs, and choices to others.
Line of Inquiry 3 (Responsibility): How we look after and show respect for others.
Welcome back to a brand-new term! We have hit the ground running with an action-packed start to our learning journey. Here is a look at what we have been exploring together so far:
Storytelling & Expressive Arts Our learning kicked off with the wonderful story The Lion’s Roar and the Mouse’s Rustle. Inspired by the characters, the children created their own lion and mouse masterpieces. They experimented with a variety of textures and unconventional tools—using everything from crinkled tinfoil to cotton buds and soft cotton wool—to bring their artwork to life with different effects and tactile layers.
Practical Culinary Skills We rolled up our sleeves and stepped into the kitchen! The class carefully followed a step-by-step recipe to measure, mix, and bake delicious homemade scones. The absolute best part, of course, was sitting down together to enjoy their warm creations for snack time.
Local History & Sensory Exploration We have also begun a fascinating local history topic exploring the arrival of the Sikh community at Gravesend. To help bring this history to life, the children took part in an immersive, multi-sensory workshop:
The River Thames at Gravesend: Using a dedicated water setup representing the historic Gravesend docks, the learners splashed in the water to feel its coldness, navigating small boats along their own mini "Thames."
Tactile Clay Work: Exploring the concept of finding a new home, the children worked with soft clay to press in historical textures like coiled rope, wood grain, and heavy anchors.
Immersive Soundscapes: All the while, ambient sounds of a bustling dockside and gently moving water played in the background, helping the children connect tactile play directly to the story of historic journeys and new beginnings.
We are so proud of how enthusiastically the children have thrown themselves into their learning, and we cannot wait to see where this term takes us next!
This Week in Learning
In Week 2 of our sensory inquiry curriculum, our learners deepened their cross-curricular exploration through tactile problem-solving, creative art, and functional communication. Across engaging lessons, students navigated new textures, patterns, and collaborative experiences:
English & Maths (The Lion’s Net & The Mouse’s Chew): Learners tackled problem-solving and cardinality by untangling plastic numbers and "trapped" lions from 'rope' nets. They practiced counting objects and identifying grid shapes.
DT & Maths (The Scone Shape & Measure): Kneading and rolling scone dough provided a tactile backdrop for measuring and comparing geometric shapes. Students practiced functional communication by requesting specific cookie cutters from peers.
Citizenship & Art (Spotting the "Fake" Texture): Exploring the concept of trustworthy media, learners differentiated between real natural items and synthetic materials in feely-bags.
History & Art (The Golden Dome of the Gurdwara): Students explored community identity and architecture by molding clay domes and decorating them with reflective tin foil and various other materials, all while enjoying ambient sounds of Gurdwara bells and chimes.
RE & PSPD (The Rules of the Classroom Mirror): Focusing on personal boundaries and responsibility, learners used foil mirrors and sensory foam to practice physical boundaries, turn-taking, and respectful interactions with peers.
Sensory Explorations & Space Saving in Week 3!
Week 3 was packed with hands-on discovery and creative learning:
Gurdwara & Langar Learning: We built model Gurdwaras and explored the traditions of Langar through sensory play—smelling herbs and spices, then using total communication to share our likes and dislikes.
Spice Painting: Mixing our featured spices with water, we painted detailed Gurdwara pictures and colourful Rangoli designs.
Exploring Boundaries: Using shaving foam to mark personal working zones, we challenged ourselves to build tall towers while respecting each other’s personal space.
We can't wait for Week 4!
This week, Atlas Class have been busy diving into Week 4 of our sensory inquiry curriculum! Through five immersive, hands-on lessons, our learners have been exploring communication, community history, and digital safety—focusing on the contrast between calm and chaos, patterns, and how our actions impact others.
Here is a glimpse into what Atlas Class have been up to this week:
The Mouse’s Reward (English & Maths): Exploring capacity and abundance inspired by Aesop’s Fable, learners dug through golden-dyed rice and shiny chickpeas. They experimented with scoops and jars, feeling the weight change from light to heavy, counting aloud, and sharing their discoveries with peers.
The Great British Recipe Book (DT & Art): Linking back to their baking adventures, pupils created a tactile recipe page using puffy paint, paint rollers, and textured grids. They selected scented stickers like strawberry jam and butter to communicate their favorite smells and assemble a shared class book.
The Digital Footprint Mud-Pit (Citizenship & PSPD): To understand how our online actions leave a permanent trace, learners pressed handprints into trays of thick "digital mud." They observed how their mark remained and practiced being responsible, supportive friends by helping each other wash clean in warm water basins.
The Turban and the Fabric Trade (Local History & Art): Learners explored Gravesend’s heritage as a historic port town by handling vibrant bolts of traditional Sikh fabrics. Smooth silks and soft cottons were unrolled across the room to gentle background music, allowing pupils to explore linear patterns while practicing respectful care for cultural items.
The "Living Word" Sound Wall (RE & Music): Exploring how sacred texts can feel active and alive, pupils interacted with a multi-textured sound wall. They matched peaceful concepts like love and kindness to sweet metal chimes and soft velvet, while using firm wooden blocks for boundary words, expressing how different sounds make them feel safe.
Week 5 Class Update: Sensory Inquiry in Action
Moving into Week 5, our learners focused on collaborative sensory art, spatial measurement, and community spaces. Here is what we got up to:
🎨 Jungle Blending: Created textured, blended artwork.
🧁 Edible Art: Designed patterned biscuits to express identity and culture.
👓 Media Filters: Used coloured lenses to uncover hidden messages and learn about media truth.
📐 Sensory Maths: Built wall perimeters and measured room lengths of the Gravesend Gurdwara layout with giant steps and wooden blocks.
🧘 Harmony Circle: Practiced respect and teamwork and care through parachute games.
We made our own maze with chalks on the playground, counting our way from the mouse to the lion! We found the lion at the end of the maze and rescued him!
Page updated
Report abuse