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The Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is Scotland’s education framework for ALL learners; its main aim is to enable children and young people to develop the four capacities; successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. In Orchard Brae School each learner is enabled to become as independent as possible, developing skills for life, learning, leisure and where appropriate work. Our curriculum offer is personalised to each pupil throughout their learning journey, as we maintain a focus on positive future destinations.
Our learners in P1 – S3 work within Broad General Education (BGE) at a level and pace that is suited to their individualised needs. Personalised targets focus core skill development within Literacy and Communication, Numeracy and Health and Well Being. The ethos and life of the school community is structured to enable pupils to learn and practise life skills as part of their daily routines. Through interdisciplinary approaches and specialist courses, we offer real life learning contexts, deepening and practicing knowledge and skills within Expressive Arts, RME, Science, PE, Technologies and Social Studies. Interdisciplinary learning, through ‘Our world’ contexts over a 5 year cycle, facilitates pupils’ exploration, experience and learning which is practiced within community contexts, ensuring confidence and success is generalised and secure. Family learning is a vital part of our pupils’ success and, along with our termly learning challenges, we offer a range of workshops, activity nights and holiday schemes for families. Achievement and success is recognised and celebrated.
Since returning to school after the summer holidays, we have been lucky enough to be able to enjoy the extended period of warm weather as we have reflected on our Summer holidays and some of the different activities we may have done. In particular we have thought about going to the seaside and have enjoyed exploring different themes alongside the Julia Donaldson story “What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside”. We have engaged in a variety of sensory activities, including exploring sand (some ground up cereal), enjoyed feeling slimy seaweed (leaves collected from the playground and fresh runner beans) and of course enjoyed some water play whilst thinking about the different creatures that live in the sea. We have demonstrated our attention and listening skills, as well as communication (we especially liked when the whale splashed its grey tail!)
Introduction: This week in Room 6, our vibrant classroom dedicated to our incredible pupils, we embarked on an exciting journey to understand the magic behind rain clouds. Through the ‘Rain Cloud in a Jar’ experiment, our pupils experienced first hand the beauty of cloud formation and precipitation, making abstract concepts tangible and interactive.
Setting the Scene: The tables were adorned with clear jars, each waiting to hold its miniature sky. Pupils gathered around with twinkling eyes, eager to dive into the day’s experiment.
Materials We Used:
Clear jars for every pupil
Shaving cream
Blue food colouring
Water
Pipettes
Our Step-by-Step Adventure:
Creating the Sky: Each jar was filled about three-quarters with water. This acted as our atmosphere, a canvas for our clouds and rain.
Cloud Formation: Pupils added with some support, a dollop of shaving cream atop the water, giggling as the fluffy “cloud” floated.
Rainfall Begins: A few drops of blue food colouring were mixed with water, and pupils, using their pipettes, gently added this mix onto their shaving cream clouds.
Magic Unfolds: The room was filled with gasps and smiles as the blue “rain” seeped through the clouds and cascaded down into the jars, beautifully mimicking a rainy day.
Behind the Magic: We learned together that clouds in our skies hold water. When they can’t hold anymore, they release it as rain. In our experiment, the shaving cream represented these clouds, and the blue water was our rain. When the clouds (shaving cream) became too heavy, they let the rain (blue water) fall.
Moments of Joy:
Touch and Feel: Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed the tactile experience, from the shaving cream’s softness to the water’s coolness.
Visual Delight: Watching the transformation from a plain jar of water to a weather phenomenon was a treat for all eyes.
Learning Together: This simple experiment provided an avenue for understanding complex concepts, proving that learning has no boundaries.
Reflecting on Room 6’s Experience: Our ‘Rain Cloud in a Jar’ experiment was more than just an activity; it was a testament to our pupils’ boundless curiosity and capabilities in Room 6. While we dabbled with water, shaving cream, and food colouring, we uncovered lessons about patience, observation, and the wonders of nature. Here’s to many more weeks of discovery, learning, and joy!
Our new pupils are settling in to their new classroom down at Ashgrove and really enjoying getting their hands on to the different tools and toys. They have been using shape cutters during Cooking lessons, paint brushes for Art and rolling pins for play dough during Sensory play. They have been using their hands to control the flow of water from the hose, manipulate the toys with moveable parts and create with bricks.
Last week many pupils in the Primary department enjoyed participating in the annual KidsOut Fun Day which is organised by the Rotary Club.
The event, held at the Gordon Barracks, saw 450 children from across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire come together to take part in lots of fun activities including bouncy castles, emergency service vehicles, magicians, horses, owls and other small animals including The Critter Keeper!
The pupils of Room 8 showed their dedication to the environment by actively participating in the celebration of National Environmental Day. They took part in a unique activity held in nature, focusing on collecting plastic waste littered around their surroundings. With bags in hand, the pupils scoured the area, picking up every piece of plastic they could find.
Their efforts were rewarded with a delightful treat—a well-deserved 20 minutes of playtime in the nearby park. After their diligent cleanup, the pupils happily embraced the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, playing games, running around, and simply reveling in the beauty of nature.
By engaging in this littering activity, the pupils contributed to a cleaner environment and learned about the importance of responsible waste disposal. They gained firsthand experience in understanding the impact of plastic pollution on our planet and how small actions can make a significant difference.
The Room 8 pupils demonstrated their commitment to creating a better world and setting an inspiring example for others. Their active participation and enthusiasm made National Environmental Day a memorable and impactful event.
Our topic this term is “Houses, Homes and Buildings”, which we’re exploring through the story “In Every House, On Every Street”.
We started the term with a big focus on understanding the concepts of “house” and “home”, including playing communication games with our photos on the symbol for home and making cereal box houses. Our numeracy focus for this term is building with blocks, and the engagement with communication resources for this topic as well as the understanding of directional language has been brilliant. Our favourite prompt is definitely “knock it down!”
We’ve explored what we do in the kitchen, with communication games exploring who is in the kitchen (“me!”), moving to songs about baking, food art and craft and some fabulously messy sensory play! Bucket time that week whisked up a bowl of bubbles, had a cake splat and a flying balloon of flour!
We’ve also used this theme as a chance to understand our daily routines. We’re learning about what we need to have to go home, such as our bags and coats, and building independence with accessing them.
What makes a house a home? The relationships! We’ve built our confidence talking about the people around us and our comfort sharing preferred activities and taking turns, and have been developing our shared attention skills with our Attention Autism sessions.
We’re only just getting started! Look out for bathroom week, we’ll be making a splash!
Here are some pictures of the work we have been doing on the topic of Houses and Homes.
We have made both 2d and 3d constructions. We recycled materials to make a colourful village.
We used Google Maps to find our own houses and then made a map of our own.
We used large cardboard boxes to explore den-making and imaginary house building.
We have been out and about, visiting Doonies Farm to see how animal homes are different from ours.
We have also been looking at nests and bird houses. Then we used crackers, suet and bird seed to make some small edible bird houses for our school garden.
Room 4 recently had a trip out to Hazlehead Park! We were very lucky with the weather and all of the children had a fantastic time. We are very proud of how they managed the trip. I will let the photos do the talking!
This term we are looking at houses, homes and buildings as a topic. With this in mind we have begun with the story of “The 3 Little Pigs”
We have read the story and explored props to match the story. We have also made our own versions of the pigs. Next we will work on making a house for our pigs to stay in.
The built environment is an integral part of our lives. Buildings and houses not only provide shelter, but they also have a significant impact on our physical and mental well-being. Recently, our group had the opportunity to visit some places around Aberdeen to observe the houses and buildings in the area.
One of the highlights of our visit was the David Welch Winter Gardens at Duthie Park, one of Europe’s most extensive indoor gardens and Scotland’s third most visited gardens. The garden spans over 11 acres and is home to a vast collection of plants worldwide. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, who enjoy the garden’s beauty and tranquility.
The David Welch Winter Gardens is a prime example of how buildings can enhance our lives. The glass walls and ceiling allow natural light to flood the space, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The plants and flowers provide a sense of serenity and calm, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and contemplation.
We also visited Footdee, an area in Aberdeen that was once known as ‘Fish Town.’ Footdee refers to the housing squares built in the mid-19th century to house local fishermen and their families. Over time, the name ‘Footdee’ was used to refer specifically to the housing squares, and the name ‘Fish Town’ was forgotten.
The houses in Footdee are unique and charming, with small gardens and colourful doors and windows. The area has a distinctly village-like feel, with narrow streets and alleyways adding charm. The houses are built close together, creating community and neighborliness.
The visit to Footdee reminded us of the importance of community in building design. The layout of the houses and streets creates a sense of togetherness and belonging, which is crucial for a healthy and happy community. The small gardens and bright colours of the houses also add to the importance of pride and ownership that residents have for their homes.
In conclusion, our visit to different areas of Aberdeen highlighted the importance of buildings, homes, and houses. From the David Welch Winter Gardens to Footdee, we observed how well-designed buildings could enhance our well-being and foster community. As we continue to build and design our environments, it is essential to keep in mind the impact that buildings can have on our physical and mental health and the importance of creating spaces that foster a sense of community and belonging.
