Our Early Years department is quite unique in that we offer purposeful inclusion opportunities on a daily basis for our children and children from within the local community through our "Seedlings sessions".
"Pear Tree Seedlings" runs every day: Monday 1.00pm-2.45pm, Tuesday - Friday 9.15am-11.15am.
5-6 mainstream nursery aged children attend sessions within the Early Years class. A different group of children attend each day. The sessions are all carefully planned for using the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum with links made to the P-Levels so that all children, regardless of their ability can play and learn together and achieve their true potential.
The benefits of our Seedlings sessions are endless. These sessions have had such a positive effect upon the class and without a doubt, ALL children's learning has been enhanced. For Pear Tree pupils, they are given the opportunity to be part of a learning environment they would not have otherwise experienced. They are being immersed in a child-led environment, rich in child language, full of positive role models and they are learning and playing with their peers, not just adults. For the Seedlings, they have the opportunity to play with children who have learning difficulties. They are able to ask questions about other children and they soon learn how to help their friends communicate and access activities and how they can play with them. They are beginning to understand, through observing and asking questions, why some of their friends are not able to do some of the things they can. Undoubtedly this creates positive experiences and attitudes for the future.
We were recently awarded a Learning Excellence Award for Innovation for our inclusive practice.