Primary 1

Primary 1

Head of Department:  Sharon Ross


Located at Waverley main site, Primary 1 has 3 classes; Poppy, Bluebell, and Daisy.

 

What do we offer?

  • Our school provides full-time education for children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
  • Our dedicated staff are fully committed to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring a safe and nurturing learning environment.
  • High levels of staffing ensure student safety and wellbeing.
  • Our team’s expertise enables us to tailor learning experiences that build on each child's individual skills, supporting their ongoing educational development. 

Curriculum Approach

We follow the Waverley curriculum which is a topic-based framework divided into different areas of learning across three levels, carefully adapted to meet the unique needs of our pupils.

 

Facilities and Learning Environment

Our facilities include a kitchen for small-group cooking activities, a shared darkroom for visual and sensory work, and two outdoor play areas that support both learning and recreation. We value a holistic approach to development and incorporate physical activities, literacy strategies, and personal skills development to foster independence. Our classrooms are vibrant and stimulating, equipped with a wide range of multi-sensory resources that encourage exploration and fun while we learn.

 

Communication and Personal Development
We prioritise developing early communication skills using a variety of differentiated Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies, such as PODD, PECS, Eye Gaze systems, and Makaton. Our environment is literacy rich and our multi-sensory teaching approach is tailored to meet individual needs, fostering engagement and learning through exploration.


Class Highlights

Poppy Class adopts a multi-sensory approach, encouraging pupils to explore and learn about the world through their senses. The classroom features dedicated areas for physical development, sensory exploration, reading, creative and messy play, ICT, and cause-and-effect activities in the darkroom. We integrate physical activity throughout the day and focus on enhancing communication and interaction skills, including responding to stimuli, understanding social behaviors, and expressing preferences like yes and no. We employ a range of strategies such as consistent routines, Intensive Interaction, co-active working, object cues, and early AAC methods. Poppy Class support the pupils to develop thier receptive and expressive language and us a range of AAC strategies, including the use of eye gaze technology. 

Bluebell Class is characterised by energy and enthusiam. We deliver learning through engaging topics, combining whole-class activities with small group sessions to cater to individual learning styles and needs. We have lots of fun and our approach emphasises learning a range of subjects with a strong focus on developing communication skills through strategies like Makaton and PODD.  We incorporate physical skills throughout the day to develop coordination, strength, balance and fine motor skills. We place a strong emphasis on fostering healthy social interactions and teach the importance of respectful communication, sharing, cooperation and empathy, guiding the students to build positive relationships with bith staff and peers. We prioritise the develoment of self regulation skills, helping the children learn to manage their emotions and impulses in appropriate ways and control their responses which is essential for their overall social and emotional wellbeing.

Daisy class thrives on engaging, attention-building activities designed to enhance concentration, focus, communication, and turn-taking skills, aligned with our termly topics. Our structured environment supports development through adult modeling and active participation. Communication is a priority; we embed AAC methods such as Makaton, PODD, and PECS into our day and use every opportunity to develop the children's communication and language skills. The children in Daisy Class often learn best through visual cues, consistent routines, and tailored, hands-on activities. Repetition, positive reinforcement and a supportive, engaging environment are key to learning new skills for the pupils in this class.