Creative and Physical Development

Outdoor School (Forest)  

We have outdoor school/forest sessions as a regular activity in every class timetable.  The Outdoor School sessions promote independence, self-esteem, self-confidence, resilience; fostering sensory awareness; physical well-being; enabling communication, especially peer-to-peer communication; promote team building and co-operative learning; thinking and problem solving; not to mention, having fun!

Rebound Therapy

We are proud to announce that at Oakwood we are able to offer ‘Rebound Therapy’ sessions at both Oakwood Main Site and the Satellite. We have a dedicated team of staff who have successfully completed a two day ‘Rebound Therapy Tutor Training’ course and are able to this form of therapy to our very special children. We also have our very own state of the art trampolines and safety spotting decks for each site.

For more information, please see our Therapies page. 

Physiotherapy

Paediatric Physiotherapists are based at Oakwood two days a week and work closely with teaching team and with other professionals in school to provide individual support with ensure that our special children / young people’s physical abilities are maximized.  Our physiotherapists support and advice is incorporated within their daily routines of their lives.

For more information, please see our Therapies page. 

MOVE

M = Movement  

O = Opportunity  

VE = Via Education  

Movement is the foundation for learning because movement can stimulate brain function, improve processing and strengthen memory. Importantly movement can also support mental wellbeing as it can improve mood and motivation. Our young people are at the heart of Oakwood school and through a personalised approached we create opportunities for every young person so they are supported to develop emotionally, physically and holistically. Using the MOVE programme provides us with the framework to support children and young people with complex disabilities to gain functional movement to the best of their ability. The MOVE programme supports the skills development of sitting, standing, walking and transitioning. The MOVE programme is an integrated, multi-agency approach for children and adults with physical disabilities or complex needs. MOVE provides a framework for collaborative working e.g. physiotherapy, family. The MOVE approach enables the development of physical, cognitive and communication skills, leading to improved independent and social inclusion and importantly quality of life. 

Aims of MOVE 

• To enable pupils to practise their sitting, standing, walking and transitioning skills throughout the school day. 

• To enable parent(s)/carer(s) to deliver the MOVE programme at home and increase pupils’ engagement in family life. 

• To use a multi-agency approach to produce best outcomes; 

• To improve the overall health, comfort and general wellbeing of our MOVE pupils; 

• To reduce the amount of time spent on routine personal care and equipment transfers; 

• To reduce barriers to learning. 

Tom's MOVE Journey

Eduard's MOVE Journey

Oliver's MOVE Journey

Stormbreak

Stormbreak is a scheme that aims to improve pupil’s mental health through movement, equipping them with sustainable, transferable skills and coping strategies to thrive during the complex demands of growth into adult life. At Oakwood we incorporate the video resources at key time during the school day to support pupils with regulating their emotions and to promote positive mindsets.

The benefits of Stormbreak for our pupils are:

• Build resilience, overcome adversity, and learn to face stress and pressure.

• Develop effective self-care, depression, anxiety and anger management skills

• Develop optimism, focus, persistence and perseverance.

• Improve confidence, self-esteem, self-image and self-worth.

Please see website for further information regarding Stormbreak: https://www.stormbreak.org.uk/

Personal Bests

‘My Personal Best’ is an approach Oakwood has adapted to enable all our pupils to flourish and be the best they can be across all areas of their physical development, individual to their own specific needs. We aim to focus on an achievable target based on their own physical capacities that help build their resilience, self-esteem, well-being and health.

Playgrounds 

At Oakwood we pride ourselves on our outstanding outdoor learning areas across both school sites. Introducing new playground equipment has greatly improve the opportunities for our children to grow physically healthier and learn and develop key motor skills. Further key benefits include:

• Spatial awareness

• Increases self-confidence and self esteem

• Improve cognitive development

• Reduces the risk of childhood obesity

• Helps promote problem solving skills

• Helps children / young people to become physically active

• Helps children / young people to understand their physical freedom safely

• Enhances multiple senses

• Improves each child’s individual social skills and physical health

Our playgrounds including: Adventure Climbing Shipwreck, Track Playground with role play gazebo, Year 7 outdoor learning area, PMLD sensory playground, adventure trial playground and may more.

PE

At Oakwood we provide our pupils with the opportunity to engage and thrive in a wide range of high quality Physical Education. We aim to build a passion of lifelong enjoyment and participation in physical activity.

We aim to:

• Provide quality physical activity opportunities for all children, catering for interests and individual needs and abilities.

• To build skills, knowledge and confidence in all aspects of PE

• To encourage children to live a healthy, active lives whilst improving health and wellbeing.

• Provide children with the opportunity to engage in competitive sport.

We deliver our Physical Education activities / sessions via the support of Equal Scheme of Work which ensures coverage of all key areas of physical area including gymnastics, dance, athletics, net and wall games, invasion games and striking and fielding. Areas focused on throughout the school year ensure the fundamental movement’s skills are covered.

Focus on Fundamental Movement Skills:   

When delivering all areas of physical education we also incorporate and follow the three pillars of progression. 

Three Pillars of Progression:   

Creativity Development: To enable children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials and provide opportunities and encouragement to share their own thoughts. To enable pupils to explore colour, texture, shape, pattern, form and space in 2 and 3 dimensions. To listen to and participate actively in a range of musical experiences, to develop their imagination and to plan and generate designs. To use music, movement dance and creativity to express their own ideas, thoughts and feelings.  

Art / Creativity

Children at Oakwood will safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children will use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, reinforcing the uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories.

Teachers ensure high quality, stimulating, creative and inspirational learning opportunities are available daily to interest and motivate pupil’s involvement across all areas of the creativity. Each half term a new skills will be forced upon which allow pupils to consolidate and develop the sequential knowledge and skills individual to their personal learning capabilities.

Half term focuses including:

• Drawing and texture

• Printing

• Painting

• Sculpture

• Digital Media

• Collage

Music              

Music is a huge part of school life at Oakwood, each class has a specialist music session with Bev Cullen, our specialist music teacher. Class music sessions are planned to meet the needs of the pupils and selected songs, music and activities are linked into individual class projects to support our curriculum hooks.

Music sessions also incorporate key progressions skills focus within the areas of: tempo, timbre, dynamics, structure, pulse / beat and metre, rhythm and pitch.

The benefits of music include:

• increased participation and engagement

• improved communication and social skills

• enhanced awareness of self and others

• release of frustration in positive ways

• personal satisfaction and a sense of achievement

• decreased tension, anxiety and challenging behaviour

• enjoyment and improved quality of life

She is also a Makaton Tutor who specialises in using Makaton with Singing.

Sessions combine singing, Makaton and the use of instruments to develop pupils’ skills in the following:

• communication

• turn taking

• social interaction

• awareness of others

• vocalisation

• self-confidence

• creativity

• spatial awareness

• co-ordination

• physical development

Every Friday lunchtime our Makaton Signing Choir come together to share their signing and signing talents. This is designed to develop our most able students in vocal, signing and communication skills (some pupils use a VOCA). Pupils have performed at singing festivals and The Big Sing at Forest Arts Centre and at the Walsall SEND Conference.

For more information, please see our Therapies page.