Home Learning

Information, Advice and Fun Activities

Please view the categories below for some useful documents, web links, videos and activities to keep you informed and entertained whilst at home.

Click here to view details of how we provide Remote Education during school closures.

Online Safety

Useful Guides and Resources for parents

Our Online Safety page includes links and information which highlight a wide variety of tips and guidance to keep you and your family safe online.

Click here to view the resources.

ThinkYouKnow - Advice and Activities

ThinkuKnow Logo
The ThinkYouKnow website offers advice and support on all aspects of onine safety.
The link below is for their online safety videos with 'Jessie and Friends', aimed at younger children, but these may be suitable for some of our older students as well.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/jessie-and-friends-videos/

There are also some weekly activity packs on the website, suitable for all children and young people:
ages 4-5 - click HERE
ages 5-7 - click HERE
ages 8-10 - click HERE
ages 11-13 - click HERE
ages 14+ - click HERE

Internertmatters.org

Internet Matters.org

From age-specific online safety checklists to guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, you’ll find a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world.

https://www.internetmatters.org/

Kooth

Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people

https://www.kooth.com/

Parent Zone

Parent Zone's mission is to improve outcomes for children in a digital world, so:

Children will be safer online.
Children will be resilient enough to cope with the challenges of the online world.
Children will be educated for a digital future.

https://parentzone.org.uk/

Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone and NCA-CEOP, providing support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations.

https://parentinfo.org/

Online Safety Webinar

National Online Safety

The National Online Safety service are offering a free webinar that is suitable for parents and carers as well as teachers and safeguarding staff.
For more information please click the link below:

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/webinars/remote-safeguarding

Online Learning and Activities

'Teach Me Too' (Feb 2021)

Teach Me Too

Teach Me Too is an online library of 40 short educational videos and accompanying learning resources, all designed around the specific learning profile of children with Down’s syndrome.

You can find out more here and register your free account here.

'Busy Things' and 'HelpKidzLearn'

Busy Things HelpKidzLearn

At Portesbery, we subscribe to Busy Things and HelpKidzLearn, two online learning websites.

Busy Things has hundreds of activities ranging from Literacy, Numeracy, Art and PSHE, all delivered with bright visuals and humour.

HelpKidzLearn has a range of touchscreen and switch-based activities, suited to SLD and PMLD students.

If you have not received your login details for these websites please email:
neil.thomas@portesbery.surrey.sch.uk

There are also a selection of other engaging websites in the 'Children' section of our website:
https://www.portesbery.surrey.sch.uk/Children/ChildrenLinks/

Julia Donaldson and Friends

For all those Gruffalo and Julia Donaldson lovers out there!

EXCITING NEWS! Julia Donaldson (and friends) are showing a live broadcast every Thursday at 4pm on Facebook, where they will be reading her stories and more!

More details on her official facebook page here, or by searching @officialgruffalo on facebook.

Symbolled PDF to help explain Coronavirus

Coronavirus symbol

This PDF uses symbols to help children understand Coronavirus and its effects.
Click here to view/download it.

The Super Sensory Play and Cook Book!

Sensory

This PDF sensory book has loads of 'recipes' (some edible, some not!) for you to make at home with your children. Our teachers really recommend a lot of them, although some of the ingredients are not necessarily something you will have to hand!

Click here to download the book.

10 Free Learning Websites

Click on the photo above to enlarge it!

The Sensory Projects

The Sensory Project

A huge variety of resources, activities and stories for our sensory learners.

http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/covid19-resources

YouTube

At Portesbery, some of the videos that are often viewed during choice time are ‘Singing Hands’ (Makaton), ‘Barefoot Books’, ‘Something Special’, ‘Cbeebies’, ‘GoNoodle’ and ‘Dough Disco’.

They are well worth a look if you haven't seen them before.

If you are using an iPad or Android device, we would highly recommend downloading the ‘YouTube Kids’ and ‘BBC iPlayer Kids’ Apps as these offer added security and restrict innappropriate content.

'Flamingo Chicks' - Dance School

Flamingo Chicks is an inclusive community giving disabled children and those with other illnesses the opportunity to enjoy ballet and explore movement alongside their friends.

They have free, accessible dance classes to keep disabled children moving during lockdown!
Linked to the national curriculum for added learning.

https://flamingochicks.org/

See the link below to watch their first 'Space' themed dance activity.

First up, SPACE THEME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxhu2oh--8c

Makaton signed and with adaptations throughout, classes include ways parents/carers/teachers can support children with limited mobility and translate different movements.

Parity for Disability

Parity

Parity for Disabilty, based in Farnborough, is a local charity with a wide impact.

When people with multiple disabilities finish school, services decline and families are left to cope alone. Parity’s skilled support is a lifeline.

They have added lots of content to the 'At Home' section of their website, including links to activities, creative arts, sensory stories, dance and exercise.

https://parityfordisability.org.uk/at-home/

BBC Bitesize - Daily Lessons

BBC Bitesize have launched daily lessons for homeschooling in Maths and English for every year group, as well as regular lessons in Science, History, Geography and more.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Oak National Academy online resources hub

The Oak National Academy has launched its online classroom and resource hub. The Academy offers 180 video lessons each week for schools to use, across a broad range of subjects. The lessons cover children in Reception through to Year 10 and are free to use by both teachers and young people.

Update: 4th May. They have now added lessons aimed at SEN pupils:
https://www.thenational.academy/online-classroom/specialist/#subjects

Choir sessions with Caroline Pearce

Our school choir leader Caroline has added some online singing and music sessions to the Surrey Arts YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx69ZUoQXb8Ri3kIJAKLAsg

Some of our students will be familiar with the songs and dances so may really enjoy watching the videos.

Session 1 (introduction):

Session 2:

Session 3:

Session 4:

Other Resources

Spring and Easter Expressive Arts (Feb 2021)

arts

We have collated some ideas for Spring and Easter themed expressive arts to try at home.
Click here to view the list.

How we provide Remote Education (Jan 2021)

Please click here to view details of how we provide Remote Education during school closures.

Health & Wellbeing tips (Jan 2021)

Sam has put together a health and wellbeing leaflet for parents and carers to offer some helpful ideas during lockdown. We hope you find it useful!

Please click here to view it.

Speech, Language and Communication (Jan 2021)

Communication

Our speech and language therapy team have put together a calendar of short daily activities for the next month. They would love to see how you get on – please send any pictures/videos to salt@portesbery.surrey.sch.uk

Please click here to download the Activity Calendar.

'Tiny Happy People' (Jan 2021)

The BBC have launched a new website called 'Tiny Happy People' to help develop a child's communication skills. There are simple activities and play ideas as well as information about early development.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people

Free Access to Widgit Symbols

Widgit Online

You will no doubt be aware of our symbol-based strategy for communication, schedules and prompting that we adopt at Portesbery.

For this we use Widgit software, and they are currently offering 30 days of free access to Widgit Online so that you can create your own resources from home.

Setting up your individual account takes 2 minutes.
Simply go to www.widgitonline.com/offer and fill in the form using the code WIDGIT30

You can click here to download a PDF with more information.

Makaton Resources

Makaton

Makaton have lots of FREE printable resources, games and stories along with lots of other things on their website.

Click here to access them.

Free Occupational Therapy Resources

Occupational Therapy

Our Occupational Therapy Team have shared some links to free online resources and documents. Click on the links below to access them:

PECS Home Support

PECS

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is widely used at Portesbery.

If your child is a PECS user, there are some useful activities and resources for you to use at home. The links below are from the PECS website:

Wheelchair and Limited Mobility Exercises

Click here to download a PDF with some useful exercise ideas for children in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.

Screen-free Learning Ideas

Learning Ideas

iPads, consoles and computers offer some great opportunities for learning, but sometimes you can't beat some paper and crayons, puzzles or home baking!

Click here for some ideas and activities that don't involve staring at a screen.