Category Archives: Lomond

A Musical Journey Across Our Classes 

đŸŽ¶ A Musical Journey Across Our Classes 

It’s been a busy and creative time in our music sessions, with learners across the school exploring sound, rhythm and technology in exciting ways. 

đŸŒ©ïž Primary and Lammermuir Classes 

Our younger learners had great fun bringing songs to life. We sang Mr Macarella with enthusiasm and explored the sounds of weather through I Hear Thunder and Rain Rain Go Away. Using a range of instruments—including drums, thunder drums, rainsticks and accordion—students experimented with loud and quiet sounds, creating their own imaginative soundscapes. 

đŸŽ” Pentland Class 

Loopimal interface (c) Yayatoy

Pentland class combined music and technology to create pieces that were both energetic and calming. Using the Loopimal app on iPads, learners built lively beats by swiping shapes onto a timeline, creating music to move to. Afterwards, they used the Bloom app to compose gentle, peaceful soundscapes, perfect for relaxing and unwinding. 

The interface of the Bloom app. A tap creates an circle and corresponding sound that then gently repeats and fades like ripples in a pond. (c) Generative Music

đŸ„ Secondary Cross-Class Groups 

Our secondary learners explored music in a hands-on and playful way using boomwhackers. They investigated how sound is created by looking, listening and experimenting—tapping the tubes on their bodies and classroom surfaces to produce different tones. They also stepped into the world of digital music production, creating uptempo backing tracks in GarageBand, experimenting with genres from rock to house. 

🌟 Soundbeam Adventures 

Soundbeam switches, sensor and console (c) Soundbeam

A highlight this term has been the introduction of our new Soundbeam kit. After staff training, students had the chance to explore this innovative technology, which uses switches and infrared beams to create music. One of the most popular activities was the Jungle scenario, where students triggered animal sounds and video clips while using Soundbeams to play flute and percussion sounds. 

This exciting new resource has already been a big hit, and we’re looking forward to developing our skills and creativity with it even further next year. 

It’s been wonderful to see creativity, curiosity and collaboration shine through music across all classes! đŸŽ¶Â 

Therapy Continues to Inspire 

Around the school, our Music Therapists, Sophie and Ellie, continue their fantastic work with the children, providing engaging and meaningful sessions that encourage communication, self-expression, and wellbeing. Through music-based activities, children are given opportunities to explore sounds, develop social skills, and build confidence in a supportive and nurturing environment. 

Alongside this, Charan’s Dance Therapy sessions remain as popular as ever. The children thoroughly enjoy taking part in movement-based activities that promote creativity, coordination, and self-confidence while offering a fun and energetic way to express themselves. 

Our school choir has also continued to flourish, helping children grow in confidence when using their voices. By taking turns using the microphone, pupils are developing their speaking and singing confidence, while action songs and call-and-response activities encourage participation, listening skills, and teamwork. It has been wonderful to see the children engage with the opportunities to perform and take part. 

These therapeutic and creative opportunities continue to make a positive impact across the school, helping children develop confidence, communication skills, and a love of music and movement. 

Lomond 2025 – 2026

What a fantastic year it has been in Lomond! We are so proud of all our learners and everything they have achieved over the past months.

This year, we have focused on building independent skills, supporting everyone to take small but important steps in their daily routines. From personal care to classroom tasks, it has been wonderful to see growing confidence and increasing independence across the group.

Communication has been at the heart of everything we do. Learners have developed their ability to express themselves, make choices, and interact with others in ways that are meaningful to them. Whether through symbols, signs, gestures, or eye gaze, we have celebrated every success and milestone along the way.

Making choices has been another key focus, and it has been lovely to see learners becoming more confident in sharing their preferences—from choosing activities to deciding how they want to engage in their day.

Throughout the year, we have explored a range of exciting topics, giving learners rich and engaging experiences to help them understand the world around them. These topics have supported learning across the curriculum while making lessons fun, interactive, and meaningful.

We have also enjoyed a variety of wider achievement opportunities both in and around the school. From group activities to special events, these experiences have helped build confidence, social skills, and a sense of belonging within the wider school community.

It has truly been a year full of progress, joy, and achievement. We are so proud of all our learners!

 

MATP Challenge Event 🏅

On Monday afternoon we hosted our second Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) Challenge Event.

Once again, our athletes from Hopetoun, Lomond, Pentland and Glendevon were absolutely phenomenal! 🏅

They shone with confidence and energy, proudly showcasing the incredible skills they’ve been working so hard to develop in training. Their effort and determination were fantastic to see — we couldn’t be prouder! đŸ’Ș👏

We also loved reading the positive feedback about the skills your young athletes worked on – it’s fantastic to see their hard work and progress being recognised!🌟

Thought he done amazing.

It was good to see him trying to do something that requires coordination.

Great to see Matthew making such an effort to roll over and knock down the bottles!!

Really good to see Theas legs being worked and from bench.

It was such a busy afternoon, so a huge thank you to the parents and carers who shared photos — we loved seeing all the special moments captured! 📾

Finally, a special thank you and well done to one of our senior pupils who took on the important role of equipment assistant – your help made a real difference! 🙌

🌟 Well done to everyone involved – you were amazing! 🌟

Lomond Term 3

What a busy term in Lomond this term.

We have been loving every minute of it! We have been enjoying the experience of upcycling and how we can reuse recycled materials to make a new piece of clothing. We have got to enjoy some sewing, spray painting, gluing with a glue gun, using an iron and exploring lots of different recycled materials.

At the start of the year we all joined in the Burns Ceilidh enjoying being part of the whole school and showing our dancing skills.

We had fun in February baking for the Healthy Eating Cafe and making our Love Heart valentine card with melted crisp packets.

On World Book Day we went on a book hunt and made some chocolate puddle milkshakes the same as Peppa Pig. We all loved using the switch to make the mixer work.

This week we are helping out the school and community while participating in our spring clean week. Lots of fresh air while helping the environment!

We are now looking forward to our Trashion show tomorrow to bring an end to the term.

Have a lovely holiday and look forward to seeing you all over the summer term. x

Lomond Term 2

We have had a great Term here in Lomond experiencing and learning all about Night time. We immersed ourselves into the topic with lots of arts and crafts. We enjoyed making stars using different media, making spaceships with our painted footprints and salt dough stars.

We participated in World Children’s Day and listened to the story of the 3 pigs and experiencing all about different shelters.

On top of all that we continued to build on our independent skills enjoying the school resources and outdoor environment as well as experiencing horse riding and swimming out in the community.

We also made lots of Christmas crafts, Christmas baking and a calendar for the new year.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a  Good New Year.

Looking forward to new and exciting challenges in 2026!

 

MATP Challenge Event 🏅

This term we hosted our very first Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) Challenge Event.

Athletes in Hopetoun, Lomond, Pentland and Glendevon had the opportunity to showcase the skills they had been working on during training for their family and friends.

Every athlete did absolutely amazing and handled the spotlight so well! 👏 🌟

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came along to support our athletes and make the event such a success. I loved all the cheering, signs, posters and t-shirts ❀

We asked for some feedback and this is what our parents said…

 

Term 1 Primary PE

Our athletes in Hopetoun, Lomond, Pentland and Glendevon have been working hard, training towards our first ever MATP Challenge Event on Monday 1st December. They can’t wait to showcase their unique achievements to family and friends (more details will be shared closer to the time, but I am excited to see everyone supporting their athlete with posters, banners or maybe even personalised t-shirts!).

What is MATP?
The Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) is a unique programme specifically designed for athletes of all ages with Profound and Multiple, Physical and Intellectual Disabilities and/or Complex Support Needs.

It focuses on developing individual skills and abilities rather than direct competition, ensuring each athlete can achieve personal bests and celebrate their achievements.

It is made up of 4 core sport specific MATP skill areas:
‱ Mobility (gross motor skills)
‱ Dexterity (fine motor skills)
‱ Kicking (lower body skills)
‱ Striking (upper body skills)

 

MATP enables our athletes to increase physical activity, improve motor skills, build confidence, increase participation in sport activities and foster a positive self-image.

Hopetoun Athletes

Lomond Athletes

Pentland Athletes

Glendevon Athletes

 

Lomond Term 1

These dark nights and dark mornings are creeping up on us citing the end of Term 1.

It has been a term for trying different activities out and seeing where we can fit everything we want to do into our timetables. We are settling down now and have good plans in place moving forward into next term when we will continue to work on our targets as well as trying new experiences.

We have been enjoying the farm topic with lots of songs, art and messy play activities. Night time is our other topic which we have started and will continue onto December.

Horse riding was fantastic fun and all experiences either riding the horses or the sensory experience of looking after a horse – thank you to RDA for a wonderful experience.

Lomond is most definitely an outdoor class and we are loving using the wheelchair bike, drive deck, trikes and all the playground equipment for fun as well as developing independent skills using walkers,  playing with others and communicating needs and wants. Lets hope it is a good autumn to allow us continue.

Thank you for all the support throughout the term and look forward to seeing you all for parents night and our Christmas event.

Lomond 2024 – 2025

I cannot believe that the end of the school year is upon us again – it has passed in a flash but such good memories and achievements along the way!

I am so proud of the achievements the children have made and the support the team have provided to ensure they have had the best time exploring, trying new things, communicating, relaxing and generally having so much fun!

We have enjoyed getting out and about in the community – especially this term visiting all the different country parks but also our community walks, litter picks and bear hunts! The class have also enjoyed the use of bicycles, wheelchair bike and drive deck out in the playground and confidence has grown to try out different resources such as the swings, roundabout, bridges and climbing apparatus.  We have also made good use of all the indoor resources too with the favourite being the hydro and rebound.

Thank you and well done to class of 24/25. We look forward to next year and welcoming our new friends  as well as wishing those moving class the best of luck.

Lomond Term 3

Spring is Here, Spring is Here
..

Can you believe it – how time flies when you are having fun and that is what we have been doing in Lomond.

What a fantastic term we have had from looking after ourselves to looking after babies and lots of other life skills in-between!

We have enjoyed all the whole school events such as the ceilidh, mental health week and the up-cycling event as well as red nose day, science week, World Book Day and Spring Clean Week.

Our topic this term has been: ‘Looking after my body’ and we have been really enjoying the experiences. All of us had fun bathing the baby dolls – although we ended just as wet sometimes! We also had fun listening to and participating in body awareness songs – especially when we got the parachute out for the last song! We got to have some sensory experience with our sensology which got us all using different care products and smelling lovely scents to relax.

You will see from the photos that we have been loving our outdoor activities – going on the drive deck, bikes, swings, walking and meeting the ponies. We have also been enjoying visits to the yard, Bathgate swimming pool and Community walks. Some of us have also been making great progression on the Innowalk, Hydrotherapy and Rebound as well as our Independent work tasks.

Such a jammed packed but most enjoyable term. Now looking forward to our new topic and new challenges for our summer term.