Category Archives: Pentland

Pentland Summer Term!

🌟 A Wonderful Term in Pentland Class 🌟

What a joyful and memorable term we’ve had in Pentland! It has been filled with laughter, learning, and so many special moments that we are delighted to share with you.

The children have had great fun developing their skills on the trikes and wheelchair bike, showing determination and pride as they practiced steering, pedalling, and navigating around the playground. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow each week, with lots of smiles and cheers along the way!

Our swimming sessions have also been a fantastic success. The children have worked incredibly hard at building their confidence in the water, and it has been amazing to watch them become more relaxed and adventurous. From splashing and kicking to floating and moving independently, every small achievement has been celebrated—and the enjoyment on their faces says it all.

Friendship and social interaction have been at the heart of everything we’ve done this term. The children have loved spending time playing together, sharing experiences, and building relationships. Whether indoors or out, there has been so much joy in simply interacting and having fun with their friends.

We were lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful trips this term too! Our visit to the Lyra Theatre was a truly special experience, sparking curiosity and excitement. Another highlight was our sailing trip, where the children embraced the adventure and had an incredible time trying something new in a supportive environment.

Back in school, our Fischy Music sessions have been full of energy and happiness. The children have loved singing, playing instruments, and moving to the music. These sessions have been a brilliant way for everyone to express themselves while having lots of fun together.

With the sunny weather blessing us, we’ve made the most of our playground, enjoying outdoor play and activities in the sunshine. There has been so much laughter and exploring all the playground equipment and simply enjoying being outside with friends.

We were also thrilled to have a visit from the M&M Theatre Company, who performed a delightful production of Pinocchio. Most of the children were captivated by the characters, music, and storytelling.

Another favourite activity has been our soft play sessions. These have been filled with excitement as the children climbed, balanced and explored the ball pool and swings. Not only was it great fun, but it also supported the development of important gross motor skills—and of course, lots of shared laughter with friends!

We also came together to celebrate World Epilepsy Day by wearing purple. It was a lovely opportunity to raise awareness and be part of something meaningful as a community, with everyone proudly joining in.

As we come to the end of such a happy and busy term, we want to say a huge thank you to all our families for your continued support. It truly makes a difference and hps create such a positive environment for the children to flourish.

We wish you all a wonderful, relaxing summer filled with fun and special moments. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term ahead!

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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. 

Glendevon and Pentland P7 Graduates 2026

What an incredible year for all the P7 pupils.  We have had some wonderful adventures and been working hard throughout the year.  We can’t believe that this is the end of our primary school career! We are all looking forward to the new adventures that secondary has to bring including ASDAN, SQA and DofE.

We thought we would leave you with not just our highlights from this year but from years gone by – just click or copy the link below and enjoy.

https://express.adobe.com/publishedV2/urn:aaid:sc:EU:a045f261-e518-504c-b540-20bd9043d9b5?promoid=Y69SGM5H&sdid=C4SZ2FYJ&mv=other

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! 🌟

Pentland Class Term 3

We’ve had such a wonderful and busy term in Pentland Class, filled with hard work, laughter, and lots of new experiences. The children have explored so many activities, from horse riding and swimming to relaxing hydrotherapy sessions. Music has been a big part of our weeks too, with Live Music Now visits and group music therapy bringing songs, rhythm, and plenty of smiles.

We’ve also enjoyed cooking and baking together, trying drama games, and getting creative with art and messy play. Switching toys, sensory exploration, and outdoor play in the garden have given the children loads of opportunities to learn and have fun in their own ways, especially when the weather has been kind to us.

We’re incredibly proud of everything the children have achieved and delighted to see their confidence and curiosity grow each day. Thank you for your continued support — we can’t wait for more adventures next term!

Merry Christmas from Pentland!

We have had a fantastic festive term in the Pentland class! We have had a ball taking part in all of our Christmas activities, parties and shows and have been full of festive cheer and joy.

We have continued to work hard on all of our individual targets and routines and constantly impress everyone with our confidence and enthusiasm in all we do.

We are looking forward to spending time with our families over Christmas and coming back ready for our next term of fun and adventures!

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…

 

Pentland Class Term 1

What a fantastic first term we have had here in the Pentland Class.  We have loved spending time together, getting to know our new friends and adults in class – we all have lots of fun together!

We have all settled into our routines and have been working hard on all of our activities and groups.  We have been busy with our topic ‘The Owl Who is Afraid of the Dark’ making lots of fantastic art work and some really yummy cooking sessions.

We have had some lovely sessions with the Clown Doctors and love when they come to visit our class.  We have also spent time enjoying the outdoors, gardening and exploring the playground equipment.

We are looking forward to the busy term ahead!

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

 

Pentland Summer Term

We have had another fantastic time in Pentland over the past few months.  We have been so lucky with the weather and have been out enjoying our wonderful playground as often as we can.  We have each had a great time riding our bikes/trikes and are getting more and more confident with them.

We have been busy out and about for walking month in May taking part in lots of activities about the rainforest and some of us have been out swimming or at the theatre which we have loved.  We have also had lots of lovely visitors to our class including the Clown Doctors who we just love and have so much fun with!

We have had a brilliant year this year and have all worked so hard.  We hope everyone has an amazing summer and we are looking forward to all of our exciting activities in the new term.

Happy Holidays!