classes

Click below for individual class pages

Welcome to Year 1

Welome to our Year 1 page. On this page you will be able to see an overview of some of the learning which takes place across our year group throughout the year.

We learn through whole class carpet sessions, small adult focus work and through our COOL (Choose Our Own Learning) time activities, see below for more information. We are lucky to have access to both an inside and outside learning environment which allow the children to engage with a wide range of varied activities on a daily basis.

English

Reading

We have several book zones set up throughout both our inside and outside learning environments and this is assisting the children's love for reading whilst promoting different formats of text they encounter. We have plenty of fiction, non- fiction and comics which the children can access throughout the day in COOL time.

Autumn 

We use our literacy books to help support not only the children’s literacy but also their phonic knowledge and wider curriculum goals. We have been reading the The Colour Monster and Here We Are during the first half of Autumn and these books supported the promotion of our behavioural expectations and policies in KS1 and have helped us discuss the world around us.

We have read Naughty Bus and Astro Girl during our second half of Autumn term. The naughty bus caused a major hullabaloo in our class but with the children's help we managed to track him down and explain that we have class rules for a very good reason! Both of these books have helped us investigate adjectives and verbs and begin to embed these in our writing. Can  your child remember what either of these words are?

Spring 

To support and embed our Polar regions topic we have been reading Lost and Found and Dear Greenpeace during English. These books have helped us discuss many important Environmental issues and the children have started to think about how they can have an impact on the environment and what they can do to support improving our environment.

As we move in to the second half of spring term we will be reading Emma Janes Aeroplane and The Odd Egg. These books will support us as we continue to encourage the children's understanding and use of verbs, nouns and adjectives in their written work. Can your child tell you what the terms verb, noun and adjective mean?

Maths

Autumn 

In maths we use a range of both practical and worksheet challenges to support the children’s mathematical development throughout the year. We give the children time to share their own knowledge and understanding with each other and encourage the children to explain their working out processes as often there are multiple ways to reach an answer.

During the Autumn term we have been investigating place value to 10, addition and subtraction (to 10) and geometry (2d and 3d shapes).

Spring 

As we move into Spring term we have started investigating place value and addition and subtraction to 20, before moving onto place value to 50. We have taught a range of techniques and strategies for the children to use and apply when adding and subtracting.

These include learning how to use their understanding of number bonds to add and subtract, continuing to subitise using 10 frames, dice and dienes to recognise mathematical patterns. We have introduced the use of tens and ones and how these can support place value and solving arithmetic problems to 50. We are also continuing to develop the children’s use of practically counting in 2s, 5s and 10s.

Geography and History

Autumn 

We have been looking at the history of our lives. We looked through some of the momentous occurrences that have happened in our time on Planet Earth. We have been looking at similarities and differences with their childhood experiences and those of their parents and grandparents.

During Autumn II we have been looking at a variety of maps and what we use them for. We started out by looking at features of different types of maps and what maps are most familiar to us. Children discussed their own experiences of either using maps or knowing why different types of maps are useful. We then began making our own maps we started with a map of our classroom, we then began to explore the local area and made one for our immediate area around the school before we used our maps to take us on a fieldtrip to our local park. We then looked at maps of the United Kingdom, Europe and finally Planet Earth!

We also explored different types of environment and looked at the words and meaning of urban and rural. We went on a scavenger hunt in our immediate environment and looked at what features are man made and which are natural.

Spring 

We have been learning about the Polar regions and some of the explorers that have visited these regions. The children were fascinated by Captain Scott and his trip to Antarctica as well as the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. We looked at what tools these explorers used and what tools modern day explorers have and how they would assist visiting these regions. We have been learning about the importance of these regions and how we can protect them. The children have been discussing environmental issues which effect these areas and our planet as a whole, and how we can help maintain and improve our environment moving forward. The children made posters about a range of these environmental issues with suggestions of how we can help.

We have also begun to investigate the World map and have been looking at the different continents and oceans. We have looked at a range of different countries around the world and investigated similarities and differences with our country.

Science

Autumn 

In science we have been investigating seasonal change. We have been looking at the months and the different seasons associated with the different months of the year. We have looked at a range of different weather types and when we might expect to see them. Whilst learning about different weather types we investigated how we measure different weather and then made our own rain gauges and wind barometers.

We then moved into our second unit which was learning about materials. We investigated materials in our classroom and begun to classify them using the properties of the material. We discovered what materials are human made and which ones are natural. We then started to look at what materials float and sink and what different types of materials are used for. Would you wear a paper rain mac? Do you own metal shoes? Why aren’t are water bottles made from cotton? The children then designed a boat using appropriate materials and then chose different junk modelling materials and tested their own boats. We also conducted a fair test where each child received the same materials and they had to make a boat that could hold cargo. What do all boats need?

Spring 

We have continued to look at a Seasonal change and we looked at how our local environment changes as we move from Autumn into Winter. We discussed daylight hours and how we experience longer nights ans shorter days in the winter months.

What do you notice about trees in the winter? What is the term we call animals that sleep through the winter months? Or the animals that move to a different country during winter?

We then moved into our topic which is all about Animals (including humans). We started by classifying animals in different ways and looking at a range of different ways we could classify animals. How many ways can you think of to classify animals?

PE

Autumn

In our outdoor sessions we have been building up our hand eye coordination skills with a series of multi skills. We have worked on our agility, balance and co-ordination before we build up to incorporate bean bags and balls to develop the children’s throwing and catching skills. We then started to practice controlling and kicking the ball with our feet. We have learnt how to move, control and kick the ball towards a target.

Can your child demonstrate how to throw and catch a ball?

Can they show you how to control the ball with their feet?

Spring 

During our indoor sessions we have been learning gymnastics. We began by looking at how we manipulate and control our bodies and learnt different techniques to support control and balance.

We have been learning about different jumps and the different ways we can move incorporating all our body parts. We have been learning how to land safely when we jump. Finally, we pieced together different jumps and movements into a performance routine.

We have also been learning a variety of team games that incorporate social skills and team work alongside being physically active.

Computing

Autumn 

For our first computing unit we are learning about technology all around us.

Did you know a pencil is technology? What other types of technology do you know?

We will be learning some basic laptop skills including using a mousepad, navigating a keyboard and logging on and logging off to our school laptops.

During the second part of Autumn term we have been exploring the world of digital art and using the art program Paint. We have been empowering the children to create their own paintings, while getting inspiration from a range of artists. Each week we have learnt about a new artist and then applying their techniques to a digital piece of art.  We have developed a wide range of art and design techniques using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form, and space. The children are confident to talk about the work of a range of artists, craft makers, and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines and making links to their own work.

Spring 

During Spring term, we have looked at how we can order and sort data. We have explored a range of different ways we organise and group objects and data by classifying them. We discussed how this then helps us using computers, as computers organise and refine data depending on how much information we give it. For example: If we type 'cat' into a search engine we will get a broad range of pictures/information back. However, if we asked the search engine to show us ginger kittens with blue eyes it will sort and group the data quickly and refine the results to a more desirable outcome.

Art and D.T

Autumn

For our Flower Power art project we investigated the artist Andy Warhol and his role in the pop art movement in the 1960’s. We then looked in depth at his use of still life objects in his art work.  The children then undertook the task of producing their very own pop art work after selecting their favourite flower to draw.

First we sketched different flowers using fine pencils in our art journals, before choosing our favourite flower for our final piece. The children then sketched the flower of their choice before going over the outline in pen. Next the images were photocopied four times, and finally the children chose four sets of bright contrasting colours and painted each image a different colour.

To celebrate Diwali we created our very own Diva lamps using a 'pinch pot' technique, squeezing the clay between out thumbs and fingers. We then used a variety of sculpting tools to design patterns and images on the pot. We then decorated these once they were dry with a variety of paint and sequins.

Spring 

Our third art project was all about the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis. We learnt that they occur near the North and South Poles, such as in Iceland, Norway and the Arctic Circle. We then talked about making secondary colours using the three primary colours, and made a colour wheel. We also practised various techniques we can use with soft pastels, such as blending, feathering, using the side and cross hatching. Finally, we put everything we learnt together and created beautiful Northern Lights scenes.

Music

Autumn

We have weekly music lessons brought to us by Duncan the music teacher in our newly created Music room. He will be building up the children's musical knowledge and skills throughout the year. The children initially practiced various forms of rhythm, pitch and tone using lots of call and response songs and they will add to their song bank each week.

The children have been investigating different types of instruments and understanding the difference between long and short sounds. The children have been performing together, creating musical pieces that incorporate both long and short sounds.

Spring

Year one has now started to learn how to read notes as they develop their understanding and are able to distinguish between instruments that make long and short sounds. First the children started by reading notes and playing instruments in a whole class session, then they started reading and playing instruments in small groups before finally composing and performing their own musical piece in pairs

Cool Time

Year One enjoys a balance between whole class input sessions, adult focus work and COOL time. COOL time stands for Choose Our Own Learning. We have different areas of the classroom set up and dedicated to embellishing the current topic, as well as immersing the children in the different curriculum objectives we are currently working on. Additionally, we have dedicated construction and small world areas within both our inside and outside learning environments which support and encourage the children to develop their social and communication skills through play-based activities.