Year 1

In the spring term, as part of our history learning, we will be answering the question ‘Would you rather play with toys from the past or toys from now?’. To begin with, we will compare the toys the children played with when they were babies and toddlers with the toys they play with now before going on to explore how toys have changed throughout history (as the children say ‘from a very long time ago!’). As part of our RE learning, we will study Christianity; we will be answering the question ‘What are the best symbols of Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter?’. Later in the term we will study Hinduism; we we will be asnwering the question ‘How does a Hindu celebrate devotion to a deity at the festival of Holi?’. In DT, we will be constructing a vehicle (looking closely at wheels, axles and axle holders). As part of art, the children will be looking at mixing colours to make different shades and making a giant spider model! Our computing will ensure the children know how to use the internet safely and how to be information protectors. They will also begin coding using Discovery Education. In science, we will take time to consolidate our learning from last term about ‘animals including humans’ by continuing to look at animal diets using the terms carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. We will  also continue to look at how animals are classified as reptiles, mammals, fish, amphibians, birds and minibeasts. We then move onto looking at plants, their structure and understanding key words such as deciduous and evergreen. 

In Maths this term, we are building on our knowledge from last term, working with numbers up to 20. We will learn methods to help us with addition and subtraction up to 20, which will then help us when we move up to numbers to 50 towards the end of the term. We also look at length and height, comparing and measuring using centimetres. At the end of the term, we will learn about mass and capacity, using words such as heavier and lighter, empty and full. 

Number skills will focus on strategies that the children can use to help them understand smaller numbers within 10, such as doubles and near doubles, odd and even numbers and understanding the number zero.

As part of phonics, we will be continuing to learn and consolidate our Phase 5 digraphs whilst also learning alternative pronunciations before continuing to ‘grow the code’. As we did in the autumn term, in reading, the children will continue to develop their decoding, fluency and understanding of the phonetically decodable books we read in class whilst also sharing lovely stories, poems, nonfiction books and the books the children bring in from home - this has been so lovely! We will continue to talk about books and authors and encourage a love of reading and books. 

During English, we will use a range of texts including The Elves and the Shoemaker and Hansel and Gretel. The children will continue to consolidate their use of capital letters, full stops and finger spaces in their independent writing.The children will learn to write a recount of events, write about their favourite animals, narrative writing and performing poetry. We will have a really big push on handwriting this term. We will be there working on the children developing fluent and consistent handwriting. It’s so important that those basic skills are embedded in Year 1, ready for Year 2 and beyond!

PE Days: Thursday and Friday 

Key dates: Christchurch mansion trip - 11th February

This term, as part of our history and geography learning about our local area, we will answer the question 'Where do I live and what is it like?'. We will start by looking into the local area's human and physical features, building on what the children have learnt in Reception. This will also involve map work where the children will learn to read a simple key and a trip to their local area. In the second part of the term, we will look at how Chantry has changed over the last 70 years, focusing on how the shops and shopping have changed. 

In English, we will be working hard in our Little Wandle phonics and reading lessons. At the start of Year 1, we will briefly recap the Phase 3 and 4 sounds that the children have learnt in Reception before moving on to Phase 5 which they will learn up till Christmas. On this page, all the sounds are shown to help you support your child https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/  We will use our daily phonics learning in our reading lessons. Each week we will focus on decoding a text, reading with prosody and understanding what we have read. We will reread lots to support us in becoming strong, fluent readers. Alongside this, we will share many stories and books and just generally enjoy reading! 

During English lessons, books are always at the very heart of our learning. We will use a range of texts including Funny Bones, Percy the Park Keeper and Jack and the Beanstalk. Our main focus is on independent sentence writing including capital letters, using sounds, finger spaces and full stops. We will also learn how to read our work aloud, form letters carefully and edit work to make it the best it can be. 

In our maths lessons, we are focusing on securely understanding the numbers 0-10. We look at addition and subtraction and ordering numbers. We are also looking at 2D and 3D shapes this term, including triangles, circles, squares, rectangles, cuboids, cubes, pyramids, cylinders, spheres and cones. Alongside our daily maths, we will complete number skills which will include subitising numbers to 10, using tens frames and applying this to real-life stories e.g. I have 5 paint brushes. Two are clean and 3 are dirty. Can you write an equation to match this? 2 + 3 = 5 or 5 - 3 = 2

As part of our science this term, we will be looking at seasonal changes as well as identifying different types of animals including amphibians, reptiles, fish, mammals and birds. In PSHE, we will be looking at economic well-being and citizenship including the importance of money and rules. In RE, we will be looking at how and why Christians are baptised and do good deeds or Mitzvot as part of our learning about Judaism. Our computing unit will involve identifying the different parts of desktop and laptop computers before moving on to develop our basic computer skills. We are also looking forward to getting our creativity skills flowing as we make puppets and explore mark-making. As part of PE, we will be developing our teamwork skills and looking at moving to different rhythms.

In year 1, we expect the children to read at home 4 times a week to achieve their reading awards (bronze, silver and gold) and there will also be a maths sheet for the children to complete.

PE is on Thursday and Friday every week. Please send children to school wearing their PE kit.

The library is on Thursday. Please send their library book in with them so they can return it and choose a new one.