Year 1 - Summer 2

Wow! I cannot believe we are in the final half-term of Year 1 already. To end our year, our learning will take place around the topic of Animals.

In English, we will be reading a range of books and texts based on animals and will use these to inspire some super narrative and non-fiction writing. We will focus on writing more extended pieces, ensuring our sentences are demarcated with the correct punctuation and that the sentence are sequenced in a logical order.

In Maths, we will begin to understand multiplication and division, using lots of practical resources to help build up our understandings. Within this, we will also discuss the concepts of doubling and halving. Please also continue to count in 2s, 5s and 10s at home. You may wish to begin using TTRockstars with your child. I have set the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. It may be that they complete this with a list or grid of the multiplications and divisions in front of them to begin with to encourage recall.

In our topic lessons, we will begin by learning about humans. We will learn about parts of the human body and our senses and will take a look at our own life-cycles. We will then learn about the different animal groups and sort animals into mammals, birds, amphibians, fish and reptiles. We will also discuss animals in terms of herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Take a look at the knowledge organiser here and saved on Teams for more information.

Year 1 - Summer 1

We hope you all had a lovely Easter break and are ready for some more super learning!

This half term our topic is Explorers. Through this topic we will learn about significant events beyond living memory and about significant explorers in history including Neil Armstrong and Christopher Columbus. We will also learn about the first woman in space - Valentina Tereshkova. Also linking to this theme, we will begin by basing our English learning around the book, ‘Man on the Moon’ and will imagine what it would be like to explore space. We will then also read a variety of stories and non-fiction texts covering a variety of different explorations.

In maths, we will continue to embed our strategies for addition and subtraction before moving onto numbers with 50. We will also carry out lots of measuring and learn about weight, capacity, height and length.

Our PE days this half-term are Wednesday and Friday. Please make sure appropriate kit is worn, long hair is tied back and earrings are covered or removed.

Year 1 - Spring 1

We are so excited to be starting our new topic of Toys. We will become historians and explore a range of toys – past and present, including toys and games from the Victorian era. We will use key vocabulary including, old, new, past, present, similar, different, source and artefact. We will even be making some toys of our very own.

This topic will also underpin our English learning this half-term. We will begin by looking at Toy Story and will use the well-loved characters to create our own short stories. We will also complete some instructional writing. Our focus in English continues to be sentence writing – ensuring we remember capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.

We are now beginning Phase 5 of phonics. In this phase, we learn about alternative graphemes (letters) which can make known phonemes (sounds). For example, we will learn that the oi sound can also be written as oy. Please continue to access Spelling Shed at home in order to practise these sounds. Remember, you can also access Letter Join from home which is fabulous for practicing letter formations.

In Maths, we will build on our understanding of addition and subtraction and will begin to use what we know to find related number facts. We will also name and describe the properties of both 2D and 3D shapes.

During our enrichment time, we will be discovering charcoal in order to ‘Draw like a Caveman’. We will also spend time on the laptops exploring the tools available on Paint and will be creating our own stop motion animations later in the half-term.

Year 1 - Autumn 2

English

This half term we will be reading a range of traditional tales and using these as a basis for our writing. We will be retelling and rewriting these stories and will explore the different settings and characters. We will also continue to practice our cursive handwriting and will focus on our letters sitting correctly on the lines. Please continue to practice these formations at home too, using the sheets sent home before half-term.

Phonics

We are now beginning phase 4 of phonics. In this phase, the children will learn consonant clusters. These are formed from sounds the children already know but they blend together to make the clusters. For example, the cr in crab or the tr in tree.

Maths

In Maths we will develop an understanding of addition and related number bonds. For example, if we know that 4+2=6, we also know that 2+4=6. We will use counting objects, bead strings, ten frames and part-whole models to help us.

Topic

Our topic for this half term is materials. We will explore a range of different everyday materials and discuss their properties. We will explore through a range of experiments – many linked to the traditional tales we will be reading as part of English.

Enrichment

During our enrichment lessons, we will continue to develop our computing skills. We will learn to log onto the school laptops and how to open Paint to create our own artwork. Within Paint, we will explore the different tools available, including how to add text.

Also during enrichment, we will develop our sewing skills. These skills will eventually build up to allow us to make our very own Christmas decoration.

Miss Sowray and Mrs Winder

Welcome to Year 1 - Autumn 1

We are so excited to see you all back in school and have lots of fun activities planned. Our learning will be a balance of adult-led and provision-based learning, both indoors and out.

We begin our year with the topic of The United Kingdom. We will explore the 4 countries of the UK and their capital cities. We will also explore key landmarks and features of East Bierley and compare these to other areas in the UK. This topic will also underpin our learning in English. We will continue with our phonics sounds and will begin to apply these to write simple labels, captions and sentences.

Homework

Spelling Shed and MyMaths homework will be set weekly. Please also continue to access Numbots at home. These platforms are most effective when completed in short bursts throughout the week. Log ins for these will be sent home shortly.

Also ensure your child is reading their home reading book and that you comment within their reading records. Books will be changed weekly but can be changed more frequently if required.

PE

Our PE days will be Wednesday and Friday. Please come to school wearing your PE clothes, with long hair tied up and earrings removed.

Miss Sowray and Mrs Winder

Meet the team

Miss S Sowray
Miss S Sowray
Mrs J Winder
Mrs J Winder