Welcome to Year 1!

 

Autumn Term One

 

Welcome to Elephant Class

Elephant Class is taught by Mrs Gardner (Monday to Thursday) and Mrs Bland (Thursday and Friday), with Mrs Bruckin providing valuable support as our Teaching Assistant.

In Terms 1, 3 and 5, Mr Dickinson teaches Physical Education on Mondays.

Communication

In Year 1, we use Class Dojo as a key communication tool between home and school. Class Dojo helps us celebrate achievements, share important information and strengthen our partnership with families.

Our behaviour system focus's on rewarding children for demonstrating our three school expectations:

• Be Safe
• Be Ready
• Be Respectful

Parents and carers can contact Mrs Gardner and Mrs Bland through Class Dojo, or alternatively, via the school office.

Homework

Homework will begin in Term 1 following our Meet the Teacher meeting.

Homework is sent home each Friday and should be returned by the following Thursday. It will usually include:

• A mathematics activity
• A handwriting task
• A phonics revision sheet

Homework is designed to reinforce key learning from the classroom. If your child finds any aspect challenging, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Reading

Children will receive a weekly reading book matched to their current reading level. These books will be changed every Friday.

Reading is one of the most important skills children develop and we encourage daily reading at home wherever possible. Alongside their reading book, children are welcome to borrow books from:

• Our classroom Reading for Pleasure collection
• The school library

Providing children with opportunities to choose their own books helps foster a love of reading and supports the development of lifelong learning habits, which we value highly at Lunsford Primary School.

Physical Education

PE lessons take place on:

• Monday
• Tuesday

Children should come to school wearing their PE kit on these days.

Please ensure that:

• All clothing is clearly named.
• PE kits are appropriate for the weather conditions.
• Earrings are removed before school unless your child can remove them independently.
• An extra pair of socks is provided during wet weather if required.

Forest School

Children will take part in two Forest School sessions each term.

Dates and further information will be shared through Class Dojo and included in the class newsletter. These sessions provide valuable opportunities for outdoor learning, exploration and the development of confidence, resilience and teamwork skills.

We look forward to an exciting year of learning, discovery and achievement in Elephant Class.

 

English

 

We are currently using The Literacy Tree approach to support the teaching of English. This scheme is centred around high-quality children's literature and encourages pupils to write for meaningful, real-life purposes.

This term's learning is based around the theme of Journeys and Exploration.

Our first core text is Naughty Bus by Jan and Jerry Oke. Through this engaging story, children will develop their writing skills by creating:

• Letters
• Diary entries
• Labels and captions
• Fact files
• Descriptive writing
• Their own adventure stories

Our second core text is Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max. Inspired by this text, children will explore space and astronauts while writing:

• Fact files
• Writing in role
• Instructions and commands
• "How to" guides

These rich texts provide opportunities for children to develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills while fostering creativity and imagination.

Mathematics

This term, Elephant Class will focus on Place Value within 10. Children will learn to:

• Sort and classify objects
• Count accurately
• Represent numbers in different ways
• Compare quantities
• Understand the value of numbers within 10

Later in the term, we will move on to Addition and Subtraction within 10, where children will be introduced to:

• Part-whole models
• Number bonds
• Number sentences
• Simple problem-solving strategies

We will also be using NumBots to support children's fluency and confidence with number skills both at school and at home. Each child will receive their own login details, which can be found in the front of their reading record. Children will have opportunities to use NumBots during computing sessions and are encouraged to practise regularly at home.

Phonics

We continue to follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to develop children's early reading and spelling skills.

This term, children will:

• Revisit and consolidate Phase 2 and Phase 3 sounds.
• Review learning from Phases 3 and 4.
• Learn new Phase 5 Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs).
• Practise blending sounds to read words with increasing fluency and confidence.

Regular phonics practice supports children in becoming confident, fluent readers and writers, and we encourage families to continue practising phonics and reading at home whenever possible.

 

Science: Seasonal Changes (Autumn)

Topic – History: Changes in our Living Memory

Computing: Technology Around Us

Art: Drawing: make your mark 

RE: What does it mean to belong to a Faith Community? 1.7

PSHE: Being Me In My World

Music:  Rhyming in Time

PE: Travelling and Moving With Equipment

Autumn Term Two

Autumn Term 2

English

This term's learning is based around the theme of Helpful Heroes.

Our first text is Dragon Post by Emma Yarlett. Through this engaging story, children will write a variety of texts including letters, notes of advice, instructions, menus, speech bubbles, journey maps and thought bubbles. Their learning will culminate in writing their own guide to looking after a dragon.

Our second text is Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov. Children will create posters, letters of advice, factual descriptions, logbooks, scripts and speech bubbles before producing their own fact file.

Mathematics

Children will continue their learning on addition and subtraction within 10, focusing on:

• Fact families
• Number bonds within and to 10
• Addition strategies
• Developing fluency and confidence with number

We will continue to use NumBots both in school and at home to support mathematical fluency.

Phonics

Following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, children will continue learning Phase 5 graphemes while developing fluency in both reading and writing.

 

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Seasonal Changes (Winter)
• History: The Victorians
• Computing: Creating Media – Digital Painting
• Design Technology: Constructing Windmills
• RE: Who is a Christian and what do they believe?
• PSHE: Celebrating Differences
• Music: Let's Start Singing!
• PE: Sending and Receiving with Hands

 

Spring term 1

English

Our theme for this term is Similarities and Differences.

Children will begin with The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett, exploring speech bubbles, guides, letters of advice, labels, congratulations cards and commands before writing their own non-fiction report, The Egg-Spotter's Guide.

We will then study The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton, using the text as inspiration for posters, poems, recipes, letters and writing in role before creating our own version of the story.

Mathematics

Children will develop their understanding of:

• Place Value within 20
• Addition and subtraction within 20
• Number representation and reasoning

Phonics

Children will continue learning and applying Phase 5 graphemes, while developing their understanding of new tricky words and increasing reading fluency.

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Everyday Materials
• History: Changes Within Living Memory
• Computing: Programming – Moving a Robot
• Art: Painting and Mixed Media: Colour Splash
• RE: Who is a Christian and what do they believe?
• PSHE: Dreams and Goals
• Music: Music Inspired by the World Around Us
• PE: Gymnastics

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Spring Term 2

English

The Spring Term theme is Imagination and Creativity.

Children will explore Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande, creating labels, captions, character comparisons, thought bubbles and speech bubbles before producing their own guide.

Our second text, Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, will inspire children to write and perform their own three-verse poems.

Mathematics

Children will learn about:

• Place Value within 50
• Length and Height
• Mass and Volume

Phonics

Learning will continue through the Little Wandle programme, with children applying their growing knowledge of Phase 5 graphemes to both reading and writing.

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Animals Including Humans
• Geography: Daily Weather Patterns
• Computing: Data and Information – Grouping Data
• Design Technology: Textiles – Puppets
• RE: How and Why Do We Celebrate Special and Sacred Times?
• PSHE: Healthy Me
• Music: Exploring Rhythm Patterns
• PE: Sending and Receiving with Feet and Sticks

Phonics

Children will continue to follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, building on their understanding of Phase 5 graphemes and learning new tricky words. They will explore why certain words are considered tricky and continue to apply their phonics knowledge across both reading and writing. Through regular practice, children will develop increasing fluency, accuracy and confidence as readers and writers.

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Seasonal Changes (Spring and Summer)
• History: Inspirational People – Neil Armstrong
• Computing: Creating Media – Digital Writing
• Art: Sculpture and 3D – Paper Play
• Religious Education: What Makes Some Places Sacred?
• PSHE: Relationships
• Music: Sounds and Pictures
• PE: Sending and Receiving with Hands

Through these subjects, children will continue to broaden their knowledge, develop practical skills and make meaningful connections across the curriculum.

Summer Term 2

English

Our final theme of the year is Nature and the Environment.

Children will explore two engaging texts: Stella and the Seagull by Georgina Stevens and The Sea Saw by Tom Percival. These stories will encourage children to think about the natural world and the importance of caring for our environment.

Throughout the unit, children will develop their writing skills by creating:

• Lists
• Thought bubbles
• Guides
• Notes of advice
• Posters
• Postcards

At the end of each sequence of learning, children will use their knowledge and creativity to write their own version of the story.

Mathematics

In our final term of Year 1, children will focus on:

• Place Value within 100
• Money and recognising the value of coins and notes
• Time, including telling the time to the hour and half past the hour

These topics help children apply their mathematical understanding to everyday situations and prepare them for Year 2 learning.

Phonics

Children will continue to follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, consolidating their understanding of Phase 5 graphemes and learning additional tricky words. They will continue applying their phonics knowledge in both reading and writing, developing greater fluency, accuracy and confidence.

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Plants
• Geography: The Four Countries of the UK, Capital Cities and Surrounding Seas
• Computing: Programming – Animation
• Design Technology: Cooking and Nutrition – Smoothies
• Religious Education: What Makes Some Places Sacred?
• PSHE: Changing Me
• Music: Highs and Lows
• PE: Athletics

Through these subjects, children will continue to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding across a wide range of areas while preparing for the exciting transition into Year 2.

 

Foundation Subjects

• Science: Plants
• Geography: The Four Countries of the UK, Capital Cities and Surrounding Seas
• Computing: Programming – Animation
• Design Technology: Cooking and Nutrition – Smoothies
• Religious Education: What Makes Some Places Sacred?
• PSHE: Changing Me
• Music: Highs and Lows
• PE: Athletics

Through these areas of learning, children will continue to develop their knowledge, creativity and practical skills. They will explore the world around them, learn about healthy lifestyles, build confidence in physical activities and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others as they prepare for their transition into Year 2.