Year 1

Class Teachers: Joanne McGahon, Sarah Snead, Sophia Papworth and Fadime Has

Welcome

Welcome to Year 1 the starting point for ‘Key Stage One’.

In Year 1 we endeavor to create a curriculum steeped in creativity, curiosity and excitement. Our topic learning allows us to teach in a cross – curricular manner often finding links between the different areas. This page will keep you up to date with systems and school routines, outline your child’s learning and provide a platform to showcase their work.

Year 1 Teaching Team

Year Group Leader	Joanne McGahon
Class Teachers	Joanne McGahon (Badger Class)
	Sarah Snead Sophia Papworth (Squirrel Class )
	Fadime Has (Dormouse Class)
Teaching Assistant Support	Zehra Anna
	Tracey Olivett
	Betty Lola Tracey Verral
Specialist teachers	Rosie (ART) Paula (FOREST SCHOOL) Chelsea (PE)
KS1 SENDCO	Matthew Henson

Curriculum / Learning

Our Learning

In Year 1 the children begin to follow the National Curriculum, where they will participate as a whole class during lessons, moving away from solely small group work. Subjects are planned around a theme or topic in line with our creative curriculum. We aim to offer a curriculum that is broad and balanced which promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at Rhodes Avenue School. We aspire for children to be constantly learning, developing into strong, resilient, capable, confident and self-assured pupils. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge (see below) around which we will develop exciting stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupil knowledge, understanding and skills.

Year 1 parents and carers curriculum meeting

Year 1 parent and carers presentation 2021

Termly Class Letter to Parents and Carers

Curriculum Newsletter Autumn

The National Curriculum

National Curriculum

English

Throughout the year in English we encourage the children to explore different genres of writing including narrative, character descriptions, information texts, recounts, instructional writing, lists, poems, non-fiction captions/labels and speech bubbles. We also use creative role play and encourage the children to actively participate in speaking and listening during carpet sessions and show and tell activities.

Phonic work continues daily and children read in their reading group once a week when books will be sent home to share. This will begin after half term – Autumn 2. The school follows Ruth Miskin’s scheme – ‘Discover, Read, Write Inc’., for more information use the link below. We also use Monster Phonics as an opportunity to try and bridge the gap between spelling phonetically and spelling correctly. Monster phonics enables the children to make connections between sounds using friendly, memorable characters.

Read, Write Inc.

https://monsterphonics.com/

Reading list for Y1

100 books KS1

Mathematics

In Mathematics we explore counting to and across 100 forwards and backwards beginning with 0 or 1. Reading and writing numbers to 100 in numerals. Identifying one more and one less of a given number. Understanding mathematical vocabulary including language related to dates, days of the week, weeks months and years. Measuring using standard and non-standard forms of measurement, including length, weight and capacity. Basic addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. We encourage the children to solve problems in a practical, fun and ‘hands-on’ way.

Calculation Strategies for Parents and Carers

Science

In Science we will be investigating ‘Seasonal Changes’, ‘Animals including Humans’, ‘Everyday Materials’ and ‘Plants’. Where possible we will be linking our learning to our topic work, and encouraging the children to think critically.

Parents’ and Carers’ pack 2021

As a useful tool to use at home we have prepared a Parents’ and Carers’ pack to support your child through their learning in Year 1. This pack includes fundamental skills we would encourage the children to know and use before moving on to Year 2.

Information pack

Foundation Subjects

Each topic is introduced to the children through an exciting ‘Topic launch’. Our topics always link with our work across the Foundation Subjects curriculum to engage and enthuse the children. Our Topics this year are: Marvellous Me, Woodland Wonder, Starry Starry Night, The Old Toy Shop, Castles, Kings and Queens and What a wonderful World! For more information on our topics please see our Curriculum Map at the bottom of this page.

In Computing we will use a range of computer programs to consolidate our mouse control and continue to develop typing and navigational skills using the keyboard. Coding is a large part of the ICT curriculum and we will explore this in different ways including programmable toys called ‘Bee Bots.’ We will also be using ipads for a range of activities including stop motion short forms and photographs towards the end of the year.

History will be taught through our topics. We will be looking at significant people from history and changes within living memory. The children are encouraged to think of people from history who have been inspirational, and those that they are interested to find more information about.

In P.Ed. the children will be covering gymnastic skills, dance, games and ball skills. It is important that children have a warm P.E. kit for the outdoor sessions, including footwear, and that kits are in school everyday. Please also ensure that all items are labelled to avoid lost property.

Art and Design and Technology will be based around our topic work and will include opportunities to design and make items. We will also explore our creativity using a range of mediums to produce artwork. We will link our exploration into famous artists to our literacy work, and through to our topic work on significant people from history.

Music will continue to be linked to our class and topic work, with emphasis on learning relevant songs and exploring musical instruments. We will use our outdoor area to explore and create different music and soundscapes.

In Ourselves and Others we explore the children’s understanding, knowledge and skills in the four social and emotional aspects of learning; empathy, self awareness, social skills and motivation. Through ‘Philosophy for Children’ (P4C) we encourage children to develop an understanding of philosophical concepts. We will be looking at growing and caring for ourselves and others, relationships and mental well-being.

Please find below the scheme of work for Ourselves and others

Year 1 – Scheme of work

Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.

The Skills and Knowledge we will be teaching

To discover the Foundation Subject Skills and Knowledge we will be teaching within the topics download the skills and knowledge matrix below.

Year 1 – Skills and knowledge map

Curriculum for the year

Curriculum map Year 1 2021 2022

Online Websites to support your child’s learning

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=16&AgeGroup=2

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=9&AgeGroup=2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zgkw2hv

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1literacy.html

https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/literacy.html

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/InteractiveResources.htm

The School Day

The children will enter the classroom using the outside door. The door will open at 8:45am and close at 9am using a soft start approach to the day. Please ensure you use the outside routes only and do not cut through the school.

We aim to take the children on at least one school trip per term. We will try our best not to exceed the £30 per year budget when planning trips. When booking trips we will aim to provide you with information at least 3 – 4 weeks prior to the trip to give you enough time to volunteer for the trip if you wish to accompany us. The trips will be linked to our topic learning and will vary from museum visits to a day at the seaside.

This area includes information about what we have been learning in school. Please see the phonics resources – these are ordered strategically and will work hand in hand with the phonics progression we will be following in school.

We will include information about Tier 2 home learning should you wish to complete these activities with your children. These projects are a lovely way for your child to consolidate school learning and to explore their personal interests within our topic. We would encourage every child to complete at least 3 projects over the academic year.

All home learning videos are currently accessible via Seesaw whilst the children are learning from home.

E – Learning

Phonics – whole year coverage

As part of our tiered home learning – children can complete at least 3 projects over the academic year. These projects are linked to your child’s half termly topic – we will upload a video each half term.

Here you have the option of three different optional projects for this half term – these are not all compulsory you can choose at least 3 throughout the entire year.

Please note – if your child has to isolate due to COVID – these projects will form part of your child’s blended learning from home.

Blended learning

https://web.seesaw.me/

We will use Seesaw as our online platform for blended learning. This will be a space for your child to upload any work / fun things you have been getting up to at home. We will use Seesaw to provide blended learning if your child needs to isolate due to COVID.

Home learning letters

Home learning projects

Our home learning projects will run alongside our topics.

You can choose to complete 1 of these each half term. For our topic ‘Starry Starry Night’ we have suggested the following projects. You can however choose a project of your choice that is relevant to our topic. It can be presented in any way – a song, presentation, poster, story etc.

A project about a festival or celebration they celebrate.

Research a festival they are interested in around the world.

A light and dark investigation – how are day and night different across the world? What materials make a shadow? Can you make a shadow puppet theatre.

Create a piece of art / teach us a dance / share a piece of food linked to a festival or celebration.

We will ask for these projects to be completed by week 5 and 6 of term. The children will then be invited to share their project with their peers in the classroom.