Year 1
A very warm welcome to all our Year 1 children and families. We hope you had a wonderful summer break and enjoyed spending time together with friends and family. We are very much looking forward to the year ahead and all the learning that we will be doing together.
Our whole school theme this year is underpinned by the Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity and is called…
The Treasure Within.
The theme is inspired by the Bible quote “The Treasure Within: for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6.21). This theme helps us to think carefully about the treasures in our life that we hold dear, these could be spending time with family, becoming closer to God through prayer or enjoying a hobby such as cooking. This year we will think about the treasures we hold dear and share these as a class.
Religious Education (RE):
RE is always at the heart of our learning. This year our RE topics will follow the “To know You more clearly” curriculum, this term we will be covering the following:
- Creation and Covenant: We will learn that creation is a gift from God and be able to retell the story of creation. The children will know that God is with them and that prayer can bring us closer to him. We will reflect on the opening words of Creed and what the words of the Our Father mean to us.
- Prophecy and Promise: We will know why the stories in the Bible are so important and learn the story of Visitation and the story of Jesus’ birth. We will understand why Mary is important to Christians and know that the first words of the Hail Mary were said by the Angel Gabriel.
This term we will be going on an exciting journey of discovery.
English:
In English we will be using our Talk for Writing strategies to retell the story of “The Three Little Pigs” and “Wanted: The Perfect Pet”. These stories will also inspire our creative writing, where we will be writing a letter of apology from the Big Bad Wolf to the Three Little Pigs as well as a pet fact sheet. We will be using our phonological skills to help us with our spellings, as well as focusing on our use of capital letters, full stops and finger spaces. We will be practicing our handwriting daily to ensure our letters are formed correctly.
Maths:
The children will become mathematical thinkers in our topic of Place Value, where we will count, sort and compare numbers. We will look at Addition and Subtraction strategies such as part whole models and fact families, as well as number bonds to 10. In the latter part of the term we will be exploring Shape where we will be recognising and sorting 2D and 3D shapes.
Wider Topics:
In Science Year 1 will start their Autumn term by investigating Everyday Materials and their uses. We will link this to our English topic of the Three Little Pigs testing the strength of each little pig’s house. We will categorise and sort different materials by their properties and their uses.
In Geography we will explore the seasonal changes that happen in the UK. We will understand when these changes occur by learning the months of the year. We will also be studying the UK, using maps to identify different locations and the human and physical features that can be found there.
In Design &Technology we will be using our creative skills to produce a movable Christmas card. We will design, plan and produce our Christmas cards and evaluate them after.
We will use our enquiry skills in History to find out about Robin Hood in our Enchanted Woodland topic. Here we will learn about why Robin Hood is an important figure in history and of significance to Nottingham,. We will investigate the people that lived in his era, finding out about the Merry Men and King Richard 1st. We will learn about locations of historical importance such as Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle.
Our Physical Education (PE) lessons are very exciting this term. We will be taking part in dance and fitness lessons with Mrs Bathgate. As well as working on our team building skills, where we will learn to work together and communicate effectively.
This term is going to be a very busy but exciting one. We can’t wait to get started!
How To Help At Home
Reading: Please ensure your child always has their reading book and diary in school. Listen to your child read each day and leave a comment in your reading diary. Your child will take part in guided reading sessions each week. Read stories to your child to encourage a love of books and visit the library to borrow a wide range of stories.
PE: Always have the correct PE kit in school. This term all children will need an indoor kit (white t-shirt and black shorts) and an outdoor kit (warm joggers/leggings, sweatshirt or hoodie, trainers).
Homework: Complete weekly homework challenges. This will normally include a maths task, reading and spellings. Spelling tests will take place every Wednesday. New homework sheets will be sent out on Wednesday.
Uniform – Please ensure that every item of clothing is clearly labelled with your child’s name. This makes returning belongings so much easier.
Useful Websites:
https://www.teachyourmonster.org/
Phonics and reading activities in a fun and interactive way.
A fun website to develop mathematical recall and fluency in addition and subtraction. regular homework will be set using this website.
Mathletics United Kingdom | Empowering Maths Learning Online
A fun website to help consolidate the learning done in school. Weekly homework will be set on this website.
Finally, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to speak to me either before or after the school day. Alternatively please phone or email the office to arrange an appointment at a convenient time.
Mrs Hudson
