Year 1

Children’s wellbeing is our main priority and we ensure a smooth progression from EYFS to Key Stage One. In the Autumn term we operate a transition phase, where reading, writing and maths sessions take place in the morning, and in the afternoons activities are more play based.

The indoor environment is designed to be as engaging and informative as possible. There is a role play area for encouraging speech and language development and imaginative play. The book area, as well as encouraging a love of reading, is designed to be a quiet and restful place. There is a covered area outside the classroom where learning can continue and children still have the opportunity for messy play! Every day ends with a story!  We have weekly woodland sessions up in our school forest too.

In Year 1 there is a heavy emphasis on learning to read through the continuation of daily phonics sessions and reading to an adult and every day ends with a story. National Curriculum subjects are mostly taught through our cross curricular topics, for example ‘Superheroes of the Past’, and music lessons continue with Ms Molloy. We have weekly woodland sessions up in our school forest too. Most importantly children learn to work with and alongside others, developing friendships and becoming confident learners.

We make frequent trips into the local area and to places of interest relating to our topics.

Year 1 takes part in many festivals and events including the Harvest Festival, the Christmas Nativity Play, the Spring Celebration, the May Day celebration, Book Week and Science Week.

At the end of Year 1 there is a statutory phonics screening assessment. The children are always well prepared for this and we approach it as an opportunity to do ‘special work’ with the teacher.

Learning to read fluently and with enjoyment is a major focus in Year 1. Children will bring home school reading books and we encourage you to listen to your child read every day, 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Reading a bedtime story to your child daily is also extremely valuable.

We recommend families practise counting and simple addition and subtraction sums as part of play. From the Summer term a more formal, but straightforward, homework will be sent home which may include some spelling, maths, literacy or topic work.

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