Autumn 1
Dear Parents /Carers,
Welcome back! The new school year is here and we are very much looking forward to meeting our new classes and welcoming the children back to school. We hope you had a great summer and are well rested and ready for the return to school.
We have a very exciting curriculum in Year 1 this year. This letter outlines the topics that children will learn about this half term.
English
Children will be reading some exciting new books. Welcome by Barroux is a powerful, beautifully illustrated book with positive messages that will offer opportunities for rich discussion on your children's return to school. During this half term, children will be using the work of children's favourite Julia Donaldson to inspire narrative writing. As well as looking at her collaborations with Axel Scheffler, they will also explore The Everywhere Bear, beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Rebecca Cobb; this book explores the bond between children and their teachers. Finally, children will read about a superhero with a difference - Traction Man (written by the celebrated author and illustrator Mini Grey) to inspire further narrative writing.
Maths
The children will begin by exploring and understanding the value of numbers to 10, including 0. They will further learn how to order and compare these numbers. Following this, children will look at how two numbers can be added to make a greater number. The children will explore different ways to make numbers up to 10. To finish the half term, children will begin to learn about addition. Within this, the children will learn the method of counting on and will begin to create their own methods for solving addition equations.
Geography – What is special about our local area?
Children will be investigating this question by looking at different types of maps and satellite images, using compass points and exploring their local area. They will be thinking about what they like about where they live as well as how it could be improved in the future.
Science – Sense Explorers!
Children will become Sense Explorers! They will learn about our sense of smell, hearing, taste, touch and sight and understand the role of each in helping them to understand the world around them.
Music - Duration
Children will be taught by our specialist music teacher Samantha Hughes and will explore pulse and duration this half term. Children will develop their musical skills on musical instruments (percussion) and through singing, being able to identify, play and sing sequences and songs that use long and short patterns. Children will also learn how to improvise and compose their own long and short sequences and notate their ideas.
Computing – Multimedia and eBooks
Children will be learning about online safety, before learning how to use ‘Book Creator’ to create their own eBook version of ‘Traction Man’. They will be learning techniques such as formatting, cropping and labelling.
Art – Exploring Paul Klee
Inspired by the artist Paul Klee, children will create a 'Magic fish' drawing, exploring mark making and texture with oil pastels. RE – Belonging Children will be learning about ‘Belonging’ and thinking about how different religious groups show they belong. They will also be reflecting on the importance of belonging to a community.
P.E
As last year, children should come to school in their PE kit (in the school colours of light blue, navy blue or white, including suitable footwear) and do not need to bring their normal uniform to change back into. Please do make sure that they have warm enough clothes for the whole day e.g. some jogging bottoms if they wear shorts for PE.
Indoor PE lessons
Children will either be taught dance by our specialist dance teacher Rhian Robbins or Gym by our coach David Wood. The children will have an opportunity to create, explore and perform movement in response to classroom curriculum-based topics and given stimuli such as music, visuals and text. Children will be encouraged and taught to share and develop the language to feedback and comment with an emphasis on creativity, composition, performance and peer learning.
Outdoor PE lessons
Outdoor games will initially focus on fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, skipping, hopping, changing direction and speed with control. Children will focus on negotiating space safely and following instructions. They will experience using a variety of equipment to manipulate with their hands and feet. They will work independently, in pairs and in small groups to practice these skills and improve. Our overall aims are to encourage children to work together well by helping each other, cooperating and learning how to work as a team. This will be achieved through a variety of fun, age related games.
Personal, Social, Citizenship and Health Education (PSCHE) – Our feelings
Children will explore a range of feelings and emotions through storybooks, poetry, role-play and discussion activities. We will be developing children’s language to describe different feelings and explore how an emotion may feel in our bodies and how this can link to our actions.
Homework
Maths (mathletics.com) homework will be set on Wednesdays and should be completed by the following Monday. This will start on Wednesday 13th September. A separate letter will follow with login details.
Words to learn each week will be sent home in your child’s guided reading record. This will start in the week beginning 11th September.
Guided reading homework will be set from the week beginning 11th September – the day will depend on which day your child reads with their teacher. Your child needs to bring their guided reading record to school every day.
Healthy Eating at Playtime
Children will be provided with a snack at break time. This will be a piece of fresh or dried fruit or vegetable. Children do not need to bring in other snacks from home.
Water
All children need to bring a small, labelled bottle of plain water to drink throughout the day and take it home each night to be washed. They can re-fill this bottle from the water stations in school during the day.
Communication between home and school
It is important for your child’s safety that the school has two accurate contact numbers in case of an emergency but also for us to be able to contact you and discuss what is happening in school. Please can you check that home and any mobile contact numbers that have been sent into school are correct and up to date.
We will work in partnership with families to make your child’s time at school successful – if you have any queries concerning your child’s education or welfare please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, on the playground or through the office, and we will be glad to discuss your concerns with you.
We look forward to meeting you all if we haven’t done so already, and to welcoming your children back to school!
Yours faithfully,
The Year 1 team
Rose Spring (1S – Year Leader)
Edward Frain (1F)
Sophie Rimell (1R)
Phoebe Davies (1D)
Ailee Kemeny & Gus Brooks (1KB, Meteor)
