Year 1

Welcome back to a new term! We hope you had a wonderful Easter and are feeling refreshed and ready for all the exciting learning opportunities the summer term brings.

Meet the Year 1 Team:

Class Teacher: Miss Murphy
Class LSAs: Mrs. Manning & Mrs. Markwood
PPA Cover: Miss Pope & Mrs. Ray

Weekly Timetable

Below is a sample copy of our weekly timetable. While we aim to follow it closely, occasional adjustments may be made to accommodate special activities or events.

English: Phonics continues to be a key focus this term. Your child will be covering Set 1, Set 2, and Set 3 sounds. You can support their learning by practicing real and nonsense words and reading with them daily. Please record this in their reading diary. We also encourage reading for pleasure, as it helps nurture a lifelong love of books! Children will take part in daily phonics and reading sessions, and they will be heard reading throughout the week as part of shared reading activities. In June, Year 1 students will sit their Phonics Screening Test. Reading regularly at home will greatly support their confidence and fluency, reinforcing the sounds and tricky words learned in school.

Writing Focus: This term, we will develop key writing skills, including vocabulary building, sentence formation, finger spacing, and punctuation. Our literacy texts will include The Way Back Home, Beegu, Lost in the Toy Museum, and The Magic Paintbrush.

Maths: We will continue following the White Rose Maths scheme, deepening our understanding of place value up to 50 and extending this to 100. This term, we will:

Introduce multiplication and division, focusing on counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Explore simple fractions.
Develop our understanding of measurement, including length, volume, and mass.
Learn about money and time.

Religious Education (RE): We follow the Emmanuel Project scheme. This term’s Christian unit will focus on prayer and worship. After half term, we will explore Jewish prayer traditions.

History: We will continue comparing different historical periods, focusing on Tudor and Victorian toys. To enhance our learning, we have planned a class trip to Colchester Hollytrees Museum on July 9th, where students will experience a day as Victorian children!

Science: Our focus this term is growth and plants. We will:

Identify parts of a flower.
Learn the names of common flowers and trees in the UK.
Engage in planting activities.
Expand our knowledge of human body parts and the five senses.

Geography: We will explore the wider world, identifying hot and cold climates and learning about daily and seasonal weather patterns.

Art & Design Technology (DT): We will study the artist L.S. Lowry, focusing on developing sketching and painting skills. In DT, we will design and make our own smoothies, linking this to seasonal fruits!

PE: This term, we will practise hand-eye coordination through cricket and prepare for Sports Day through athletics. Our PE days are Mondays and Thursdays. Please ensure earrings are removed before school (or your child knows how to remove them independently) and all clothing items are clearly labelled.

Important Reminders

As the weather warms up, please apply suncream before school and provide your child with a sun hat.
Water bottles should contain only water and be taken home daily for cleaning and refilling.

We are always here to support you! Feel free to speak to us at the classroom door before or after school for quick queries. For more detailed discussions, we are happy to arrange a meeting at your convenience.

Let’s continue working together to help your child achieve their goals and dream big this term!