Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers

In this block, children will explore the beautifully illustrated story Lost and Found, which tells the tale of a boy who discovers a penguin at his door and decides to help it return home. The book provides opportunities to develop comprehension, sequencing skills, and understanding of characters, while encouraging creativity in writing and oral storytelling.

Key Vocabulary

penguin, friend, boat, lost, found, journey, storm, South Pole, lonely, together

In Block 1, children will focus on developing strong number sense within 10, understanding place value, and using mathematical language to explain their thinking. They will practise counting forwards and backwards, recognising numerals, and comparing amounts. Through practical activities, games, and problem-solving tasks, children will build confidence in using numbers and basic operations.

Key Vocabulary

count, number, digit, more, fewer, greater, equal, add, subtract, altogether, take away, part, whole, first, then, next, equal to, shape, big, small, tall, short, heavy, light

What is the weather like?

In this unit, children will explore different types of weather and learn how weather affects daily life in different parts of the world. They will compare the climate in Sri Lanka, the UK, and the North Pole, using maps, photographs, and simple weather charts. Through observations, discussions, and creative tasks, children will develop their geographical knowledge and vocabulary.

Key Vocabulary

weather, hot, cold, rainy, sunny, cloudy, windy, snowy, storm, climate, tropical, temperate, icy, globe, map, country, world

Topic 1: Human Body

Children will explore the human body, learning about the main parts, the five senses, and how we use them. They will identify body parts, understand their functions, and investigate how we use our senses in everyday life.

Key Vocabulary

head, arm, leg, hand, foot, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, skin, sense, smell, taste, hearing, sight, touch

Topic 2: Seasonal Changes

Children will observe and explore the changes across the four seasons and describe the associated weather, day length, and impact on people, animals, and plants. They will compare and record seasonal patterns throughout the year.

Key Vocabulary

season, spring, summer, autumn, winter, weather, sunny, rainy, cloudy, windy, snowy, hot, cold, day length, change

Topic: Being Me in My World

In this unit, children learn about themselves as individuals and as part of a class and school community. They will explore feelings, rights, responsibilities, and the importance of working together. Through discussions, stories, and role-play, children will develop their sense of identity and belonging, as well as understanding how their behaviour affects others.

Key Vocabulary

belonging, safe, rules, responsibility, choice, consequence, fair, kind, listen, share, goal, proud, achievement

In Year 1, children develop their vocabulary through stories, discussions, phonics, and a wide range of cross-curricular subjects. Vocabulary learning underpins reading comprehension, writing development, and speaking and listening skills. The curriculum focuses on building both everyday vocabulary (linked to their immediate world) and subject-specific vocabulary (linked to English, Maths, Science, Geography, etc.).

Year 1 Block 1 Spelling Rules

Spellings long /ai/sound -ai, ay, a_e

grain, train, stain, paint, play, stay, may, plate, cake, gale, made,

Spelling long /ee/ sound-ee, ea

bee, sweet, three, sneeze, street, beach, leaves, please, complete, these

Spelling long /igh/ sound-igh, i_e, -y

night, high, quite, shine, drive, file, fly, shy, my, cry

Spelling long /oa/ sound- oa, o_e, ow

toad, float, form, home, stone, woke, snow, bow, arrow, glow

Spelling long /oo/ sound- u_e, oo, ue, ew (sometimes it makes the /yoo/ sound

moon, soon, pool, tune, June, use, blue, glue, true, new, drew, grew

Spelling /oi/ sound- oi, oy

joint, point, noise, choice, boil, voice, boy, toy, annoy, enjoy

Home learning in Year 1 is designed to support and extend your child’s learning from the classroom. Children will be encouraged to complete a short piece of writing each week in their writing log. This activity will provide them with the opportunity to think about their learning experiences and celebrate achievements.

In Maths, a weekly activity will be set on MyMaths every Tuesday, linked to the topics taught in class, and should be completed before the following week. 

Reading is a key priority in Year 1, and children are expected to read every day at home with an adult. We ask parents to encourage children to sound out words, read with expression, and talk about the story, while also recording comments in their reading log. Regular home learning helps children build confidence, practise important skills, and develop independence in their learning.

In Block 1, children will be introduced to the basics of computing and begin developing their understanding of how technology is used in everyday life. The focus will be on building their confidence with digital devices and learning how to use them safely and responsibly.

Key Vocabulary

Technology, device, log on, mouse, keyboard, program, save, cursor, internet, online safety, personal information, respect 

This block invites children to explore drawing as a physical and creative process. Beginning with large-scale mark-making, children experiment with spirals using varied tools and media. They develop control, confidence, and expressive freedom, while discovering how a simple shape can inspire rhythm, pattern, and personal artistic responses.

Key Vocabulary: drawing, mark-making, spiral, tool, media, control, confidence, expression, freedom, rhythm, pattern, shape, creativity, response, art

This block introduces children to South African music through Joanna Mangona’s Hands, Feet, Heart. Pupils explore rhythm, pulse, and pitch while developing listening and appraisal skills. Singing builds accuracy, expression, and confidence, supported by instrumental work using tuned and untuned percussion. Improvisation and simple composition activities encourage creativity and teamwork. The block also highlights cultural understanding by exploring the origins and context of the song, culminating in a joyful, inclusive class performance.

Key Vocabulary: South Africa, rhythm, pulse, pitch, listening, appraisal, singing, accuracy, expression, percussion, improvisation, composition, creativity, culture, performance

This block introduces drama through simple games and exercises, building confidence and imagination. Children will learn how to use their bodies, voices, and facial expressions to communicate ideas. Teamwork, listening, and taking turns are emphasised, establishing the foundations of performance. Activities remain playful to foster creativity and enjoyment.

Outcome: Mini sharing session of favourite drama games and skills, showing confidence and teamwork.

Key Vocabulary: drama, games, confidence, imagination, body, voice, facial expression, communication, teamwork, listening, turn-taking, foundation, creativity, enjoyment, performance

This block explores the theme of Ourselves, encouraging children to express identity, emotions, and everyday experiences through dance. Pupils build a personal movement vocabulary from gestures, actions, and rhythms of daily life. Using improvisation, they convey moods such as happiness, sadness, or excitement, and experiment with space, dynamics, and shape. Working individually and collaboratively, they create short dances reflecting personal stories. The block culminates in group performances celebrating individuality, connection, and community through shared movement.

Ball Skills 

In the ball skills unit, pupils will develop basic ball skills such as rolling, bouncing, and catching. They will engage in simple games and activities to improve hand-eye coordination.

Key Vocabulary

Rolling, bouncing, catching, throwing, ball and coordination.

All students will take part in a fortnightly swimming lesson designed to build both confidence and enjoyment in the water. Our programme follows a structured level system that ensures steady progression, tailored to each child’s ability. Alongside stroke development, children also learn important water safety and personal survival skills. We aim for every child to leave Junior School as a competent, confident swimmer with the skills to participate safely in a range of aquatic environments.