Year 1

What an amazing term it has been for Year 1. We began with our Transdisciplinary Theme, 'Where We Are In Time and Space,' with the central idea, 'The past influences the present and future.' For our provocation the children became time detectives for the day! We looked at toys from the past like metal spinning tops, marble games, hoops (rolled metal rings), and we even made peg dolls. We then started to look at monarchs from the past and present and how toys have changed over that time.

As enthusiastic historians, we dived into the fascinating life of Queen Victoria, putting together some fantastic fact files. The children also enjoyed acting out the story of Queen Victoria's bathing machine and wrote their own imaginative version of the story. This exciting work tied in perfectly with our geography unit, where we explored the countries that make up the UK. We even discovered Queen Victoria’s favourite places to visit and took a close look at the physical features of these countries, as well as what makes towns and villages unique—such as shops, churches, and detached houses!

Building on the provocation we compared the toys of the past with modern designs, investigating their materials and uses. To deepen our understanding, we enjoyed reading our core text, Traction Man, which introduced us to the latest toys, the materials used to make these toys and how they work. It’s been an exciting journey through time!

As the term progressed, our budding scientists began an exciting investigation! We set out to discover which material would make the perfect wetsuit for Traction Man. We began by exploring a variety of materials and learning about their unique properties. Then, we delved into history, identifying which materials were previously used in toys and the reasons behind their selection.

To finish off our exploration, the children carried out a fun comparative test with various materials—fabric, foil, plastic, wool, and hessian—to determine which one proved to be the most waterproof and ideal for Traction Man’s wetsuit.

Towards the end of the term , the children enjoyed rehearsing for their Christmas production. It was an amazing experience to hear the children sing beautifully and recite their poems. It has been a fantastic term and the Year 1 team wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !