Welcome to the Autumn Term in Year 1

Class Teacher - Mrs Morcom-Lewis and Learning Support Officer - Mrs Williams / Mrs Hemming

Class Teacher - Miss Vaughan and Learning Support Officer - Mr Levy

Numeracy and literacy activities are taught in the morning, followed by different areas of learning and experiences in the afternoons.

We are extremely fortunate that on Tuesday afternoons, Ms Ellett, our school music specialist, teaches the children music and will develop their understanding of a variety of instruments. Miss Hodgson also works with the children to improve their Personal and Social Education. Through play, stories and songs, the children will learn to form positive relationships and develop respect for others.

Within our classrooms, we share a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, focusing on the concepts of identity, diversity and discrimination. We use these books from our whole class reading to inform and inspire extended writing and afternoon activities.

During literacy lessons, the children build on prior knowledge of initial sounds to blend and segment words. This helps develop their phonological awareness, so that they can form simple sentences, and also begin to form more complex sentences.

Weekly individual reading and daily handwriting practice also takes place.

Year 1 use a practical approach to build upon and develop mathematical skills. We work to reinforce knowledge of accurate counting to 10, 20 and beyond.

A particular focus this term is to recognise repeating patterns and to identify 2 digit numbers. Children explore number bonds to 10 and explore the concept of place value using practical and pictorial methods.

This term has a focus on the five human senses; sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. Children learn that our senses help us to understand the world around us. Activities develop the idea that our senses can warn us of danger and help recognise that some people have problems with their senses such as sight or hearing loss.

We also learn to identify the four seasons and will be able to describe characteristic local weather patterns during the different seasons. We will be mixing colours and using all the colours of the rainbow to create exciting art inspired by different artists and whole class reading books.

ICT skills will continue to be developed through the use of tablets, coding equipment (wise floor, the 4D room and coding tablets) and chromebooks.

We also visit the outdoor 'Learning Lodge' to complete some of our activities (sometimes with help from Barney the dog!)

Throughout the term we will be celebrating festivals from around the World.

In Welsh we will be concentrating on the questions ’Beth sy yn y bocs? (What's in the box?)’ and ‘Pa liw wyt ti’n hoffi?’ (What colour do you like?) in particular.

SeeSaw

As a foundation phase, we will continue to use the platform ‘SeeSaw’ within the classroom. This means the children can save their work privately in their own folder. SeeSaw also allows children to develop their necessary ICT skills independently and be prepared for any home learning that may occur in the future. The app creates a lovely journal of all the child’s work, where the teacher can see progress and development in all areas of their learning.

Within our classroom, we encourage the children to take age-appropriate responsibility, whilst continuing to be clear, firm and compassionate.

Activities will provide opportunities for children to take different levels of responsibility for a range of tasks. We will also be creating situations with different roles, to explore situations from each person's perspective.

• Children should bring a water bottle to school each day.

• P.E. will be on a Monday. Children should attend school in the agreed P.E. kit on this day.

• We have a number of children in school with a nut allergy. We strive to be a nut free school so please do not send in nut products in packed lunches.

Thank you for your continued help and support,

The Year One Team.

Please complete this form to provide feedback and comment

To contact your child's teacher please drop us an email via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk or call us 01656 815790.

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