Key Stage 1

Age 5 - 7 years

Classrooms

The classrooms across KS1 are designed to meet the needs of the children. As a result, there are some significant similarities and differences in how the Year 1 and 2 Classrooms are set up. Year 1 classrooms will have areas of continuous provision in which children take on independent challenges to practice and cement the learning that has taken place in group or whole class sessions. We aim to create a more formal learning environment as the children mature and by the time children get into Year 2, classes are set up with a much greater focus on children working at tables independently or as part of a group.

Regardless of year group, we aim to make our classrooms stimulating, productive and useful. Displays aim to celebrate children's achievements or are designed to support their learning as 'Working Walls'. The latter act as reminder for children about what has been taught within a given topic so that they can be used as a learning tool!

Have a look at these video tours for a first hand look at what our learning environments look like.

Inside KS1

Inside KS1 (2).mp4

Reading, Writing and Maths

Reading, Writing and Maths are three of the key elements across Key Stage 1. Children will have daily teaching of to all three of these subjects and will be given broad and wide ranging opportunities to learn and develop new skills, whilst cementing their understanding of the concepts and content taught earlier on in their academic careers.

In reading, children develop their phonic awareness and begin to apply this to reading longer and more demanding texts. They will also work on developing their comprehension skills to allow them to develop a full understanding of the texts that they read. We continue to foster a love of reading by providing high quality engaging texts both across the curriculum and in whole class and independent reading for pleasure sessions.

To further extend the reach of reading, we also provide children with Read Aloud at Home books. These are texts that are carefully selected and pitched just above the reading age of the children in the phase. The books are taken home for a half term and are designed to be shared with the child's family, with parents taking the lead on reading the stories to their child. This is a great way to expose children to more in-depth stories and variety of fantastic vocabulary that they would otherwise be unable to access

In writing in KS1, we build on children's experiences of early writing. By the end of Year 1 children will be able to write simple sentences, drawing on their developing vocabulary and punctuation knowledge to produce increasingly descriptive and exciting writing. As children move into Year 2 we continue our journey towards being independent and creative writers. Children are expected to write for extended periods of time and will produce a number of simple narratives and nonfiction texts during the year.

We aim to ensure our writing sessions are engaging and have a strong purpose. As such, sessions are often linked to the topics being covered in the wider curriculum or to stories that are being shared with the class at the time. This aims to motivate children and hook them into their writing so that they are engaged and passionate about what they produce.

By the end of the Key Stage, children will have learned how to produce increasingly complex sentences, supported by a range of punctuation.

In Maths, children in KS1 build upon the firm foundations made in EYFS. We start to move beyond the concept of number by beginning children on their calculations journey. First focussing on addition and subtraction, before moving onto multiplication and division in Year 2. Children are frequently asked to engage their higher order thinking skills through problem solving and reasoning activities as well as through engaging with the wider mathematics curriculum during topics such as: shape, measure and data. Pupils continue to use high quality concrete recourses as well as developing a number of pictorial and abstract strategies and methods so support them with their learning.

The Wider Curriculum

In Key Stage One we offer the children a broad and balanced curriculum. We our years are split into a range of wonderful topics designed to inspire children and nurture their curiosity. The children will learn about significant historical people and events ranging from Florence Nightingale to the Great Fire of London; they have the chance to learn about their local area and the county of Yorkshire as well as mega cities such as Tokyo on the other side of the world; and in science the children take on various investigations and studies that all aim to develop their enquiry skills!

Along side these key drivers, the children take on a number of DT, Art, ICT, PE, Music and PHSE topics that support their holistic development and give them opportunities to apply and develop their knowledge and skills in a variety of settings.

Trips, Visits and Visitors

To support the children's learning, they take part in a range of trips an visits that are aimed to inspire a love of learning and spark children's curiosity about the topics they are learning. The children have to got some wonderful local places and spaces which helps us to build a sense of where we live and establishes strong links between the school and the local community. The children progress from a local are walk in Year 1 to travelling all the way to the east coast to explore and study the coastline and conduct geographical fieldwork in the area. Not all of our trips are designed to link to the curriculum as we recognise the need to enhance children's experiences as much as possible. To help us achieve this, in Year 2, the children take a trip to a local theatre in the run up the Christmas holidays to watch a pantomime. This is always a brilliant experience and will undoubtedly be a highlight of most children's KS1 careers.

We also try to get a range of visitors into school. Artists, authors, LEGO technicians and Florence Nightingale are all recent visitors to school and each one has made a different impact on the children's learning. As well as this, the children regularly get to work with sports coaches that enrich our PE curriculum and bring with a wealth of experiences in instructing the children in sports such as tag-rugby to tennis!

Events and Opportunities

We are committed to giving the children in Key Stage One a wide range of opportunities to engage in experiences and learning over and above their usual classroom experience. This can range from taking part in sporting competition, working with professionals from diverse fields or even taking part in performances. The following list is a selection of some of the wonderful events and opportunities our children can take part in!

Balanceability:

Children learn the fundamental skills required for effective and safe cycling on balance bikes with a qualified cycling instructor

Christmas Performances:

Year 1 and 2 put on their own performances in the run up to Christmas. In recent years we have held carol concerts with our younger children, whilst the children in Year 2 have put on performances such as Hey Ewe; Lights, Camel Action! and Straw and Order.

The Owlcotes Cup:

The children get to put their sporting skills to the test in a day of competition against the other schools within the trust. Held on our very own field, the children relish the change to put their determination and team spirit to the test.

Fruit Picking:

Each year children have the chance to bring their families to school to harvest the fruit from our very own orchard. Apples, pears and plums are abundant and make the perfect filling for a crumble or pie to baked at home!

The above are just a taster of the exciting opportunities that await children in Key Stage One at Primrose Hill.

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