Autumn 2025
Year 1
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Welcome to Year 1!
Welcome to Year 1!
We are looking forward to a wonderful year with your children, and to building a successful parent/staff relationship. We are available before school every day for quick handover information or questions. For anything more in depth, we will happily speak to you most afternoons after school, or we can make an appointment for a mutually convenient time. If there are likely to be different adults collecting your child, please email this information to myself and the school office: admin@thorngrove.herts.sch.uk ; emonk@thorngrove.herts.sch.uk
Uniform: Now your child is in Year 1 we will be encouraging them to take greater responsibility for their belongings. Please ensure that all items of clothing, shoes, wellies, bags, packed lunch boxes, snack boxes and water bottles are clearly labelled so that any lost items may be returned to you. Book bags are preferable to backpacks, if possible, due to lack of storage space. We also find that our books become dog-eared in backpacks.
Water bottles and snacks: Please send your child into school every day with a water bottle. We would appreciate it if it has a flip lid/straw rather than one which needs to have the whole lid taken off it in order to have a drink, so we can reduce spillages. Children are encouraged to ‘drink to make you think’ - sipping drinks regularly to keep them hydrated. The school provides a fruit/vegetable snack every day for Key Stage 1 children but you are welcome to provide a healthy snack if you prefer. Milk is available too. Please contact the office if you would like your child to have milk.
Home Learning: In Year 1 our home learning is mainly focused on our reading. Please read with your child as often as you can and practise recall of words and sounds using any sheets provided in your child's RWI folder. We will also be introducing 'Numbots'. There will be more to follow in a separate communication soon.
Thank you! Miss Monk.
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. We will practice our phonics (Fred Talk) daily, as well as building our sight vocabulary and our understanding of the text. Each week we will bring home a paper copy of the book we have been reading in school, as well as a different RWI book to practise reading at home. Please record your child’s reading on their Reading Ribbon, which will be in your child’s RWI folder.
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. We will practice our phonics (Fred Talk) daily, as well as building our sight vocabulary and our understanding of the text. Each week we will bring home a paper copy of the book we have been reading in school, as well as a different RWI book to practise reading at home. Please record your child’s reading on their Reading Ribbon, which will be in your child’s RWI folder.
As mathematicians, we will be securing our understanding of numbers to 10. We will be estimating, working out 1 more and 1 less and working out different ways of ‘regrouping’ a number. E.g. 6 = 4 +2; 5+1; 3+2+1; 1+1+1+1+2 etc. We will also be using part-part-whole models to aid our addition and subtraction learning. We will learn about 2D and 3D shapes this term as well as ordering the days of the week.
As mathematicians, we will be securing our understanding of numbers to 10. We will be estimating, working out 1 more and 1 less and working out different ways of ‘regrouping’ a number. E.g. 6 = 4 +2; 5+1; 3+2+1; 1+1+1+1+2 etc. We will also be using part-part-whole models to aid our addition and subtraction learning. We will learn about 2D and 3D shapes this term as well as ordering the days of the week.
As scientists, we will learn
As scientists, we will learn
about the change in seasons and will find out about different kinds of trees, including oak, horse chestnut and pine. We will learn about how some trees are ‘evergreen’ and how others lose their leaves (deciduous). We will also learn about the human body - body parts and the senses, and will be doing some investigations.
As computer scientists, we will learn about how to control and programme a 'Beebot' both on a beebot app and on an actual 'robot'. We will aslo learn about technology around us and understand how it helps us in our day to day lives. We will be creating rules for how to use technology safely and responsibly.
As computer scientists, we will learn about how to control and programme a 'Beebot' both on a beebot app and on an actual 'robot'. We will aslo learn about technology around us and understand how it helps us in our day to day lives. We will be creating rules for how to use technology safely and responsibly.
As geographers, we will learn about ‘Our local area’. We will be going on a trip to town in October.
As geographers, we will learn about ‘Our local area’. We will be going on a trip to town in October.
We will need helpers for this trip (the more the merrier), so please let me know if you are available to help once a date has been confirmed.
We will need helpers for this trip (the more the merrier), so please let me know if you are available to help once a date has been confirmed.
As historians, we will learn about the history of shopping, which will entail a trip to a supermarket. We will learn how and why shopping has changed in the last 100 years.
As historians, we will learn about the history of shopping, which will entail a trip to a supermarket. We will learn how and why shopping has changed in the last 100 years.
As artists, we will explore drawing different types of lines and mark-making. We will also do some leaf rubbings and some observational drawings of leaves.
As artists, we will explore drawing different types of lines and mark-making. We will also do some leaf rubbings and some observational drawings of leaves.
As designers, we will learn how to make a moving part in a card by adding a 'slider'.
As designers, we will learn how to make a moving part in a card by adding a 'slider'.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be focusing on 'Me and My Relationships' where we will be working with the children on their emotional literacy - being able to talk about their feelings and self-regulate when they have 'big feelings'. This unit includes how to be a good friend and about people who are special to us. We will then focus on 'Valuing Difference' which covers celebrating differences, the impact of bullying and how to be respectful.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be focusing on 'Me and My Relationships' where we will be working with the children on their emotional literacy - being able to talk about their feelings and self-regulate when they have 'big feelings'. This unit includes how to be a good friend and about people who are special to us. We will then focus on 'Valuing Difference' which covers celebrating differences, the impact of bullying and how to be respectful.
As learners of religion, we will consider Christianity and Judaism. We will be asking ' Why is belonging to God and the church family important to Christians?' and 'Why is learning to do good deeds so important to Jewish people?'
As learners of religion, we will consider Christianity and Judaism. We will be asking ' Why is belonging to God and the church family important to Christians?' and 'Why is learning to do good deeds so important to Jewish people?'
We will also learn a song/story to share with you in our Harvest Festival assembly on Wednesday 15th October at 9:15am.
In December, we will be practising for Xmas Nativity, where all of the songs are signed.
In December, we will be practising for Xmas Nativity, where all of the songs are signed.
As musicians, we will learn about beat, rhythm and pitch. We will of course look forward to seeing you when we share our Christmas performance on Tuesday 16th December at 9:30am.
As musicians, we will learn about beat, rhythm and pitch. We will of course look forward to seeing you when we share our Christmas performance on Tuesday 16th December at 9:30am.
As athletes, we will practise our balls skills with our hands and we will learn about following instructions in PE through games. After half term we will be practising our ball skills with our feet and will learn about balancing and moving on different body parts in gymnastics. PE sessions will be held on MONDAY (outdoors) and FRIDAY (indoors), please make sure your child's PE kit is suitable for each lesson.
As athletes, we will practise our balls skills with our hands and we will learn about following instructions in PE through games. After half term we will be practising our ball skills with our feet and will learn about balancing and moving on different body parts in gymnastics. PE sessions will be held on MONDAY (outdoors) and FRIDAY (indoors), please make sure your child's PE kit is suitable for each lesson.
This term we will be focusing on the essential skills of communication. Click here for more information about Skills Builder.
Skills Builder has a resource platform dedicated to helping parents and carers to build their child’s essential skills at home: Skills Builder Homezone (skillsbuilder.org/homezone).
Forest School will be every THURSDAY afternoon. We will use this time to support our Science/Geography learning and development of gross motor skills. Children will need their wellies, (named please!), and can wear their PE kit or old school uniform on that day. If you would like, your child can wear a PLAIN, blue/dark coloured tshirt.
We are also continuing our drive to encourage more children to read for pleasure. Research shows a positive link between reading frequency and enjoyment and educational attainment. Please continue to support your children by [reading with them daily / discussing their reading / ensuring time is set aside for reading. To support this, your child may bring home books from our book corner in their book bags too. They are allowed 2 at a time, and we will be encouraging them to take 1 non-fiction and 1 fiction book. We will try and allow children to change their books at least twice a week.
We are also continuing our drive to encourage more children to read for pleasure. Research shows a positive link between reading frequency and enjoyment and educational attainment. Please continue to support your children by [reading with them daily / discussing their reading / ensuring time is set aside for reading. To support this, your child may bring home books from our book corner in their book bags too. They are allowed 2 at a time, and we will be encouraging them to take 1 non-fiction and 1 fiction book. We will try and allow children to change their books at least twice a week.
Our primary concern is that children are happy in school so please do feel free to contact us if they are experiencing any difficulties so that we can offer any support that they might need.
Our primary concern is that children are happy in school so please do feel free to contact us if they are experiencing any difficulties so that we can offer any support that they might need.
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