Our class teachers are Mrs Stow in Cherry Tree Class and in Holly Tree Class we have Mrs Lock and Mrs Sinnet.

 We also have Mrs Taylor, Mrs Turner, Miss Austin, Mrs Dack and Mrs Pearce who help support our learning.  

Spring 2024

Happy New Year! We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas break and have had a great start to 2024.  The children have returned to school ready for more learning and of course of lots of fun along the way!  We have already enjoyed a ‘WOW’ to kickstart our new Explorers topic in History, where the children loved the challenge to find out more information about Earth’s greatest explorers!  This term we will also be thinking about a significant individual, Mae Jemison and finding out lots of interesting facts about her.

English

We are learning about ‘Winter’ and using this as a stimulus to explore poetry and non-fiction texts. We will also be looking at elements of grammar, building on our knowledge of nouns and adjectives to learn about verbs and adverbs. Our Shared Reading book is ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ which will help us to develop essential reading skills as well as learn new vocabulary.

Maths

In Maths, we will learn about Place Value to 20 and extending to 50, as well as Addition and Subtraction, Measures (volume and mass / length and height). We will continue to use a ‘Mastery’ approach, which means that we will embed skills and knowledge deeply and challenge children through questioning and reasoning rather than moving onto new concepts as well as completing additional Maths Mastery sessions.

Foundation Subjects

• In Computing, children will work on a ‘skills’ showcase as they design a rocket to the moon, using different software to help record their designs.  In Design and Technology, we will be exploring mechanisms to create a moving picture.  History will focus explorers and we will continue to develop historical analysis skills when investigating, comparing and contrasting. 
• In Spanish, children will continue to focus on family and then move on to numbers to 20, shapes and animals
• In Music we will be learning to play the glockenspiel, focusing on musical features and beginning to learn some notes and notation.
• In PE, we will be looking at gymnastics and target games, as well as sending and receiving and net and wall games.  In PSHE, we will focus on safety and the changing body. 
• In RE, we will explore a theological aspect focusing in particular on Judaism and the celebration of Shabbat. 
• In Science, we will investigate animals including humans and continue to explore seasonal changes. 
• After half term, Art will focus on model making skills using clay and sculpture to create bugs and beetles. 
• In Geography, we will be finding out about geographical features of where we live.

General Information

For outdoor lessons, children will need their track suits and trainers, it can be cold!  Girls may also need spare socks for outdoor PE, if they are wearing tights.  The children will wear shorts, P.E. t-shirts and plimsolls for indoor PE lessons.

Please ensure that your child has their hair tied back and that no jewellery is worn on the day. Staff are not able to take earrings out or put tape on them, so your child will miss P.E. if they cannot remove them.

** PLEASE label all uniform and PE clothes **

Ties – Please help your child to practise putting on their tie at home.  This can be particularly challenging with velcro top buttons so it would be great to help them become more independent.

Water bottles Please ensure your child has a water bottle in school with them each day.

PE

• Will take place on -
• • Monday  (Outdoor)
  • Friday (Indoor)

Reading 

• Books will be changed on Mondays and Thursdays and a phonically decodable ebook will be set on Fridays (ELS ebooks), but please bring your reading book and diary with you each day. Please indicate in the Reading Diary when you have read with your child. 
• Ideally, we would like you to read the ebook four times each week to practise newly learned skills.  This can include you reading to them and reading together.

Homework 

• Will be introduced this term.  More information will be sent out to you regarding this in due course.

Absences / home time collection / urgent messages

• Should be emailed directly to the School Office during the school day as we cannot guarantee we will a message on classdojo whilst teaching.

Upcoming events in Year One

Stansted Aerodrome Trip – Holly Friday 2^nd February / Cherry 9^th February

Parents Evenings – Monday 18^th March / Wednesday 20^th March

Disco – Thursday 28^th March

If you have any further questions and wish to speak to your child’s class teacher, please do not hesitate to contact us via Class Dojo or the school office to make an appointment.

Mrs Stow, Mrs Sinnet and Mrs Lock

For further information about our curriculum – please see the long term plan below

Please click on this link to access the Year 1 long term plans for 2023/2024