Year 1
Summer 2, Week 5
Congratulations to our stars of the week!
What a busy and exciting time we've had in Year 1!
This week, we've been diving into the story The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch by Ronda and David Armitage. The children absolutely loved learning about Mr Grinling and his pesky problem with the greedy seagulls! We put on our thinking caps and came up with some fantastic descriptions of clever inventions and creative ideas to stop the seagulls from stealing the lunch. Some of the suggestions were very inventive – from invisible nets to flying robots!
We also had lots of fun writing about the most disgusting lunches we could imagine – all designed to put those cheeky seagulls off! There were fish eyeball sandwiches, mud and worm stew, and even snail slime soup. Our classrooms were full of giggles (and a few groans!) as we read them aloud.
In Maths, we’ve been learning to tell the time using o’clock and half past. The children have enjoyed making their own clocks and practicing reading the time in fun, practical ways.
In PE, we’ve been exploring different body shapes. We’ve learnt the tuck, pike, straddle and straight shapes and have been practicing holding each one with strong, controlled movements. The children have worked hard and shown great determination during our gymnastics sessions and were particularly excited about using the large apparatus!
Our History lessons have taken us on a journey through time as we looked at artefacts from the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II. The children were fascinated by the differences in clothing, objects, and photographs from each era, and asked some brilliant questions.
Finally, in Computing, we’ve started using Scratch, a fun and interactive program that introduces the basics of coding. The children enjoyed creating their own characters and making them move around the screen – a brilliant introduction to programming!
We’re so proud of all the hard work Year 1 have been putting in – keep it up!
Year 1, Summer 2, Week 5
Summer 2, Week 4
Congratulations to our stars of the week!
What an exciting week it’s been in Year 1! We’ve been busy exploring, discovering, and creating across all areas of our learning.
In Maths, we've been learning how to tell the time to o'clock and half past. We’ve had lots of fun using real clocks and drawing clock faces to show different times. Now we’re starting to spot the time around school and at home – some of us can even tell when it’s nearly time for lunch!
In English, we’ve been turning into authors and writing our very own non-fiction books all about castles! We’ve learned how to write facts, label diagrams, and ask questions using question marks in our writing. Did you know castles had arrow slits and drawbridges? We do! Our books are full of fascinating facts and fantastic drawings.
In Science, we’ve been learning about some amazing scientists and their discoveries. We especially enjoyed finding out about Mary Anning, the famous fossil hunter. Inspired by her, we made our own fossils using clay. It was messy, creative, and a brilliant way to understand how fossils are formed. We've also learned about Isaac Newton's discovery of how white light is made up of different colours, called a spectrum.
It's been another exciting and fun week in Year 1, we're looking forward to more learning next week!
Summer 2, Week 3
Star of the week
In English, we completed our Big Write based on the story The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight. The children planned their own imaginative characters and created brand-new monsters to include in their retellings. They practised writing in full sentences and focused on using capital letters, full stops, and finger spaces. It was wonderful to see their creativity shine through, and many children were proud to read their stories aloud to the class.
In Maths, we continued learning about money. This week, we focused on recognising and using 5p and 10p coins. The children sorted coins, made different amounts, and played shop role-play games to practise giving change. We also practised counting in 5s and 10s to help us work out totals quickly and accurately.
In Science, we have been learning about famous scientists who changed the way we understand the world. This week, we learned about Nicolaus Copernicus. We discovered that people used to believe the Sun moved around the Earth, but Copernicus showed that the Earth actually moves around the Sun. The children were fascinated by this idea and created drawings to show how the Earth orbits the Sun.
In RE, we have been learning about special places. This week, we explored why the church is a special place for Christians. We even visited a local church to see what it looks like inside and learn more about what happens there. The children enjoyed spotting features such as stained glass windows, the altar, and the font, and asked some brilliant questions during our visit.
In Computing, we have been learning how to use simple coding to control characters on the screen. Using a program called Scratch, the children created their own characters and explored how to make them move by giving clear instructions. They were very excited to see their coding skills in action!
In History, we have been learning about kings and queens. This week, we focused on different queens from the past and what makes someone a monarch. The children drew pictures of queens in their books and included important features such as crowns, robes, and thrones. We also learned that a king or queen must have a special ceremony called a coronation before they officially become a monarch. The children were very interested in these royal traditions and asked lots of thoughtful questions.
It has been a fun and exciting week full of learning. Well done to all the children for their enthusiasm and hard work!
Y1SU2W3AP
Summer 2, Week 2
Star of the week
What a busy and exciting week we've had in school!
In our History lessons, we’ve been learning all about Queens in History. The children loved discovering fascinating facts about famous queens from the past and talking about the important roles they played. There was lots of curiosity and wonderful discussion about how life was different then and now.
In Science, we blasted off into space to explore the Solar System! We learned how the planets orbit the sun and discovered that the Earth spins too – that’s what gives us day and night! The children were amazed to learn just how big space really is.
In English, we have been reading The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight. The children have written brilliant character descriptions, thinking carefully about personality and appearance. We were so impressed with the imaginative vocabulary and ideas they used!
Maths has been all about money. We’ve been busy using coins to make purchases, count change, and solve real-life problems. The children have loved setting up mini shops in the classroom – a great way to make maths fun and meaningful.
In RE, we’ve been reflecting on special places and what they mean to us. It has been lovely to hear the children share their own experiences and thoughts about places that make them feel happy, calm, or safe.
Well done to all of our amazing learners this week – your enthusiasm and curiosity continue to shine!
Have a restful weekend, and we look forward to another week of learning and fun!
Year 1 Summer 2 Week 2
Summer 2, Week 1
Congratulations to our Stars of the week!
The photo is on hold as two of our Stars were celebrating Eid on Friday.
What an exciting week we've had in Year 1! Our classrooms have been bursting with curiosity, creativity and learning as we explored everything from counting to crowns, dragons to dynamics, and even a famous scientist who helped us understand our place in space.
In Maths, we’ve been jumping, clapping and chanting our way through skip counting in twos, fives and tens! The children have loved using number lines, songs and actions to make their counting fun and memorable. It's been amazing to see their confidence grow as they spotted patterns and began to solve problems using their new skills.
In English, we took our imaginations to fiery new heights by writing detailed descriptions of dragons. From shimmering golden scales to smoke curling from their nostrils, the children really brought their mythical creatures to life with exciting adjectives and expanded sentences. We’re so proud of their creativity and use of powerful vocabulary — these dragons would impress even the bravest knight!
Our History lessons have taken a royal turn as we learned about St Edward’s Crown — the crown used during coronations of British monarchs. The children were fascinated by its sparkling jewels and rich history. We even had a go at designing our own crowns, using what we’d learned about the real one. There were plenty of rubies, sapphires and golden arches in our regal artwork!
In Science, we took a journey to the stars and discovered Copernicus, the scientist who realized that the Sun — not the Earth — is at the centre of the solar system. The children were amazed by this big idea and asked brilliant questions about the planets and space.
Our Music lessons this week were all about dynamics (loud and soft) and tempo (fast and slow). We used percussion instruments, body percussion and even our voices to experiment with different sounds.
Summer 1, Week 5
C
What a busy and exciting week we’ve had in Year 1!
In Art, we have been getting creative with clay sculptures, using natural materials such as twigs. We took inspiration from the work of Andy Goldsworthy and Yunko Mori, who both use nature in their artwork. The children really enjoyed exploring textures and shapes, and we were amazed by the imaginative designs they produced!
Linking to our Geography learning, we reflected on our recent trip to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The children used their knowledge of maps and journeys to create their own drawings showing the route we took. It was wonderful to see how much they remembered from the trip, and how confidently they could describe their journey.
In Maths, we have been counting in twos and tens. Through games, songs, and practical activities, the children are becoming confident skip counters. Ask them to show you at home — you might be impressed by how fast they can go!
Our English work this week has been inspired by the lovely story Oliver’s Vegetables. We have been learning to describe different vegetables using exciting adjectives, and thinking about how to structure sentences clearly. To finish the week, each child wrote a letter to Oliver’s mum, telling her all about what Oliver has been up to each day. Their writing was full of creativity and growing confidence — well done, Year 1!
Summer 1, Week 4
Star of the week.
In Curious Quest, we have been exploring the story Oliver’s Vegetables as part of our English learning. This book has supported our development of vocabulary, as we used adjectives to describe the vegetables in the story (e.g. crunchy carrots, muddy potatoes). We then sequenced events by writing about which vegetables Oliver picked on each day of the week, helping us build our understanding of time and ordering events in writing.
In mathematics, we have continued to focus on teen numbers, developing fluency with number facts and using a tens frame to support our visual understanding of place value. We also revisited key concepts such as odd and even numbers, halves, and doubles, laying strong foundations for number sense and early calculation strategies.
As part of our geography learning, following our trip to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, the children created maps to show the route we took and the features we observed. This supported their understanding of map skills, directional language, and human and physical features of the environment.
In art, we used looms to create woven designs using strips of green painted paper. The children had designed the paper the previous week using various painting techniques, and the weaving helped them develop fine motor skills, pattern awareness, and an appreciation for textile art.
In RE (Religious Education), we have been learning about the Jewish festival of Tu BiShvat, known as the "New Year for Trees." We explored why this celebration is important in Judaism and reflected on whether there could be alternative symbols to represent the festival, encouraging critical thinking and respect for different beliefs and traditions.
Yr 1 S1 WK 4 ANT
Summer 1, Week 3
Star of the week
This week in Year 1, the children have had to work extra hard as we had a bank holiday, and on Friday, we had Sports Day. The children have been amazing and did everything they needed to do. We also remembered VE Day on Wednesday with a minute’s silence and some VE Day-themed craft activities.
In Maths, we have focused on teen numbers. The children have been developing their understanding of a teen number as being made up of a ten and some more. They have worked hard and made amazing progress. We will continue to develop this idea in CP next week.
The children have enjoyed this week's Curious Quests work. They have written some amazing instructions for planting a seed. The children have also had the chance to plant some seeds in continuous provision. This has been a fun activity and has hopefully helped them think through the steps they would need to include in their writing.
We hope everyone enjoyed Sports Day as much as we did. It was an amazing day with lots of fun! The children were fantastic and seemed to really enjoy themselves. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible.
Year 1 Summer 1 wk 3
Summer 1, Week 2
Congratulations to all of our Stars this week!
This week in Curious Quests we have been looking at the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. We predicted where the seed would go and wrote about the adventures it had on its journey. It flew over the ocean, through tall mountains and past a hot, dry desert.
In Maths we have been learning about teen numbers. We now know that they are 'ten and a bit more'. We have been ordering them on numberlines and representing them in different ways.
In PSHE we have been looking at food that are healthy for us and good to eat often and then food that are unhealthy that we should have in smaller amounts.
In Geography we have been thinking about our local area and that we are located in the South Downs National Park. We are definitely getting ready for our trip to Queen Elizabeth Country Park!
We ended our week with a very exciting pyjama day! Thank you to everyone for getting involved and raising money for local charities.
Summer 1 - Week 1
Wow what a fantastic start we've had to the summer term! Congratulations to our shining stars of the week for this week.
We kicked off our week with an amazing adventure in our Curious Quests sessions, where we read How to Grow a Dragon. The story was full of magic and mystery, and it got our imaginations buzzing! We spent some time thinking about what kinds of magical creatures we might grow if we had our own special seeds. There were some wonderful ideas—dragons, unicorns, and even rainbow cheetahs! Everyone had a great time sharing their creative thoughts.
In Maths, we’ve been focusing on tens and ones. We’ve been using lots of different ways to help us understand and solve problems. Some of us used Dienes to build numbers, while others worked with part-whole models to partition numbers into tens and ones. We also used tens frames to see how numbers fit into groups of 10. It was fantastic to see everyone using these different methods to work through tricky problems and come up with solutions in their own ways!
In Art, we started a new topic all about nature. We explored the different shapes and colours of natural materials like leaves. We were inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy, who makes beautiful art using natural things. We tried our hand at creating our own patterns and sculptures using the materials we found outside. Some of us made spirals, while others created arrangements of leaves and little ‘leaf nests.’ It was amazing to see how we could make art from what we find in nature, and everyone’s creations were so beautiful!
We also had an exciting event this week—Leap for the Library! It was a huge success, and everyone did an amazing job jumping and bouncing to raise money for our school library. A huge congratulations to Hedgehogs Class for completing the most bounces in the year group! Well done, Hedgehogs! It was so much fun to see everyone getting involved and supporting our library.
Spring 2 _ Week 6
Congratulations to our stars of the week for this week - Well done for making your teachers proud!
This week, in our Curious Quest, we have been exploring the story of The Great Fire of London. In English, we focused on -ed spellings, sorting root words into their -ed forms to help us understand how verbs change when talking about the past. We then applied our knowledge by writing our own fact books based on the story, developing our ability to write for different purposes.
In maths, we explored tens and ones, using number lines to place numbers accurately and understand how they are ordered. We also tackled an investigation problem, sorting farm animals into the correct place so the farmer could take them to market. This helped us practise our problem-solving and reasoning skills.
In science, we continued learning about seasonal changes by going on a spring walk. We looked for signs of spring, drew what we observed, and compared these changes to other seasons. Later, we created drawings of all four seasons in our textbooks to reinforce our understanding of how the weather and environment change throughout the year.
In RE, we continued learning about the Easter story and discussed why it is important to Christians. This helped us understand the significance of religious celebrations and how different faiths mark important events.
In history, we wrapped up our topic on The Great Fire of London, looking at what happened to London after the fire and how the city changed. This helped us explore how historical events shape the present.
It has been a fantastic week of learning, with lots of opportunities to explore new ideas, solve problems, and make connections across different subjects!
Yr 1 spring 2 wk 6 Ant
Spring 2 _ Week 5
Congratulations to our stars of the week for this week - Well done for making your teachers proud!
This week in Year 1, we have been working hard in Curious Quests and Maths, as always. We had a special visitor who led a SCARF workshop for the children. They talked all about what we need to stay healthy and maintain good relationships.
In Curious Quests, we have been exploring rhyme and poetry. The children have been busy spotting rhyming words and writing some of their own poems. This is a tricky concept, but the children have done really well with it. The poems have all been about the Great Fire of London, a subject the children have really enjoyed.
In Maths, we have continued to focus on adding and subtracting ten. The children have been using practical resources to help them partition multiples of ten, developing their understanding of numbers and beginning to work with larger numbers. We have even progressed to some problem-solving questions to stretch and challenge the children's understanding.
Year 1 Spring 2 Week 5
Spring 2 - Week 4
Congratulations to our stars of the week for this week - Well done for making your teachers proud!
This week in Year 1 has been full of more exciting learning. In our Math's lessons, we focused on adding and subtracting multiples of 10. Everyone worked hard to become more confident in counting in tens too. We also enjoyed a few fun games to reinforce our learning.
In writing, we began by describing Toby, the character from this week's book 'Toby and the Great Fire of London'.. The children did a fantastic job writing about his appearance and feelings. We then moved on to recounting the story, using first, then, and next. The children retold the story from Toby’s point of view, recalling the key events of the fire in sequence. It was wonderful to see how engaged they were with the story.
In Design and Technology, we have continued our work on sliders and levers. This week, we planned our own page for a class book using these mechanisms. We came up with creative ideas to make their pages interactive, incorporating movable parts and sliding images. We are excited to see their designs come to life as they start building their pages.
In Science, we have explored the signs of spring. The children took a walk around the school grounds, observing the changes in nature. We noticed new flowers, budding leaves, and the first signs of blossoms.
Spring 2 Week 3
Congratulations to our Stars of the Week!
Exciting Science Week for Year 1!
Year 1 had an unforgettable Science Week filled with fun, learning, and plenty of excitement! The highlight of Tuesday was a special visit from a real scientist, Mr. Geary, who wowed the children with fascinating experiments that left them in awe. From bubbling potions to mind-blowing reactions, the young scientists were completely captivated by the world of science.
The children also had the opportunity to become scientists themselves as they explored experiments linked to their Fairytales topic. Inspired by The Three Little Pigs, we investigated whether it was possible to "huff and puff and blow houses down" by measuring how far we could blow Maltesers! The children had great fun testing their own lung power and discussing how forces and air resistance worked in the experiment.
We then turned our attention to Hansel and Gretel and the problem of building a strong house in the forest. The children tested different biscuits to find out which would be the best for building the witch's house, especially if it rained! By dipping different biscuits in water, they observed which ones held their shape the longest and which turned into a soggy mess.
Another incredible part of the week was a visit from the "Birdman," Alan Ames who brought in his Harris Hawk, Barn Owl and Bald Eagle to show the children. He was full of fascinating facts, and we learned so much about how these magnificent birds are adapted to their environments. He even flew the birds over our heads, which was an amazing experience! The Barn Owl was very cheeky and wanted to play on our gym wall bars, much to everyone's delight. The Bald Eagle was enormous and beautiful, and she seemed to enjoy talking to us a lot!
This week has been filled with hands-on learning, curiosity, and plenty of laughter. Science Week was a fantastic way to show that science is all around us and can be lots of fun! A huge thank you to our visiting scientists and to all the children for their enthusiasm and brilliant scientific thinking.
Year 1, Spring 2, Week 3
Spring 2 Week 2
Congratulations to this week's Stars of the Week!
This week in Year 1, we've been diving into the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. The children used their fantastic phonics knowledge to help spell words in their writing, before creating their own giants and writing descriptive sentences about them. They then planned and wrote their own storyboards to retell the story – showing off their creativity and writing skills!
In mathematics, we've been solving problems using coloured rods and have started exploring multiples of 10 through fun, hands-on activities.
In DT, we've been learning about levers and sliders, investigating how they work and finding examples of them around our classroom. Our history lessons have taken us back in time as we began to explore the Great Fire of London, discovering how long the fire lasted and learning about some of the key people involved.
In RE, we've started to learn about the Easter story, thinking about its importance and what it means to Christians. As part of our Curious Quest jobs, we've enjoyed making Ramadan decorations and sorting capital letters with lowercase letters. We've also been having fun spotting real and alien words to help build our phonics knowledge.
We were also very lucky to have Perform for Schools visit us to run an exciting drama workshop with the children. They had so much fun bringing stories to life through acting and imaginative role play!
Well done Year 1 – another brilliant week of learning!
Yr 1 spring 2 wk AP
Spring 2 Week 1
Congratulations to this week's Stars of the Week!
This week in Year 1, we have been working hard after the half-term holiday. We have refocused and got stuck in really well after the break. The children have been looking at groups of ten in Maths this week. They have worked on skills to begin counting in tens, knowing that ten is equal to 10 lots of 1. This is a very tricky skill that the children have taken to very well.
In English, we have been focusing on the fairy tale The Three Little Pigs. The children have loved reading this story, and it has inspired lots of amazing writing. They have built up a large bank of adjectives to describe the Big Bad Wolf. They used these adjectives to write a wanted poster for the Big Bad Wolf.
In Continuous Provision this week, the children have been sorting pictures into the seasons, role-playing firefighters, building a house for the Three Little Pigs, and adding sound buttons to words. We have also done a lesson on online safety in computing. In RE, we have been thinking about times we were sad and then happy. We have had a fun week working hard.
Year 1 Spring 2 Week 1
Spring 1 Week 6
Well done to this week's Stars of the Week!
This week in Year 1, we have been reading Arlo, the Lion Who Could Not Sleep by Catherine Rayner. The story follows Arlo, a tired lion who struggles to fall asleep no matter how hard he tries. One night, he meets a kind little owl who teaches him a calming bedtime routine to help him drift off peacefully. We began by imagining what Arlo might be dreaming about once he finally falls asleep, using our creativity to come up with different dream scenarios. Then, we retold the story in our own words, focusing on the key events and how Arlo’s journey teaches the importance of relaxation and rest. The children really enjoyed the story and had some fantastic ideas about Arlo’s dreams!
We have been learning about inverse operations in maths, focusing on how addition and subtraction are linked. For example, if 5 + 3 = 8, then 8 - 3 = 5. This helps children check their answers and understand number relationships. The children found this tricky at first, so we used practical activities and problem-solving tasks to support their learning. While they made good progress, we will continue practising to build their confidence and independence.
In Year 1 foundation subjects, we have been exploring a variety of exciting topics. In Geography, we compared Antarctica and Africa, learning about their different climates, animals, and landscapes. We discussed how people and wildlife adapt to each environment. In Art, we created woven designs around a CD using cool colours, exploring weaving techniques and colour theory to create our own artwork. In RE, we studied the story of When Jesus Met Zacchaeus, focusing on themes of kindness, forgiveness, and change, and how Jesus helped people become better. In Science, we learned about animal groups, sorting animals into categories like mammals, reptiles, and birds, and exploring their characteristics.
The children have enjoyed these activities and are building their knowledge and skills in creative ways!
Yr 1 sp1 wk 6
Spring 1 Week 5
Well done to this week's Stars of the Week!
This week in Year 1, we have been working hard and having lots of fun. The children have continued to work hard even as the half-term comes to an end. We have been busy with lots of writing, math, and reading.
This week in Maths, we have been tackling subtraction problems. We have explored subtraction through 'first, next, now' stories. By the end of the week, we moved on to solving subtraction questions using part-part-whole models. The children have enjoyed the challenge and made lots of progress.
In English, we have read the book Meerkat Mail. The story is about a meerkat that travels the world looking for the perfect place to live. The children have loved reading this book, and it has inspired lots of wonderful writing. They have written about their perfect place and have also written a recount of the story using the days of the week.
In our CP this week, the children have been having fun mark-making with brushes in flour, sorting animal X-rays, role-playing vets, writing a letter to Blue Penguin, using Numicon to solve subtraction problems, and painting planets with watercolors. This week's CP has been lots of fun.
Year 1 Spring 1 week 5
Spring 1 Week 4
Well done to our Stars of the Week! You have gone above and beyond this week to impress your teachers.
This week in Year 1 has been full of exciting activities and lots of learning! We started by reading the book Blue Penguin by Petr Horáček. The story about a penguin who feels different and goes on a journey to find his place in the world really captured our imaginations. After reading, we created a "Role on the Wall" for the penguin. We drew a large outline of the penguin and filled it with ideas about his character, feelings, and what we learned about him during the story. It was so much fun to share our thoughts and see how everyone interpreted the penguin in their own way.
This week we also celebrated Lunar New Year, learning about the traditions and customs that are part of the celebration. The children enjoyed listening to stories and completing their fine motor challenge outside. It was great to see how excited everyone was to learn about the holiday and explore the different ways people celebrate around the world.
In art, we worked on creating Arctic landscapes using Acrylic Gesso. The children experimented with cold colours like blues and whites, and we focused on creating texture in our paintings. The class really enjoyed how the texture made their landscapes look like icy, snowy scenes. It was amazing to see how each child used their creativity to bring their Arctic scene to life.
In science, we’ve been learning about different groups of animals and their characteristics. This week, we continued to explore the unique features of mammals, birds, and reptiles. The children had lots of great questions and were fascinated by the different ways animals are adapted to live in their environments.
It’s been a week full of learning, creativity, and lots of fun, and we can't wait to see what next week has in store!
Spring 1 Week 3
Star of the Week
Year 1, Spring 1, week 3
This week in Curious Quests we have been looking at the non-fiction book Polar Bears. We have learnt about the differences between non-fiction and fiction texts and we have found out lots of information about Polar Bears and the Arctic.
We used the information to write a leaflet answering questions that Professor Klunk wanted to find out about. Where do Polar Bears live? What do they eat? Why are they amazing swimmers? How do they keep warm?
During Explore and Learn we have been using compasses and direction to navigate around our outside areas. We have learnt songs and acronyms to help us remember North, South, East and West.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s&ab_channel=Mr.R.%27sSongsforTeaching
In Maths this week we have been looking at First, Then and Now stories and using a numbertrack to help us calculate the answers.
Spring 1 Week 2
Star of the week
This week in English, we had so much fun reading a book called Poles Apart! It’s about a family of penguins who get lost and end up traveling all around the world, visiting lots of exciting places. Along the way, they meet a kind polar bear named Mr. White, who helps them find their way home. After we finished the story, we wrote postcards to Mr. White. In our postcards, we told him all about where we live, what it’s like here, and what he might find interesting if he ever visited us. It was such an exciting way to bring the story to life!
In maths, we've been having so much fun learning about the = and + symbols! First, we explored what each symbol means and how they help us solve number problems. Then, we got to be like detectives, searching for the missing symbol on the number line. We had to think really carefully and use our clues to figure out where the missing symbol should go. It was like solving a big, exciting puzzle, and it made us feel so clever when we got it right!
In art, we’ve been learning all about cold colours, like blue, green, and purple. These colours remind us of chilly things, like ice and snow. We used these cold colours to make marks and patterns on different textured papers, exploring how the textures, like smooth, rough, or bumpy, can change the way our art looks. It was so exciting to experiment with colours and textures, just like real artists!
In RE, we started learning about the idea of ‘change.’ We talked about what change means and how things in our lives can change over time, like growing up or the seasons. We also thought about how change makes us feel—sometimes it can be exciting, and other times it might feel a little strange. Everyone shared their ideas, and we had a great discussion about how change is a part of life.
In geography, we’ve been exploring the question, ‘Is everywhere hot?’ We started by investigating our own school to decide if each classroom felt hot or cold, using our senses and thinking like little geographers. Then, we looked at a big world map to find out which places on Earth are hot and which are cold. We learned that the temperature can be very different depending on where you are in the world. This helped us understand more about climates and the amazing variety of places on our planet!
Y1 Week2 Ant
Spring 1 Week 1
Star of the week
Happy New Year from everyone in Year 1! This week, we have gone straight back to work, and the children have worked hard and clearly had a good break. We have been reading The Great Explorer by Chris Judge. The children have been using "ed" to make words into past tense, as well as writing a diary entry as Tom the adventurer.
In Maths, we have been looking at addition and using the + and = symbols to represent simple number sentences. The children started by representing numbers with rods and progressed onto writing addition number sentences.
In Science, we have started looking at the human body and labeling it.
In Continuous Provision, we have worked on fine motor skills as well as writing lists. We have been very busy this week and have been very productive.
Year 1 Spring 1 wk 1
Autumn 2 Week 7
Congratulations to our Stars of the week - Well done for impressing your teachers with your hard work this week!
What a busy and exciting week we've had in Year 1 as we reach the last week of term! We've been having lots of fun with Christmas crafts and activities, and there's been plenty of learning too.
In Maths, we've started learning about addition using Cuisenaire rods. The children have really enjoyed using the colourful blocks to help them understand how numbers fit together. It’s a hands-on way to learn, and they’ve been having so much fun solving addition problems.
In English, we’ve continued reading The Nutcracker. This week, we wrote descriptions of the magical Kingdom of Sweets, imagining what it might look and feel like. The children’s creativity really shone through in their writing, and we were all amazed by their ideas!
To top it all off, we had a special treat when a ukulele band came to perform for us in the hall. The children loved listening to the lively music and clapping along to the rhythm. It was a lovely way to end the week on a high note.
We’re so proud of all the hard work and fun Year 1 has had this term, and we’re looking forward to more adventures in the new year. Wishing all our families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Yr 1, Au 2, Wk 7
Autumn 2 Week 6
Star of the week
This week in Year 1 we have all been absolute super stars showing our fabulous Christmas performance to you! We loved singing the songs and acting on the stage and were very proud of everyone who had to learn some lines. Didn't we do well!
In maths we have been learning about Cuisenaire rods. Why don't you see if your child can remember the order of the colours?
In Curious Quests we have been listening to The Nutcracker story and have helped Professor Klunk by describing the soldier using interesting adjectives.
During Explore and Learn we have continued to explore 3D shapes. We have had a lot of fun making different shades of blue by colour mixing and painting cold pictures. We cut out puppets from the Nativity story and used them to retell the story. Some of us were very good at using prosody to bring the character to life!
Somehow we managed to squeeze in a Christmas craft day along with the Christmas Jumper day. The children did a fabulous job of producing calendars , Christmas cards and a tree decoration which we hope you will hang on your trees with pride!
Finally, today was our Christmas lunch which was absolutely delicious! Thank you to all the kitchen staff who worked so hard to make it a very special lunchtime.
Year 1 Autumn 2 week 6
Autumn 2 Week 5
Star of the week
This week, we read the story Slug Needs a Hug! We had lots of fun thinking about what might happen next, like what the slug would do and why his mum might hug him. We explored rhyming words and found lots of them, like “slug” and “hug,” and even tried to rhyme with “snail.” We got creative by drawing pictures of slugs—some were happy, and some were sad. Then, we wrote about why the slug might feel happy or sad. We also learned all about slugs! Did you know where slugs live? We drew their homes and wrote three amazing facts about slugs to share with everyone.
In maths, we explored shapes. We looked at how different shapes can fit together to make patterns. Then, we used those shapes to create our own animal pictures! It was so much fun seeing how triangles, circles, and squares can make something completely new.
In PSHE, we thought about what is fair and not fair. We had a lovely discussion about how we can help make things fair for everyone and listened carefully to our friends’ ideas. It helped us think about how to be kind and thoughtful every day.
We’ve been working extra hard on our school performance, and it’s really coming together beautifully! Our singing and speaking parts are sounding brilliant. We’re so excited to show you everything next week.
During Explore and Learn time, we enjoyed lots of exciting activities. We did a science experiment to find out which items could float and which would sink—it was surprising and lots of fun! We made beautiful cards for someone special, thinking about why they’re important to us. We also explored tangrams and used shapes to make animals—it was like solving a fun puzzle! We practised matching lower-case and capital letters, which is helping us with our reading and writing. To top it all off, we made our very own spinning top toys and had so much fun watching them twirl and spin.
It’s been a fantastic week full of learning, creating, and exploring! We can’t wait for another exciting week ahead.
Yr 1 Autumn 2 wk 5 Ant
Autumn 2 Week 4
Star of the week
This week in Year One, the children have been enjoying lots of different activities in the Continuous Provision. They have tested whether or not materials are magnetic, written instructions for washing a dog, made Christmas decorations for the classroom, written their names on a computer, and placed different toys on a timeline.
In Curious Quests, we have been reading the book The Supermarket Zoo. We have written a letter to Professor Klunk to tell him about the zoo. We have focused on developing the use of the tricky word “I.” The children have worked really hard and have been using their newly learnt GPCs from phonics in their letters.
In Maths, we have been exploring 2D and 3D shapes. The children have been engaging in hands-on learning while discovering the differences between 2D and 3D shapes. They have worked hard to learn the names of the different shapes and have started to understand the properties of each one.
We have also been practising our school performance as a year group. The children have worked hard learning the songs and creating actions to go along with them. We have done a full run-through with the words, and many of the children have learnt them off by heart. We are all very excited for the final show.
Autumn 2 Week 3
Congratulations to our stars of the week this week!
This week we have been enjoying our rainbow challenges in explore and learn. We have been making boats to test whether they float or sink, creating percussion instruments and ordering numbers on our washing lines.
In Curious Quests we have read Oi Frog! and helped write instructions to help get the dog off of the frog using the time adverbials First, Next and Then.
Our highlight of the week, however, was our History trip to the Petersfield Museum. We were shown and able to explore lots of different, old toys as part of our new topic 'Changes within living memory: Toys'. It was great fun!
yr 1,au 2, wk 3
Autumn 2 Week 2
Star of the week
What a busy week!
Our Curious Quest this week was all about fireworks and we loved hearing the poem Crackle! Spit! We used adjectives to describe what our own fireworks looked and sounded like and we made sure we used Noodle and Titch to help us write exciting sentences.
In Maths we have been exploring number tracks to help us order numbers to 10.
In Explore and Learn we carried on our science learning by testing which materials floated and which sunk. We practised using scissors to cut out little squirrels from 'The Leaf Thief' that we read last week. We are getting really good at our tricky words and made them out of magnetic letters before we wrote them.
We continued to practise our skills as makers in DT and thought about ways to make our freestanding structures stronger and more stable. We remembered some of the things we found out last week, for example, the base must be wide, the material must be stiff, there are different ways to join the material.
We finished the week by bringing in a toy from home to start our History topic, 'Changes within living memory: Toys'. We all drew a picture of our toy and explained why we like it, where we got it from and what material it is made from. Our teachers took a photo of us with our toys as evidence so people in the future will know what toys were popular in 2024.
Autumn 1 Week 1
Star of the week
This week in Year 1 we have started on our new writing adventures With Professor Klunk and his friends Noodle and Titch. The children have loved drawing what they think the characters might look like and drawing a cookie making machine. We are looking forward to next week when we can continue on our Curious Quest.
We have had fun in our last CM sports dance lesson as well as continuing with our normal PE lesson. We have started looking at free standing structures in DT. We have looking at pictures and real life structures in the school. We built our own structures with blocks and other building materials.
In our science this week we have been predicting and experimenting with the best materials for keeping things dry. We found that metal and glass were good at keeping water out. In explore and learn we have worked hard to create fireworks on Ipads and with crafts, We have explored writing tricky words and we have talked about situations and how we would react to them.
The children seem to have come back from half term refreshed and ready for another half term of fun and learning.
Week 8 Autumn 1
Start of the week
This week we have had lots of fun finishing off the half term. We have read the book 'The Leaf Thief' and drawn pictures based on Autumn. We also created our own Leaf Thief. The children came up with some amazingly creative and interesting ideas. We have started to look at different representations of numbers in the form of bar models. We have practiced drawing bar models to represent a number and started to explore bar models representing 2 parts of a number.
In art this week some of the children have explored using the Tate app on the Ipads to create pictures. They had lots of fun exploring the app and its different features. They came up with some incredible art work. We have also had a visit from CM sports. They gave the children a lovely dance lesson and used fabric to help the children explore movement. All the children seemed to love this dance lesson and had lots of fun.
From everyone in Year 1, we hope you all have a lovely half term break and the children come back feeling well rested ready for Autumn 2.
Week 7 Autumn 1
Stars of the week!
This week in Year 1, we've been putting in great effort with our learning! In English this week, we explored the book Animalphabet. The children enjoyed drawing and writing about animals that begin with the same letter, describing where each animal might live. They then got creative by designing their own zoo, using their imaginations to write about the different animals and their habitats.
In Maths, we focused on the number 5, exploring how to split it into different combinations systematically. The children then applied the same method to the number 4, helping to build a strong understanding of number bonds.
We took a town walk around Petersfield, where the children observed both the physical and human features of the area. Afterwards, they applied their learning by creating their own maps, showcasing the landmarks and features they discovered. In Art, the children used iPads to create digital artwork inspired by Kandinsky, exploring shapes, colours, and abstract designs in their own creative pieces.
In Art, the children used iPads to create digital artwork inspired by Kandinsky, exploring shapes, colours, and abstract designs in their own creative pieces.
year 1 week 7 anthony
Week 6 Autumn 1
Stars of the week!
This week in Year 1 we have been working hard in our learning. The children have developed their partitioning skills in Maths. We have been splitting numbers into two parts, tree parts and working systematically. the children have shown real perseverance when doing this and really worked hard to overcome challenges.
In Drawing Club we have read the story The Lion inside. The children really enjoyed the actions that go with this story. We have developed our writing and sentence work again this week. The children have come up with some lovely sentences describing the lion and what the mouse's house would look like.
In continuous provision we have worked on embedding and reinforcing last week's learning on capital cities of the UK, forming part - part-whole models and drawing different emotions on faces for PSHE.
We were also really lucky to be visited by CM Sports who have taught us a fun and active dance lesson.
Stars of the week!
Another amazing week this week! The children have really settled into Year 1 and love the explore and learn jobs.
In Year 1 Drawing Club, we explored the story Shark in the Park! After reading, the children unleashed their creativity by designing their own sharks, parks, and imagining what they might spot through a telescope. Their artwork was full of imagination and fun!
In Maths, we introduced the "part-part-whole" model, showing how numbers can be split into two parts. Hands-on activities helped the children visualize and understand numbers in new ways, building a strong foundation for future learning.
Our Geography lessons took us on a journey through the United Kingdom. We learned how it's divided into four countries and used a map key to help locate them. The children were fascinated by the idea of maps and how they can show us the world.
In Computing, we explored sorting and learned how computers need clear instructions to follow. Through sorting games, the children began to understand how computers think and the importance of being specific with commands.
In RE, we learned about the Harvest Loaf, a symbol of gratitude and sharing during harvest time. We discussed the importance of giving thanks and how different communities celebrate the harvest season.
In Art, we drew inspiration from Piet Mondrian, using sponges to create colourful, geometric artwork. The children enjoyed experimenting with primary colours and shapes, creating their own bold, abstract pieces!
Week 4 Autumn 1
Stars of the week!
We have had a lovely week in Year 1 and managed to get outside a lot despite the awful weather!
In Explore and Learn we have enjoyed writing recipes for potions, collecting and sorting different materials in science and showing that we know all about greater than and less than in maths.
Our book for Drawing Club was Chicken Licken and we all thought about what else could have fallen from the sky to hit poor Chicken on the head!
We had a lot of fun in maths this week cutting up carrots (paper ones, not real ones!) We were learning about wholes and not wholes relating to objects and groups of objects.
In PSHE we talked about the class rules each class has set and why they are important to help make our classroom a safe and happy place.
We have been looking at different types of maps in Geography. We explored Google Earth and found Petersfield and our school. We all drew our own pirate map with X marking the spot!
In Computing we have started to learn about grouping data and how humans have to tell the computer what to do.
Week 3 Autumn 1
Stars of the week!
This week in Year 1, we've been exploring the concept of "more than" and "greater than" in maths, using Blockzilla to help us get the symbols facing the right way. In Drawing Club, we read the story of The Magic Porridge Pot, and the children had a fantastic time drawing their own wizards, wizard houses, and creating magical potions!
Week 2 Autumn 1
Stars of the week!
In Year 1 this week we have continued exploring our new classrooms and making new friends. In Maths we have explored counting backwards and forwards and started to develop understanding of using language like larger / smaller, taller / shorter, heavier / lighter to describe and compare objects.
We have particularly enjoyed our 'Explore and Learn' time in class where we have focused on making grouping and sorting objects using different resources from our class Maths areas. We have also been practicing letter formation and spelling the days of the week.
Year 1 Autumn One Week 2
Wk 1: Wow - What a fantastic first week we have had in Year 1!
Congratulations to our stars of the week, you have made your teachers very proud .
In Year 1 this week we have been exploring our new classrooms, making new friends and thinking about how we can 'fill' each others 'buckets' by being kind and respectful. We have come up with some brilliant ideas and have tried hard to be bucket fillers this week!
We have particularly enjoyed our 'Explore and Learn' time in class where we have focused on making repeating patterns using many different resources from our class Maths areas.
Y1, Au 1, Wk 1
