In Year 1 your child will experience a more structured day although lessons are always as hands on as possible there with less opportunity for free-flow based learning. The mornings will focus on our Maths and English/Reading skills and the afternoons are more topic-based. Within the topic-based lessons the children are encouraged to apply more of their writing skills. In Year 1 there is a set playtime and the class have their snack during this time. Children are expected to stay in their seats during learning time unless their task directs them to move. We expect them to ask to move and to indicate by putting their hands up. 

 

Curriculum areas are potentially more defined for the children at this stage and they begin to use the terms Maths, English, Reading, Phonics, Handwriting, Science, History, Geography, PE, Art, Music and Design Technology. It is valuable when learning skills in these curriculum areas that the children know what it is that they learn for each specific subject. We also begin French games in Class 2 and our SMILE curriculum is taught throughout the school as our focus on Personal, Emotional and Global learning/Well being. 

 

Spelling - Now your child will receive a weekly spelling test. At first we focus on the child's spelling of common exception words for Year 1. Once your child is secure in this we move onto spelling patterns for Year 1.

 

Times tables - In Year 1 the children need to learn to skip count in lots of 2s, 5s and 10s. Once they have secured this skill they can advance onto our Times tables Rockstars app and apply their skip counting to multiplication. 

 

Handwriting - We aim to ensure that all letters are formed correctly and sit on the line and that letters are equal in size. IF your child demonstrates these skills and is ready to advance to joining we also encourage this to develop their skills further.