Welcome to Year 1!

2026-27

In Year 1, our teachers are Miss Ellis (Class 4), Miss Norman (Class 5) and Miss Davenport (Class 6). We are also supported by our dedicated Learning Support Assistants (LSAs): Miss Cripps, Mrs Clarkson and Mrs Santon.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with your child's teacher. If they are not around at pick-up, you can speak to them by phoning the school office and requesting an appointment.

Keep referring back to this page for regular updates about the children's learning. 

Curriculum Newsletters

Year 1 Autumn 1 Curriculum Newsletter

Update – Friday 23rd October 2026

This week in Year 1, the children continued their Maths learning by exploring addition and subtraction within 10, focusing on finding a part and solving subtraction calculations. They have used their knowledge of part-whole models to help them subtract numbers and explain their thinking. In English, we have continued our work on the story Oh No, George!, where the children enjoyed learning about the mischievous adventures of George the dog. They have practised using exclamation marks in their writing and have used the suffix -ed to write about what George has been up to and all the trouble he got into! We have also revisited the importance of using capital letters at the beginning of sentences and for the start of names. In Science, the children brought together all of their previous learning to build a boat, following a set of success criteria. They carefully selected a variety of materials, making sure their boats were waterproof before testing them in water. We then held a race to see which boat design was the most successful! In Computing, we took part in an online safety lesson, exploring a story about a child who experienced different situations online. We discussed what we should do if similar situations happen on any of our devices and created online safety posters for the Year R children. In PSHE, we reflected on our first half-term in Year 1, sharing how we felt when we first started school and comparing those feelings to how we feel now. The children enjoyed discussing their favourite moments so far and celebrating the many successes they have already achieved. We are incredibly proud of all their hard work and progress this half-term!

Update - Friday 16th October 2026

This week in Year 1 we have been very busy! We have continued to learn some new Phase 5 graphemes and tricky words. These included 'ir,' 'ie,' 'ue, 'u' and the new tricky words 'oh' and 'people.' In maths, we have continued with our topic of addition and subtraction within 10, where we have learnt about number fact families and used practical resources to complete addition word problems. In English, we have written our final piece of writing for our book 'I Want My Hat Back.' For this, we wrote an interaction between the bear and another animal from the story. We used questions to ask the other animals about the missing red hat in our story and then described other types of hats we had seen. We were able to use a variety of adjectives in our writing and can consistently include capital letters at the start of our sentences. In computing this week, we revisited how to save work on a computer and then shared discussions about what the internet was. We looked at a variety of digital devices and discussed whether we needed the internet for each of these devices. We were also about to share which apps would work on an iPad without the internet and which would only work with the internet. In DT we had a go at building our own shelters in teams using a variety of materials. We had success criteria we had to meet, and we even got all of the teachers involved in making these shelters. Once we thought we had finished our shelter, we were able to test to see if it was waterproof and would be strong enough if a storm were to happen. We then rated our shelters out of 5 and shared strengths and weaknesses of each other's shelters. We finished the week with PSHE where we learnt what it meant to feel special and valued by those around us. What another brilliant week in Year 1!

Update - Friday 9th October 2026

This week in Year 1, we have enjoyed lots of exciting learning across the curriculum and have worked incredibly hard in all of our lessons. In phonics, we have been reviewing the taught graphemes ea, ou, oy and ay, practising recognising them in words and applying our knowledge when reading and spelling. In English, we have been reading the story I Want My Hat Back and using adjectives to describe different hats from the story. We have also been developing our sentence-writing skills by learning to hold sentences in our heads before writing them down and using cubes to help us understand and organise sentence structure. In Geography, we went on a walk around our local area where we identified and discussed a range of human and physical features. Back at school, we used our observations to draw our own maps showing the route we followed on our walk. In Science, we explored how different objects can share the same properties even when they are made from different materials. We also carried out investigations to test materials and identify whether they were waterproof or not waterproof, and whether they were hard or soft. In Computing, we learnt how to save our artwork using the software Sketchpad, helping us develop important digital skills and understand how to store our work independently. Well done to all of Year 1 for another fantastic week of learning.

Update – Friday 2nd October 2026

It has been another fantastic week of learning in Year 1!

In Maths, we have started our new unit on addition and subtraction within 10. The children have been exploring part-whole models to help them understand how numbers can be separated into different parts. They have also begun writing addition number sentences using their part-whole models. They are becoming more confident in using mathematical vocabulary to explain their ideas and reasoning. In English, we have been enjoying the story I Want My Hat Back. The children have retold the story and created actions to accompany some of the repeated phrases, helping them to remember key events and join in confidently. We have also been developing our inference skills by discussing what we think happened to the missing hat and using clues from the text to support our ideas. The children enjoyed sharing their favourite moments from the story and explaining why they stood out to them. In phonics, the children have continued to review the newly taught Phase 5 sounds, ay, ea, oy and ou, where they have spotted these graphemes in words.

In Geography, we have been learning about position and direction. The children worked together to direct each other around the playground using positional language such as forwards, backwards, left and right. They also created their own maps and practised giving and following directions to travel from one location to another. It was wonderful to see them applying their understanding of directional language in a practical way. In Science, the children were introduced to Venn diagrams and learnt how they can be used to sort objects into different categories. They sorted shapes using criteria such as blue shapes and shapes with four sides and were able to discuss which shapes belonged in the overlapping section. The children demonstrated excellent thinking skills as they explained their choices and identified the features shapes had in common. In Computing, we continued exploring different types of software. The children used Sketchpad to create self-portraits and experimented with a range of drawing tools. They also developed their mouse and keyboard skills as they learnt how different tools can be used to create and edit digital artwork.

In Design and Technology, the children became designers and engineers as they built a variety of shelters using different materials. They tested the sturdiness of their structures and evaluated which shelter would be most suitable for a small pet. The children enjoyed discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their designs and thinking about how they could improve them.

Update – Friday 25th September 2026

We have had another busy and exciting week in Year 1. In Geography this week, the children have been learning about compasses and the four cardinal points: North, South, East and West. They have also explored position and location by giving and following directions with a partner around the classroom. In Science, the children investigated different materials, testing whether they were waterproof, not waterproof or absorbent, and explored the properties of materials by identifying whether they were hard or soft, and transparent or opaque. In DT, the children designed their own shelters following a success criteria, including shelters for pets and holiday shelters for families. They have also had a go at building their own shelters following a success criteria. In Phonics, the children have started learning Phase 5 and have learnt the new graphemes ay, ea, ou and oy. In English, the children completed their final piece of writing for Hoot Owl, using the conjunction and, and the personal pronoun 'I' to create their own part of the story. The children were amazing writers and many challenged themselves to include an exclamation mark in their work. In Maths, we have continued our Place Value within 10 topic, comparing numbers using the terms less than, greater than and equal to. We are incredibly proud of all the children for their hard work, enthusiasm and excellent effort throughout the week.

Update - Friday 18th September 2026

This week in Year 1, as part of our place value within 10 topic, the children explored comparing numbers using practical manipulatives such as counters and ten frames. The children also learnt to use vocabulary such as greater than, less than, and equal to when comparing numbers. In English, inspired by our class story Hoot Owl, the children wrote creative sentences about transforming themselves into different animals. This week, we focused on using adjectives to describe what an animal Hoot Owl was going to eat! In PSHE, the children explored the feeling 'anger' and discussed what our bodies might do if we are feeling angry. We looked at different facial expressions and shared calming techniques for when we might be feeling angry. During Geography, the children looked at maps and used positional language such as next to, behind, and in front of to describe where different items are located around our classroom. The children discussed what human and physical features are and built these on their own map. In computing, the children continued building their digital confidence by logging into the computers independently and practising their mouse skills by clicking, dragging, and then designing their own picture. In DT, the children have built their own shelters and tested a variety of materials based on their properties. Some of the properties we investigated were hard, soft, strong or weak. We also looked at the properties of transparent and opaque and compared objects that were made of the same material but had different properties, such as a plastic cup!

Update – Friday 11th September 2026

We have had a fantastic week in Year 1 this week. In maths, we are continuing with place value within 10. We have looked at adding 1 more to a number, counting backwards within 10 and counting on from any number. We have used our practical resources to help us and we are starting to look at word problems too. In science, we have continued to look at a variety of materials and their properties. We have sorted objects based on their properties and then looked at the same materials and identified other properties we could find. We have also looked at what everyday materials are made of and can now identify that some objects are made of more than one material. We started our new English text this week, called 'Hoot Owl.' We read the story and continued learning the repeated verse throughout the book, even adding some actions! We have also started to structure some sentences from our story and rehearsed these with our peers. At the beginning of the week, we wrote some of the key words from the story into our books and by the end of the week we were using these key words in a sentence! In PSHE, this week we have learnt what rights and responsibilities are. We have understood what these terms mean and discussed the responsibilities we have and the responsibilities the people around us have. In computing, we have had a go at logging into our own computer! Once we had done this, we have used Sketchpad to practice our mouse skills and learn where keys are on the keyboard. 

Update - Friday 4th September 2026

This week in Year 1 we have been getting used to our new classes and new routines. In maths, we have been looking at place value within 10, sorting and counting objects up to 10 and even recognising numbers as words. In phonics, we have been reviewing our phase 3 and 4 graphemes and even practised writing some new words. In geography, we have started looking at our local area and identified a variety of human and physical features. We even tried making our own human and physical features from a variety of materials and sorted them carefully. In DT, we looked at the key terms shade and shelter and even explored some shelters around our school. We then tried creating our own shelters and discussed whether they are permanent or temporary. We also sorted everyday objects to help us when building our shelters. In science, we have been looking at everyday materials. We have sorted materials based on their properties and identified a variety of objects made from the same material. In PSHE, we looked at the classroom rules and talked about what it means to feel special and welcome. Everybody in the class came up with criteria for what makes a safe classroom, and then we tried drawing what our safe classroom would look like. We have had a fantastic first week back at school!