Summer 2, Week 1 Parent Blog

Maths:

In Year 1 Maths, the children have been learning how to solve addition and subtraction word problems. They carefully read each question and discussed what the problem was asking them to find out. To support their learning, the children used concrete materials such as counters, cubes, and a number of resources to help them represent the calculations and work out the answers.

The children enjoyed using practical resources to build their understanding and develop their confidence in solving problems independently. They also practised explaining their thinking and sharing the strategies they used to achieve their answers. We were very impressed with their enthusiasm, teamwork, and growing mathematical skills.

English :

In English, the children have been learning about recount writing. They explored how to retell events in the correct order using key sequencing words such as First, Then, and Finally. The class discussed what they did during their half-term break and shared their ideas with one another before beginning their writing.

The children worked hard to write lovely sentences about their experiences, remembering to use the past tense in their recounts. They showed great creativity and enthusiasm when talking about their holidays, and we were very impressed with their growing confidence in writing independently.

Project:

In the Project, the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about our exciting new topic, Dinosaur World. They have been learning all about dinosaurs, including why they became extinct, what fossils are, and the important job of a palaeontologist. The children were fascinated to discover how fossils help us learn about creatures that lived millions of years ago.

As part of their learning, the children carefully cut out dinosaur bones, stuck them into their books, and labelled them correctly. They also explored some dinosaur bones we made out of clay, which the children loved examining and discussing together. This was a very exciting and engaging history lesson that brought their learning to life.

The children are especially excited about today’s trip to the dinosaur park, where they will have lots of fun and continue to deepen their understanding of the topic through real-life experiences. We know it will be a fantastic day and a wonderful opportunity to bring all of their project learning to life.

 

We hope you have a lovely weekend!
The Year 1 Team

 

Summer 2, Week 2 Parent Blog

Maths

This week in Year 1, the children have been learning about addition and subtraction facts to 20. They have explored fact families and used them to understand the relationship between addition and subtraction. The children have also practised finding 10 more and 10 less than a given number, helping to develop their number sense and confidence with mental calculations.

English

This week in English, the children have been learning about recounts, linking their learning to last week's exciting trip to Dinosaur World at Knebworth House. They began by ordering photographs from the trip into the correct sequence and discussing the events that took place. The children used a range of time connectives, such as first, next, then, and finally to retell their experiences. They also explored the use of adjectives to add detail to their writing and were able to write short sentences using time words to recount the events of their day.

Project

This week in Project, the children have been learning all about the famous English palaeontologist, Mary Anning. They thoroughly enjoyed learning about her life, her important discoveries, and the achievements she made despite facing many challenges. The children had thoughtful discussions about what was fair and unfair during Mary Anning’s lifetime and were very intrigued by how different life was many years ago.

They were especially excited to learn that some of the dinosaur fossils discovered by Mary Anning can now be seen at the Natural History Museum. To bring their learning to life, the children took part in an outdoor fossil hunt, searching for dinosaur fossils and exploring like real palaeontologists. This hands-on experience was a huge success and generated lots of excitement and enthusiasm for learning.

Science

This term in science, the children have been learning about materials. They have explored a range of everyday materials and have been developing their understanding of their names and properties. This week, the children were given a challenge to think about how they would repair a torn umbrella. They discussed which materials would be most suitable and explained their choices, considering the properties of different materials.

It was wonderful to hear the children's ideas and reasoning during these discussions. The children then drew and labelled pictures in their books, identifying the materials they would use to fix the umbrella and explaining why they had chosen them.

 

Have a lovely sunny weekend !
The Year 1 Team

 

Summer 2, Week 3 Parent Blog

This Week in Year 1

Maths

This week has been Checkpoint Week. The children have worked incredibly hard and have shown a fantastic attitude throughout all their assessments.

We are especially proud of how well they did in their Maths checkpoint. Every child tried their very best, showed great perseverance, and approached the challenges with confidence and determination. We are so proud of their efforts and achievements! As Maths assessments have taken place this week, our normal Maths lessons will begin from Week 4. Well done, Year 1 – keep up the amazing work!

English

 In English, alongside Checkpoint Week, the children completed two English lessons where they demonstrated their amazing writing skills. The children wrote a recount based on our Year 1 trip, using time words such as first, next, then, and finally to help organise their ideas in chronological order. They worked hard to remember the events of the day and included lots of detail in their writing.

Project

The children revisited their key concept questions and demonstrated how much they had learnt about the history of dinosaurs. They enjoyed discussing their learning and sharing facts they could remember from our topic. The children then moved on to an Art lesson, where they created their own dinosaur forests. They explored different techniques and used a card, carefully rolling it into cylinders so it could stand upright like tree trunks. The children showed great creativity and problem-solving skills as they designed and built their prehistoric scenes. We were very impressed with their imaginative ideas and the effort they put into their artwork.

Science

In Science this week, the children became material investigators as they explored which materials would be the best and worst for repairing a torn umbrella. They tested a range of different materials and made predictions before carrying out their investigations. The children carefully observed the properties of each material, considering whether it was waterproof, strong, and suitable for keeping rain out. They discussed their findings and explained their reasoning, using their scientific knowledge to decide which materials would make the most effective repair. The children showed excellent teamwork, curiosity, and scientific thinking throughout the lesson.

 

We wish you have a lovely weekend!
Year 1 Team

 

 

Summer 2 Week 4 Parent Blog

This Week in Year 1

Maths

Year 1 children have been revisiting their learning about 2D shapes as part of a recap before moving into Year 2. They have been identifying and naming common 2D shapes, describing their properties, and using them to create and continue repeating patterns. This consolidation work helps to strengthen their understanding of shape and pattern, ensuring they are confident and ready to build on these skills in Year 2.

English

Year 1 children have been introduced to our new class text, Ivy and the Rain Cloud. Before reading the story, they made predictions about what they thought the book might be about by looking carefully at the front cover and illustrations. The children also recapped key book features, including the author, title, blurb and illustrator. They then developed their speaking and listening skills by asking and answering questions about the book, sharing their ideas and discussing their thoughts with their classmates. This has helped to build their confidence in understanding and talking about texts.

 

Science

The children have been learning about ice and the effects of salt on frozen water. They closely observed pieces of ice, drawing and labelling pictures to describe what they could see. The children also discussed gritting, sharing their ideas about when roads are gritted and why this is done during cold weather.

To deepen their understanding, the children carried out a class experiment in groups. They investigated what happens when salt is placed on ice and carefully observed the changes. After the experiment, they recorded their findings by drawing and labelling what they had observed, helping them to develop their scientific observation and recording skills.

 

We wish you a lovely sunny weekend!
The Year 1 Team

 

Summer 2-week 5 Parent Blog

This Week in Year 1

Maths

This week, the children have been revisiting their learning about halves and quarters to help prepare them for the transition into Year 2. They explored how shapes and objects can be divided into equal parts and learnt that a half is one of two equal parts, while a quarter is one of four equal parts. The children practised finding and recognising halves and quarters of shapes and quantities, using practical resources and visual representations to support their understanding. They discussed why the parts must be equal and worked together to identify examples and non-examples. Through a range of hands-on activities and problem-solving tasks, the children have been strengthening their understanding of fractions and building confidence with this important mathematical concept before moving on to Year 2.

English

This week, the children have been writing their own versions of the story Ivy and the Rain Cloud. They used their knowledge of the original text to help them create their own ideas, characters and events. The children worked hard to sequence their stories, write complete sentences and use descriptive language to make their writing interesting for the reader. They showed great imagination and enthusiasm as they became authors and created their own adaptations of the story.

Project

This week, the children recapped their learning about the famous artist Gustav Klimt and revisited some of the techniques used in his artwork. They enjoyed using paper art techniques to create their own prehistoric dinosaur scenes and dinosaur planet.

The children learnt how to carefully fold, roll and curl paper to add texture, shape and detail to their work. They used these skills to create dinosaurs, plants and landscape features, making their artwork more interesting and three-dimensional. The children showed great creativity as they combined different paper techniques to bring their prehistoric worlds to life. This activity helped encourage them to think imaginatively about what the world may have looked like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Science

This week, the children continued their learning about ice and recapped their understanding of solids and liquids. They explored how particles behave in different states of matter by acting them out themselves. To represent a solid, the children stood closely together in rows with their arms linked, showing how particles are tightly packed and stay in a fixed position. To represent a liquid, they stood further apart, demonstrating how particles can move around more freely while still taking up the same amount of space.

The children discussed the properties of solids and liquids, learning that solid objects have a fixed shape and do not easily change, whereas liquids do not have a fixed shape and can flow and move around while keeping the same volume. To build on this learning, the children carried out an investigation to find out which method would be the quickest to free toy animals trapped inside ice cubes. They made predictions, tested different methods and carefully observed what happened to the ice. The children enjoyed sharing their ideas, recording their observations and using scientific vocabulary to explain their findings. This practical investigation helped to deepen their understanding of how ice changes state as it melts.

We hope you have a lovely weekend!
The Year 1 Team

Summer 2-week 6 Parent Blog

This Week in Year 1

Maths

This week, the children have been revisiting fractions, focusing on halves and quarters. They have been finding and recognising halves and quarters of shapes and quantities, learning that the parts must be equal. This has helped to build their confidence and prepare them for their learning in Year 2.

English

This week, the children have been using the story plans they created last week to write their own versions of Ivy and the Rain Cloud. They have been chunk-writing their stories, focusing on the beginning, middle and end at different points throughout the week. This approach has helped them to think carefully about each part of their story and develop their ideas in detail.

It has been fantastic to read their completed stories. The children have shown a strong understanding of story structure by including a clear dilemma, building up to the problem, and writing a thoughtful conclusion that explains how the problem was solved. They have worked hard to write in full sentences, use interesting vocabulary and bring their own creative ideas to the story, producing some imaginative and enjoyable pieces of writing.

Project

This week, Year 1 continued learning about the artwork of Gustav Klimt, building on what they studied in their previous lesson. The children explored the quilling technique, carefully rolling and shaping paper to create different textures and patterns. They then used their creativity to design and decorate their own dinosaurs, inspired by Klimt’s use of colour, pattern, and detail. We were very impressed with their imagination, focus, and artistic skills!

 

Science

This week, the children investigated puddles and observed what happened to them over time. They looked closely at the changes they could see, discussing why the puddles became smaller and eventually disappeared. The children shared their ideas and made careful observations, using scientific vocabulary to describe what they noticed.

The children also learnt about the water cycle and explored what happens when water evaporates. They discovered that the Sun warms the water, causing it to change into water vapour and rise into the air. They learned that this water vapour later cools, forms clouds through condensation, and eventually falls back to Earth as precipitation, completing the water cycle. This helped the children develop their understanding of how water changes state and moves through the environment.

 

We hope you have a lovely weekend!
The Year 1 Team

 

Summer 2 Week 7 & 8 Parent Blog

A Message to Our Year 1 Families

As this was our last full week of Year 1 learning, the children have been busy recapping many of the skills and knowledge they have developed throughout the year in preparation for Year 2.

In Maths, the children revisited telling the time on clocks and used their knowledge to solve a range of problem-solving activities.

In English, the children practised writing questions of their choice, identifying the question mark, and then writing answers to their questions.

In Science, the children thoroughly enjoyed splashing in puddles while learning all about the water cycle and how water moves through the environment.

Finally, in Project, the children had a fantastic time creating their own dinosaur planets, using their creativity and imagination to produce some wonderful work.

We would like to thank you for your support and for allowing us to be part of your children’s learning journey.

It has been a pleasure teaching such a fantastic group of children. We have loved watching them grow in confidence, independence and enthusiasm for learning. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved this year.

We are very proud of all the hard work the children have shown throughout the year and are excited to see them continue to flourish in Year 2.

 

We wish all our Year 1 families a wonderful summer break and every success for the year ahead. Thank you once again for your continued support.

With warmest wishes,

The Year 1 Team
Miss Kalyan, Miss Surry and Miss Guru

🌟📚✏️