Autumn 1, Week 7 Parent Blog

This week in Maths, our wonderful Year 1 children have been busy practising their counting skills! We’ve been learning to count in twos, fives, and tens, using lots of fun and interactive activities to help the children spot patterns and build confidence with numbers.  The class also enjoyed ordering numbers from 1 to 20, using games, number cards, and practical challenges to put their learning into action. It’s been fantastic to see their enthusiasm and teamwork as they worked together to find what comes next (and what comes before!).

Well done, Year 1 your counting skills are really multiplying!

This week in English, our imaginative Year 1 children have been learning all about adjectives! They enjoyed describing their own monsters, creating exciting word lists full of fantastic describing words. The children then used these adjectives to write sentences and captions about the monsters they had drawn. They also took part in fun activities labelling adjectives around different monsters. What a creative week of wonderful words!

This week in Science, Year 1 have been learning all about pumpkins, which fitted perfectly with our autumn theme. The children explored the pumpkin using their five senses, describing what they could see, smell, and feel. Everyone had the opportunity to scoop out the inside of the pumpkin, discovering its texture and the seeds hidden within. It was a wonderfully hands-on and engaging lesson that the children thoroughly enjoyed!

This week in Project, the children continued developing their fantastic art pieces, building on last week’s lesson by focusing on pencil control and shading techniques. Their creativity and attention to detail were outstanding! To celebrate their hard work, we held a wonderful exhibition day, where the Year 1 children proudly showcased their super artwork for everyone to enjoy.

Have a super and wonderful half-term break!

We’ve had a fantastic term of learning, and we can’t wait to continue our great lessons and adventures when we return after the break. Enjoy your well-deserved rest, Year 1!

                                                                                Year 1 team

 

Autumn 1, Week 6 Parent Blog

Maths, the Year One children have been learning all about length. They’ve enjoyed using rulers to measure objects around the classroom, building towers of different heights in their books, and ordering pictures from the tallest to the shortest.

In English, the children have been learning all about captions. They explored a variety of pictures and created their own captions to match. They also looked through non-fiction books to find examples of captions and wrote their own sentences to describe what they saw. It’s been a fun and creative week of learning!

In Science, this week, the children have been learning all about healthy eating. They explored the different food groups, including proteins, carbohydrates, and dairy products, and discussed how each one helps our bodies. The children then sorted various foods onto the correct section of the Eatwell Plate, showing a great understanding of balanced diets. To finish, they cut out pictures of foods and created their own examples of healthy packed lunches a wonderful way to put their learning into practice!

In Project, this week, the children have been recapping all their previous learning. They selected an object from the classroom, observed it closely, and created detailed freehand drawings to capture its shape and features. This activity encouraged careful observation and creativity while showcasing the progress they’ve made throughout the term.

We wish you all a Happy Diwalli for those who are celebrating!

Have a Great weekend! 

 Year 1 team

 

 

Autumn 1, Week 5 Parent Blog

Maths, Year 1 children have been mastering the use of number lines to support their understanding of addition and subtraction. They practised jumping forwards for addition and backwards for subtraction, learning to choose the correct direction with confidence. The children applied these skills in their books, solving problems and even exploring the difference between jumps. They also used ten frames to help calculate numbers and build number sentences, reinforcing their understanding of number composition in a visual and hands-on way. It’s been a fantastic week of number fun and growing confidence in early calculation strategies!

In English, Year 1 children have been exploring lists, labels, and captions. They learned how and when lists are used and practised writing their own. The children enjoyed labelling items around the classroom, helping them connect words to real-world objects. They also drew lovely pictures of their families and carefully labelled each member using their best punctuation and neat handwriting. This topic will continue next week as they build on these important early writing skills.

In Science, Year 1 children continued their exciting journey into the world of senses! They began by recalling their five senses through a fun activity that explored what they experience on their journey to school from the sights they see to the sounds they hear. In class, they played a feely game, where children closed their eyes and used their sense of touch to guess mystery objects lots of giggles and great guesses! Another group played Chinese Whispers, sharpening their listening skills and discovering how sound travels. It was a fantastic, hands-on week full of sensory exploration, teamwork, and scientific curiosity!

In Project, Year 1 children explored the creative world of texture and continuous line art. They experimented with rubbings, using wax crayons to reveal patterns and prints from different materials, watching the textures come alive on paper was a magical moment! They also discovered the technique of continuous line drawing, where they created artwork without lifting their pencils. This encouraged focus, imagination, and a sense of flow in their creations. The children had a brilliant time expressing themselves through these artistic challenges, producing unique and thoughtful masterpieces.  It’s been a week full of colour, creativity, and artistic discovery!

Have a lovely weekend!

Year 1 team

 

Autumn 1, Week 4 Parent Blog

Maths, pupils developed foundational skills in addition and subtraction through engaging, hands-on activities. Children explored number concepts using practical resources and applied their learning in a role-play shop setting, where they calculated totals and change during simulated transactions. This interactive approach supported their understanding of mathematical operations in real-life contexts and encouraged collaborative learning through play.

In English, children continued reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. This rhythmic and repetitive story supported the development of key early reading skills, including prediction, fluency, and word recognition. Building on their reading, children practiced writing sentences picking their own characters also identifying nouns and adjectives.

In Science, Year 1 pupils explored the five senses as part of their science learning. They focused on smell and taste through interactive activities designed to deepen their understanding. Children used their sense of smell to identify a variety of scents and matched them to corresponding images. They also took part in a fruit-tasting session, using their sense of taste to describe their taste.  Working collaboratively in groups, they sorted food pictures into the correct categories, reinforcing their learning through discussion and teamwork.

In Project, During Black History Month, Year 1 pupils explored the inspiring legacy of African American artist Alma Thomas. They learned about her vibrant abstract paintings and the significance of her work in art history. Inspired by Thomas’s unique style and joyful use of colour, the children created their own expressive artworks, experimenting with pattern, shape, and bold colour choices. This creative journey deepened their appreciation of diversity and artistic expression.

 

Have a lovely weekend!

 

 Year 1 team

 

Autumn 1, Week 3 Parent Blog

Maths, children explored the world of 2D shapes in their maths lessons. They learned to identify and name common shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. Through hands-on activities, they counted sides and corners, sorted shapes based on their properties, and discussed similarities and differences. To bring their learning to life, pupils engaged in creative activities including cutting out shapes and using them to design their own collages. They also built pictures from shapes, played sorting games, and searched for shapes in everyday objects around the classroom.

In English, children continued reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. This rhythmic and repetitive story supported the development of key early reading skills, including prediction, fluency, and word recognition. Building on their reading, children practised writing sentences using important features such as writing on the line, using capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops. This week, they stretched their sentence-building skills by adding adjectives to describe the animals and colours in the story, encouraged more descriptive, confident writing.

In Science, Year 1 children explored their five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch through engaging, hands-on activities. They went on a sensory walk around the school, observing what they could see, hear, and smell in different environments such as the playground, corridors, and garden area. This helped them connect their senses to real-world experiences and describe their observations using descriptive language. Back in the classroom, children took part in a texture activity where they used their sense of touch to feel and describe a variety of materials, including soft fabric, rough sandpaper, smooth plastic, and bumpy rubber.

In Project, Year 1 children explored the work of various artists, discovering a range of styles, techniques, and inspirations. They learned about abstract shapes and bold colours through Ilya Bolotowsky, vibrant geometric patterns from Bernal, expressive circles and lines in Kandinsky’s work, optical illusions by Bridget Riley, and the soft, realistic landscapes of Zaria Foreman. After studying these artists, children chose their favourite and created their own amazing artwork inspired by that style. Some experimented with lines and colour blocks, others played with texture and shading, while a few recreated natural scenes with pastel tones.

Spanish Day children celebrated Spanish Day with excitement and enthusiasm! They took part in a variety of lovely activities that introduced them to Spanish culture, language, and traditions. From learning simple Spanish greetings and colours. One of the highlights was their involvement in flamenco dancing. Children enjoyed moving to the rhythm, clapping along to the beat, and trying out expressive hand and foot movements. Dressed in bright colours and big smiles, they embraced the spirit of the dance with energy and joy.

                                                                       Have a lovely weekend!

 

 Year 1 team

                                                               

                                                                   Autumn 1, Week 2 Parent Blog

 

In English this week the children have been reading our story Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What do you see? The children used the characters from the book and wrote some great sentences using the correct punctuation.

 

In Maths this week in Year 1, the children have been developing their mathematical skills through a variety of engaging activities. They played maths Bingo, which helped to strengthen their understanding of numbers with increasing accuracy. In addition, they used their number lines to support their in subtraction and addition, building confidence in their calculations.

 

In Project this week in Year 1 we have been learning about the abstract art of Wassily Kandinsky. They explored how Kandinsky used shapes and colour to express emotion and rhythm in his work. Inspired by his unique style, the pupils experimented with paint and masking tape to create their own geometric compositions. Building on this, they then used a variety of shapes and applied wax crayons to shade and smudge, developing texture and depth in their artwork. The project encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, and an appreciation for abstract expression.

In Science This week in science, the children explored the concept of human growth and development. They learned about size as part of their science curriculum. They engaged in practical activities by measuring their own feet and hands, using cubes to count and compare lengths. Through this hands-on approach, pupils developed their understanding of measurement, observed differences in size, and began to make connections between growth and physical development. The activities supported key skills in observation, comparison, and data recording in a fun and interactive way.

 

Have a lovely weekend!

 Year 1 team

 

Autumn 1, Week 1 Parent Blog

 

In English this week the children have been reading our story Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What do you see? The children have used adjectives to describe the characters, thinking about their appearance and their personality. They have also sounded out the words of the characters. They also have been lovely writing the names of the characters in their books.

 

In Maths, the children have been actively engaged in learning to count from 1 to 20. Through a variety of fun and interactive activities such as hands-on exercises, they are developing number recognition, sequencing skills, and confidence in basic counting. Most children can now count aloud independently and identify numbers in order, laying a strong foundation. Children have also been learning one more and one lesson using their number lines to assist them, along with learning Ordinal numbers to tell the place or position.

 

In Project, children have been exploring the world of mark making as a foundation for both artistic expression and early writing skills. Through hands-on exploration, they’ve discovered how different tools and motions create unique lines, shapes, and textures.

Children examined Bridget Riley’s optical art, observing how simple marks can produce striking patterns and illusions. They discussed the role of colour, repetition, and contrast in their work before embarking on their own interpretations.

 

In Science, our new project is called Amazing me. This week in science, the children explored the concept of human growth and development. They learned about the different stages of life from baby to elderly and discussed how our bodies and abilities change as we grow. Using pictures to support their understanding, the children practised sequencing by cutting and sticking images in the correct order of growth. This hands-on activity helped reinforce their learning while encouraging fine motor skills and thoughtful discussion.

Have a lovely weekend!

 

 Year 1 team