Welcome to the Year 1 page

Useful Information

  • Fox Class: Mrs Daubney (KS1 Lead) and Miss Hayday (Assistant Head)
  • Hedgehog Class : Mrs Armeni
  • Teaching Assistants - Mrs Baker and Mr Hope

Phonics - In Phonics, we use Unlocking Letters and Sounds to deliver high quality Phonics lessons. Each lesson follows a key process to ensure children are successful in their learning. The lesson begins with a revision session (to revise pervious learning) and then new learning is introduced. The children are then given opportunities to read and write words linked to the new learning and then read a sentence where this learning is applied. Throughout the day, they are then provided with opportunities in all areas to 'bump' into their learning. This includes opportunities in Guided Reading, Provision and Adult Led Activities. 

During Year 1, we focus a great deal of our learning on being able to read and use phonics sounds. By the end of Year 1, we are aiming for children to be secure in using all the sounds from Phase 2 - Phase 5 in their reading. One of the best ways of becoming secure in these sounds is using flashcards daily. 

PE - We have PE twice a week.  Please ensure your child comes into school dressed in their PE kit on PE days.  Our PE days are:

Foxes - TBC

Hedgehogs - TBC

Below is information about our learning as well as links to useful websites to support learning at home.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the Year 1 team.

Our Year 1 Curriculum

In Year 1, we build on the strong foundations established in Reception by providing a carefully planned balance of direct teaching and high-quality continuous provision. This approach supports children as they transition into Key Stage 1 while maintaining the curiosity, independence and love of learning developed in the Early Years.

Each day, children take part in direct teaching sessions in Phonics, English and Mathematics, where new knowledge and skills are explicitly taught and practised. These lessons provide the essential building blocks for reading, writing and mathematical understanding.

Following direct instruction, children apply and deepen their learning through our carefully designed continuous provision. The classroom environment is organised into engaging learning areas, with purposeful enhancements linked to the current curriculum. These enhancements encourage children to revisit, practise and apply the skills they have been taught in meaningful and enjoyable ways.

Throughout the week, children complete a range of curriculum missions. These exciting, purposeful challenges are carefully planned to cover the Year 1 National Curriculum objectives across a range of subjects. Missions provide opportunities for children to demonstrate their understanding, develop independence and take ownership of their learning, while still allowing them the freedom to explore, investigate and learn through play.

By combining direct teaching with high-quality continuous provision and curriculum missions, we create a learning environment where every child is supported, challenged and inspired. This approach helps children to become confident, independent learners who are ready to take the next steps in their educational journey.

Autumn 1 – A Smooth Start to Year 1

The first two weeks of Autumn Term are dedicated to ensuring every child has a happy and successful start to Year 1. During this time, we focus on helping children settle into their new classroom, build positive relationships and become familiar with the routines, expectations and responsibilities of Key Stage 1. We know that a confident start helps children to feel secure, ready to learn and excited about the year ahead.

Our Phonics teaching will continue seamlessly from Reception, with children building on their existing knowledge through daily, systematic phonics lessons. These sessions will continue to develop their confidence in reading, spelling and writing.

To support the transition into more formal writing, we will continue to use Drawing Club as our approach to writing instruction. Drawing Club encourages children to develop their imagination, vocabulary and storytelling skills while introducing the key writing skills needed in Year 1 in a fun and engaging way.

         

In Mathematics, we begin following the White Rose Maths scheme. Lessons are carefully sequenced to develop children's understanding through practical resources, mathematical talk, pictorial representations and problem-solving, ensuring firm foundations are built before moving on to new concepts.

Once children are settled and confident with classroom routines, we will begin introducing our curriculum missions. These exciting challenges allow children to apply the knowledge and skills taught during direct instruction through carefully planned continuous provision and purposeful enhancements. Missions encourage independence, curiosity and resilience while ensuring coverage of the Year 1 curriculum in an engaging and meaningful way.

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This year, Year 1 children throughout the country will be taking the Phonics Screening Check in June. The phonics screening check is a quick and easy check of your child’s phonics knowledge. It helps us confirm whether your child has made the expected progress.

What happens during the screening?

The test is conducted in a 1:1 basis and there is no time limit for this. Your child will sit with a teacher he or she knows and be asked to read 40 words aloud. Your child may have read some of the words before, while others will be completely new. The check is expected to take just a few minutes to complete and there is no time limit. If your child is struggling, the teacher will stop the check. The screen will include no more than 40 ‘words’. The words are split into real words and alien words. Your child will be able to identify an alien word from the alien next to each words. The alien words provide an element of fun to the test as well as testing your children application of Phonics for decoding.

When is the Year 1 Phonics Screening?

The Phonics Test takes place in the second week of June. It is during Term 6 (the second half of the Summer Term) towards the end of Year 1.

How will the test be conducted?

As educators, we do not have access to the Phonics Screening Check word until the morning of the first day of the screening week in June. The test itself will be carried out by your child’s class teacher. Each child will take their test individually.

What is the pass mark?

In order to meet the expected standard, your child must be able to read 32 or more of the 40 words on the screening test.

What happens if my child does not reach the pass mark?

If your child does not reach the expected standard in this test, please do not panic! The check is used as a way to assess possible learning needs. This will allow them to identify any support your child will need and implement this throughout Year 2. They will then be given another opportunity to take the test at the end of Year 2.

How can I support my child’s Phonics at home?

There are lots of different ways you can support your child at home. Here are some different ideas and activities you could use at home.

  • Play lots of sound and listening games with your child.
  • Read as much as possible to and with your child.
  • Encourage and praise - get them to have a ‘good guess’.
  • If your child is struggling to decode a word, help them by encouraging them to say each sound in the word from left to right.
  • Blend the sounds by pointing to each letter, e.g. /c/ in cat, or the letter group, e.g. /ng/ in sing. Next move your finger under the whole word as you say it.
  • Discuss the meaning of words if your child does not know what they have read.

Another way you can support your child at home, is to practise the sound they are unsure of. Your child’s teacher has sent home a letter with specific sounds identified for your child. Your child has previously been given flashcards which you can use at home to support this. If you require any of the resources again, please speak to your child’s teacher and they can provide you with more.

Resources