Year 1 – Willow Class
What We’ve Been Up To This Term
What does Beegu think of Earth?
As well as our key text, ‘Bats’ by Megan Cullis, we will be learning all about how to identify, group and compare different materials, using magnets to help us with our investigations.
Books your child could read at home:
- Beegu by Alexis Deacon
- Owls by Emily Bone
- Night Animals by Susan Meredith
- Lifecycles: Tadpole to Frog by Camilla de la Bedoyere
What we have been doing!
In Willow class we have had a specialist art teacher come in from St John’s to help us make some animal art, we have painted different farm animals and made collages of the countryside and the city. We have also read Farmer Duck and enjoyed doing lots of different writing surrounding the book including writing some bossy instructions for Farmer Duck to leave around the farm when he goes on holiday. We have also done lots of learning outside this term and have hunted round the playground with our clipboards writing down a list of all the plural nouns we could see. The children in Willow class have also been learning about how to be a good friend, complimenting children in the morning and writing cards to our friends telling them why they are special. We also love story time and have enjoyed reading lots of different books and talking about them, our class favourite is The Book With No Pictures.
Autumn Term 1 – Willow Class
English
The children’s learning will be linked to the core text Farmer Duck. They will be encouraged to predict how a problem in a story will be fixed. They will think about the things that go into a good story and how to describe characters. We will begin to understand what a ‘verb’ is and what is meant by a ‘sentence’. The children will have the opportunity to participate in roleplaying performances to retell a story. The children will write a set of sentences that tell a narrative and begin to check and change their own writing. The focus will be on writing accurate sentences with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. The SPaG focus will be on conjunctions, capital letters for the names of places and the suffixes ‘-ed’ and ‘-ing’.
Maths
The children will be developing their knowledge in relation to addition and subtraction, shape and place value to 20. This half term we will be focusing on representing and using number bonds and relating facts within 10. They will read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving +, – and = signs. The children will solve one step problems using concrete objects and pictorial representations. They will recognise, name and sort common 2D and 3D shapes. The children will reinforce their place value learning from last term by focusing on the numbers 11 – 20. The focus will be writing numbers to 20 in words, ordering, comparing and finding one more and one less.
RE
The children will be considering the key question ‘What do Christians believe God is like?’ To do this the children will learn to identify what a parable is and tell the story of the Lost Son from the Bible. They will have the opportunity to think, talk and ask questions about whether they can learn anything from the story for themselves, exploring different ideas.
Science
The children will be focusing on animals and living things. They will be able to identify and name a variety of common animals. They will learn to describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets). They will also Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the human body is associated with each sense.
PE
The children will be focusing on developing their rolling and stopping skills.
This will include sending and receiving and striking a ball with an object.
This will include sending and receiving and striking a ball with an object.
PSHE
The children will be focusing on caring friendships, which will be a theme across the school. They will learn how friendships make them feel happy and secure and how people choose and make friends.
Art
The children will explore different techniques to create animals. They will have the opportunity to create a collage and duck painting, focusing on mixing colours.
Autumn Term 2 – Willow Class
English
The children’s learning will be linked to the core text Voices in the Park. They will be encouraged to identify motives of the main character on the basis of what they have said and done. They will write their own version of a familiar story using a series of sentences to sequence events. They will also learn to join words and clauses using ‘and’ and use capital letters for names and for the personal pronoun I. The focus will be on writing accurate sentences with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. The SPaG focus will be on conjunctions, capital letters for the names and the personal pronouns.
Maths
The children will be developing their knowledge in relation to addition and subtraction and partitioning. This half term we will be focusing on part whole models and fact families for addition and subtraction. They will read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving +, – and = signs. The children will partition numbers using part whole models and bar models using their knowledge of number bonds to help them. The children will reinforce their place value learning from last term by building on their knowledge of greater than and lesser than by using the symbols, < and > to compare addition and subtraction statements.
RE
The children will be learning about Creation, answering the key question “Who created the world?”. The children will learn to retell the story of creation simply and to recognise that ‘Creation’ is the beginning of the ‘big story’ of the Bible. The children will also learn what the story tells Christians about God, Creation and the world. They will also have an opportunity to think, talk and ask questions.
History
The children will be focusing on changes in living memory. The children will be looking at their grandparent’s childhood and exploring differences and similarities and their significance. They will look at how school was different in the past and what effect electronic screens and computers had on learning. The children will also be looking at the history of toys and answering the question, “Why are iPads more fun than my grandparents’ old toys?”.
PE
The children will be learning key skills for football. They will be participating in small competitive games to develop their teamwork. As well as developing their balance and coordination through ball exercises.
PSHE
The children will be learning how to recognise their own feelings and what to do when they experience ‘big feelings’. The children will be developing their emotional vocabulary to help them talk about their feelings. The children will also explore the different feelings they have and which behaviours are good responses and which are not.
Art
The children will explore different techniques to create art depicting toys. They will have the opportunity to create water colour paintings of toys, textured collages and pastel drawings of characters from our class book ‘Voice sin the Park’. They will also develop their observational skills through more detailed work in their sketch books.
Music
The children will be exploring the genre of Old School Hip-Hop. They will listen to and appraise songs in that genre and learn to identify different musical instruments. The children will also learn to find the beat in a song and to copy a rhythm.
Spring Term 1 – Willow Class
English
The children’s learning will be linked to the core text Dogger. They will be encouraged to think about what they already know to help them understand texts. They will use picture clues within the story to deepen their understanding. There will be a focus on identifying unfamiliar words, asking about their meaning and finding other words that mean the same. The children will have the opportunity to retell the story or write a recount of an event. The children will orally rehearse their sentences before writing them down and start to make their sentences more complex by adding conjunctions such and, because and but. The focus will be on writing accurate sentences with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. The SPaG focus will be on conjunctions, suffixes and prefixes.
Maths
The children will be developing their knowledge in relation to addition and subtraction within 20, place value within 50 and measurement with a focus on length and height and weight and volume. This half term we will be focusing on representing and using number bonds and relating facts within 20. They will read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving +, – and = signs. The children will solve one step problems using concrete objects and pictorial representations. The children will reinforce their place value learning from last term by focusing on the numbers 21-50 and counting in multiples of 2, 5 and 10. The children will begin to measure and record lengths and heights and begin to measure and record mass/weight, capacity and volume. They will use vocabulary such as heavy/light, heavier than and lighter than.
RE
The children will be considering the key question ‘What do Christians believe God is like?’ To do this the children will identify what a parable is and retell the story of the Lost Son simply. They will be able to explain what the story means to Christians and how Christians show that their God is loving and forgiving. The children will think and talk about what they can learn from the story.
History
We will be focusing on changes within living memory. The children should develop an awareness of the past and use phrases relating to the passing of time. They will be introduced to chronological order and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different time periods. They should ask and answer questions and know some of the different ways that we can find out about the past. Grandparents will be invited in.
PE
We will be focusing on changes within living memory. The children should develop an awareness of the past and use phrases relating to the passing of time. They will be introduced to chronological order and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different time periods. They should ask and answer questions and know some of the different ways that we can find out about the past. Grandparents will be invited in.
PSHE
The children will be considering how important it is to be respectful of others even when they are different to them. We will discuss and consider the ideas of courtesy and manners. They will think about the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness.
Computing
The children will use technology to create, store,cmanipulate and retrieve digital Content. The children will learn how to log on and off and how to copy and paste from the internet. They will create a PowerPoint of old and new toys.
Spring Term 1 – Willow Class
English
The children’s learning will be linked to the core text ‘Here Comes Mr Post Mouse’. They will be encouraged to think about the audience they are writing for and to use ‘and’ or ‘but’ to extend their sentences. They will learn to write statements and questions that engage with a character and check their own writing for mistakes and to make improvements. The learning will culminate in writing a letter to a character and the focus will be on writing accurate sentences with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. The SPaG focus will be on conjunctions, capital letters for the names and the personal pronouns.
Maths
The children will be starting to learn about multiplication and division. This half term, we will be recapping counting in 2s, 5s and 10s and learning how to divide objects and numbers into equal groups. The children will learn to make arrays and use that knowledge to help them with grouping and division. They will also learn to double numbers using number facts and addition strategies they have already learnt. They will read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving +, – and = signs as well as word problems. The children will also learn to find and make a half and a quarter of simple shapes.
RE
The children will be learning about Sikhism, answering the key question ‘What is Sikhism?’. The children will be learning about the 5 K’s and the four commandments Sikhs follow. The children will also be learning about Sikh celebrations and their significance as well as the Gurdwara where Sikhs worship God. The children will be able to connect what they learn about Sikhism to what they already know about Christianity.
Geography
The children will be focusing on geography and answering the question ‘Where do the wheels on the bus go?’. The children will be learning how to read a map and understand some of the symbols they might find. They will also be learning about the capital city and looking at famous landmarks in London. The children will also be investigating different ways they can travel round the country and learning about different signs they might see on the roads and what they mean. The children will also be answering the question ‘How have cars, buses, bicycles and trains changed since your grandparents were little?’.
PE
The children will be focusing on throwing a ball towards a target. They will have the opportunity to develop their skills of throwing/ catching and rolling/ stopping. They will also practice striking a small ball with an object (cricket bat, tennis racket).
PSHE
The children will be learning about how food and medicine gets into our bodies and that some things can be helpful and some things can be harmful. The children will understand safety rules when it comes to medicine and alternative ways to make themselves feel better. They will also be learning about how to name parts of the body with scientific and colloquial vocabulary. The children will also be learning about basic personal hygiene routines and understand how these can prevent the spread of disease.
Music
The children will be exploring the genre of Pop music. They will listen to and appraise songs in that genre and learn to identify different musical instruments. The children will also learn to find the beat in a song and to copy a rhythm.
Spring Term 1 – Willow Class
English
The children’s learning will be linked to the core non-fiction text ‘The Bat’. They will learn to summaries the main points of reports, tables and diagrams. They will also learn to compare reports and use that information to justify their opinions. Additionally the children will learn new vocabulary and be using noun phrases in their writing. The learning will culminate in writing a report on a bat based on their own research from books and the internet and the focus will be on presenting clear information. The SPaG focus will be on conjunctions and sequencing sentences.
Maths
The children will be starting to learn about position and direction, learning the vocabulary of turns, left and right. Next we will be moving on to place value within 100, learning how to order and partition numbers up to 100 into tens and ones. The children will also continue their work on measure learning how to recognise and count coins and notes as well as using money in role play situations. Finally the children will learn all about time. They will learn how to read time to the half hour, write the time, compare time and read and write the date.
RE
The children will be continuing their learning on Sikhism, answering the key question ‘Who is God to Sikhs?’. The children will be learning how Sikhs connect to God through meditation and God’s role in creation. They will learn about the ‘Oneness’ of God and the role he plays in every aspect of life. The children will be reading and discussing a range of different Sikh stories and thinking about what they tell Sikhs about God. The children will be able to connect what they learn about Sikhism to what they already know about Christianity.
Geography
The children will be focusing on science and answering the question ‘What does Beegu think of life on planet Earth?’. The children will be learning how to describe materials using scientific vocabulary and group them based on their properties. They will also justify why they think certain materials are used for certain jobs using new scientific vocabulary. Additionally the children will be using magnets to help them investigate and categorise different materials. Finally the children will be using what they have learnt to help design then make a shelter for Beegu as he waits on Earth for his family.
PE
The children will be focusing on throwing a ball towards a target. They will have the opportunity to develop their skills of throwing/ catching and rolling/ stopping. They will also practice striking a small ball with an object (cricket bat, tennis racket).
PSHE
The children will be learning how to manage change in their lives in a healthy way. They will talk about the changes that happen in their lives as they grow up and recognise there are some changes they can choose and some they have no control over. The children will learn to name the emotions they might experience during a big change and different strategies to help them deal with that change. They will also be learning about how to name parts of the body with scientific and colloquial vocabulary. The children will also be learning about basic personal hygiene routines and understand how these can prevent the spread of disease.
Art
The children will explore the painting ‘The Graham Children’ by the painter William Hogarth. The children will observe and discuss the painting as well as other famous paintings featuring children. The children will then plan and paint their own picture based on ‘The Graham Children’. The children will be developing their artistic skill through colour mixing to mix primary and secondary colours as well as making tints and shades by adding black and white to a colour. The children will also learn about cubism through David Hockney’s painting ‘The Scrabble Game’, observing and recreating the painting.
Music
The children will be consolidating all of their musical knowledge from the year. They will be listening to Pop music, Blues, and Old School Hip Hop. The children will be looking back at old songs and listening to new songs too, appraising and joining in.
