What a wonderful and busy first term we have had in Year One! We would like to start by saying a huge well done to all our Year One children for settling so brilliantly into their new classes. They have loved catching up with their friends and have adapted wonderfully to their new routines. We have also thoroughly enjoyed exploring our topic, Dinosaurs Galore, and it has been fantastic to see the children’s enthusiasm and excitement for learning!

English

We have enjoyed exploring lots of dinosaur-themed stories during our English lessons. The children have been developing their sentence- writing skills, focusing on remembering capital letters, full stops and finger spaces between words. We have also been learning how to use the word ‘and’ to join ideas, extend our sentences and make our writing more interesting. We are so proud of the progress the children have made!

Art and Design

Our Art and Design lessons have been full of colour and creativity! We have been learning about primary and secondary colours, experimenting with mixing primary colours to create secondary colours. We have also explored how adding black and white can change the shades and tints of colours. Inspired by the work of palaeoartists, the children created their own fantastic dinosaur artwork. They painted beautiful sunset backgrounds before drawing and cutting out dinosaur silhouettes to complete their striking final pieces.

Maths

In Maths, we have been developing and securing our understanding of place value within 10. The children have been practising finding one more and one less than a given number, as well as learning to use the correct vocabulary and symbols for greater than, less than and equal to. They have worked hard to build their confidence and develop their mathematical understanding.

Geography

We have been exploring physical geography and learning about the natural features of our environment. The children enjoyed a walk around the school grounds, identifying different physical features and discussing what they could see. They then put their new knowledge into practice by designing their very own dinosaur island maps, complete with a key. We have loved seeing their creativity and imagination shine through!

History

In History, we have been learning all about the fascinating life of Mary Anning and exploring the history of fossil hunting. The children have discovered how Mary made some incredible fossil discoveries that helped us learn more about life millions of years ago. We were even lucky enough to welcome Mary Anning herself into our classroom! The children thoroughly enjoyed asking her questions and finding out more about her life and amazing discoveries. Throughout our learning, they have shown fantastic curiosity and enthusiasm, asking thoughtful questions and demonstrating a real interest in uncovering the secrets of the past. We think we may have some future palaeontologists in Year One!

Continuous Provision and Outdoor Learning

Throughout the term, the children have taken part in a wide range of exciting challenges during Continuous Provision. These have included independent writing activities, wonderful creative crafts and a Sounds-Write scavenger hunt around the classrooms. It has been particularly lovely to see the children exploring, playing and learning in our new and improved Outdoor Area. We have been incredibly impressed by their enthusiasm, curiosity and growing independence as they follow their interests and take ownership of their learning.

We are so proud of all our Year One children and everything they have achieved this term. They have worked incredibly hard, embraced new challenges and made a fantastic start to the year. We hope everyone enjoys a happy, relaxing and well-deserved half-term break. We look forward to welcoming the children back for another exciting term of learning and adventures in Term Two!

Year 1 Curriculum Overview

year 1 curriculum overview.pdf