Wren Class

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Welcome to Year 1’s Class Page! 

Our class teacher is Miss Skelton

Our teaching assistants are Mrs Norley and Miss McLoughlin

Standards and Expectations

Leaving Reception behind and moving into Year 1 can feel like a big step for both children and their parents. The Year 1 team are here to make this transition easier for everyone by supporting the children in their next learning step. At the start of the year, we spend plenty of time adjusting to our new classroom and class routines. Your child’s day may be a little more structured than it was in Reception and carpet time sessions as well as learning time at the tables may be a little longer than they are used to, however we try to keep learning as practical as possible. The children will continue to learn in a variety of ways; while moving, exploring outdoors, in groups, on the carpet and completing learning walks around the school grounds.

Building from the fantastic learning in Reception, we have high expectations for both behaviour and learning in Year 1. We encourage the children to always try their best and to take pride in the work they produce. Stickers and certificates are awarded for children’s effort and excellence on a weekly basis. Children in Year 1 are expected to be well behaved, polite and helpful at all times and follow our Class Rules. We continue to use the sunshine and cloud behaviour system in Year 1 which the children are familiar with from Reception.

Please scroll down for further information about our wonderful class and how we learn together!

Thank you,

Miss Skelton

Curriculum

Please click on the links below to see the topics covered for Core and Foundation subjects, our class timetable and the termly overview. 

 Phonics

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds revised programme, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. We teach phonics for 20 minutes a day and each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers. Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.

For more information on how to support your child with phonics and reading, please click on the link below.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/  

Reading

Reading is the foundation of your child’s education. We spend a great deal of time in KS1 learning to read and reading together. We encourage children to read a wide variety of genres and to fully immerse themselves into stories and characters. As well as reading themselves, the children are also given plenty of opportunities to listen to high quality texts, authors and poets to help build on their vocabulary and love of reading. This not only takes place throughout the day but is also timetabled daily for 15 minutes. 

We teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week. These:

• are taught by a fully trained adult in small groups of approximately six children

• use books matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments and book matching guidance. 

• Each reading practice session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills: decoding, prosody (teaching children to read with understanding and expression) and comprehension.

Writing
 

Writing is taught daily in Year 1 and throughout the year the children are exposed to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction genres. Often, our writing is based on a class story book and we begin our learning by developing our understanding of the book, using drama and story-telling to over learn the structure of the story and explore vocabulary. We then apply what we have learnt into adapting the story and later in the year, to invent our own stories. In Year 1, the children work alongside an adult to edit their writing by making changes to spelling, grammar and punctuation, or making improvements to what they have written by adding in words and phrases. 
 

Maths
 

We follow the White Rose scheme for the teaching and learning of maths. This approach focuses on mastery, supported by developing fluency and a deep understanding of the concepts. We encourage mathematical learning with the use of varied resources, concrete and pictorial, to support your child at all levels of their mathematical journey. This makes maths more accessible and fun for all children and helps to convey abstract concepts in a child-friendly way.
 

Recalling instant recall facts is an important part of the Year 1 maths curriculum. By the end of Year 1, children are expected to be able to quickly and confidently recall number bonds of 10 and 20, recall all of the addition and subtraction facts for numbers between 0 and 10, recall doubles and halves of numbers up to 20, and be secure with counting in steps of 2, 5 and 10.

Handwriting

The children will write with a pencil and on the line. In Year 1, we teach the child to write pre-cursive letters using the lead in and out lines. We support children to write pre-cursively within handwriting lessons and they are encouraged to practise handwriting at home as well.

Homework

Supporting your child with reading 

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home. ALL children in KS1 will be bringing home two different books each week:  

1. A reading practice book.  

This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently. This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.  Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.  

1. A sharing book. Your child will not necessarily be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together. In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen from the school library for you to enjoy together. Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters; explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun! REMEMBER children are never too old to be read to!  

Children will be sent home with their reading books on a Friday to share with you throughout the week and brought back in to change the following Friday. Please record any reading completed in your child’s reading record.

Please see below for this term's homework activity sheet, spelling overview and Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFS) document.

Parents 

If you need to speak to the class teacher about any aspect of your child’s schooling, please do not hesitate to contact the office to arrange a telephone appointment.