Year 1
Please use the link below to see all the fantastic work completed in our KS1 Spanish lessons.
Week ending 26.04.24
Another fabulous week in year 1!
In maths this week, we have started to count in 2s, 5s and 10s forwards and backwards. As well as, grouping objects into equal groups of 2, 5 and 10.
In English, we started to write our return narrative. We had to think of a character and a place they travelled to. Then we had to write about a problem happening in our story and how the character was saved! We tried really hard with our handwriting and making sure we had the correct punctuation.
In Geography, we looked at England and Scotland. We discussed key places in these countries, their flags, the patron saints and identified where they are in a map of the UK. In RE, we discussed Jesus’ baptism and, after looking at different interpretations, we created our own interpretations of Jesus’ baptism. In science, we looked at the eat well plate and designed a healthy meal of our own. In PSHEE, we discussed how to be a good friend and the qualities we look for in friends. In computing, we looked at adding text to a word document and experimenting with the toolbar. In PE, we practised our underarm and overarm throwing. We had to make decisions of which type of throw to use in different situations. We found that the overarm throw goes a lot further than the underarm throw!
On Tuesday, it was St George’s day and red team all looked amazing in their red clothes!
We had great week this week and we are looking forward to see what next week brings.
Week ending 19.04.24
We have had a great week in Year 1!
In maths this week, we have been measuring mass and volume. We started with comparing mass using heavier and lighter. We looked at balance scales and how we know which object is heavier or lighter. We then moved onto measuring and comparing volume, using full or empty and using cups to measure volume.
In English, we sequenced our class text ‘The Secret of Black Rock’. We looked at an example text of a narrative and analysed it for vocabulary and features to gain ideas for our own narratives. We looked at the way the author started sentences and wrote some sentences of our own using exciting sentence starters. We have started to plan our own story, thinking about the character, setting, something that goes wrong and a solution.
In Geography, we looked at the United Kingdom and labelled it on a world map. We also identified the four countries that make up the UK and looked at their flags. We enjoyed singing along to the National Anthem! In RE, we gathered questions about baptism and discussed if we knew anyone that had been baptised. In science, we discussed what animals need to survive and their basic needs. In PE, we practiced throwing accurately, keeping our eye on the target. We had to make sure we really concentrated!
On Wednesday we had a very exciting morning at the Jerusalem Journey Easter Experience. As we travelled through Jerusalem learning about Easter, we collected stickers along the way to complete our maps!
Overall, a fantastic week filled with lots of fun activities! Have a lovely weekend and see you all on Monday.
Week ending 12.04.24
We have had a fantastic week in Year 1 this week! The children have welcomed me into school and we are having fun getting to know each other.
In maths this week, we have been measuring length and height. We started with comparing height and length using taller/shorter and longer/ shorter. We explored measuring length and height using cubes. The children liked measuring different body parts with cubes! Then we moved onto using rulers to measure length and height.
In English, we introduced our new book ‘The Secret of Black Rock’ and predicted what we thought was going to happen in the story. We came up with lots of amazing ideas and shared them with the class.
In PE, we practised our underarm throwing skills, using beanbags to hit targets. We started with big targets then moved onto smaller targets. We found hitting the small targets a lot trickier! In computing, we explored keyboards and what the different keys do. We then used the keyboards to write our names.
Overall, a great first week back and we are looking forward to our full week next week!
Week ending 22.3.24
What another wonderful week in Year 1!
We started off our Monday by receiving the attendance award which we were very excited about! Well done ⭐️
In maths this week, we have revisited partitioning of numbers but this time up to 50. The children liked using the concrete resources of dienes to see the tens and ones move in the part whole models. We then moved onto making groups of 10. We first explored counting a group of objects in ones and twos to find that we would get different answers. However, we then tried grouping our counters into tens and found that that was the most efficient method when counting a large group of objects.
In English, we wrote parts of our portal story each day using our plans. The children did well to use word mats and modelling to shape their own piece of writing. We are becoming more confident and neat as a class - I am very proud at how far we have come along since the beginning of the year.
In RE, we looked at Jesus being triumphant in death. The children thought about what that looks like to them and drew a piece of artwork in a stained glass window template to reflect how they felt about it. In PE, we played a game of volley ball using the receiving and passing skills this half term. The children loved the competitiveness and enjoyed working as a team. In History, we recapped what castles looked like and how the Normans built castles once William become king of England. We talked about what it would be like to be in one and attack one! The children then made their own castles using the resources and talked about the parts of it. In science, we discussed about local and wild plants. We then explored the local in our school grounds to see what we could find and if there were any other plants we could spot!
On Friday, it was our maths day. The children looked FABULOUS! We continued with our maths topics and also explored more of our multiples of 2s, 5s and 10s. Not to mention we had a little dance in the afternoon to show our rock star moves!
Overall, we’ve had another jam packed week of learning. We are looking forward to what learning we are going to do in our last week of spring term!
Week ending 8.3.24
What a lovely week it’s been! So much has been going on…
Throughout the week we had some mystery readers come in. The children loved trying to work out who was coming and what book they were going to bring. Thank you mystery readers, you made quite the impression on the children as they couldn’t stop talking about all of you when you went!
In English, we looked at the suffixes -ing, -ed and -er. The children recapped verbs and then did freeze frames from Where the Wild Things Are. In those freeze frames the children had to think of what verb they were acting out and whether to add -ing, -ed or -er to it. E.g The wild things were roaring and gnashing their teeth. Max was crowned king. He was the best stomper on the island.
We have also been enjoying our writing mornings with different pictures to write about each day.
In RE, we planted some cress seeds to remind us of new life and that Jesus rose again. In PSHE, we looked at safe and unsafe items we may find or see in the kitchen and bathroom and talked about the importance of asking an adult about anything we are unsure about. In science, we looked at comparing plants. The children chose two types of plants and spotted the similarities or differences between the two.
On Wednesday, we had a stop and read day. The children brought in a book from home and throughout the day got to read and share it with their peers. There was a lot of excitement and joy when the children showed their books.
On Thursday, it was world book day. Everyone looked FABULOUS! Thank you to all the parents and carers who spent their time making their child look and feel amazing on that day. As you can see from our class photo there was a variety of characters who came into school. We looked at the book ‘Tiger Child’ which was written in India and is a folk tale. The children loved listening to the story. We found India on the map, sequenced the story and looked at the culture in the book.
On Friday, we had our Mother’s Day morning. The children got to see the special mums, nans and aunties in their lives and give them their cards. It was a lovely morning with lots of happy faces.
Overall, we had another great week. Looking forward to science week next week!
Week ending 1.3.24
A lovely packed week for Year 1!
In maths, we have been recapping our skills so far and understanding more about subtraction. The children were working equations out using a number line to take their time and check their answers. We also used another method of counting backwards to work questions out.
We had another visit from Cronton college students to help us with science. We were set a new project this week testing out how absorbent materials are. The children tested this with fake snot! In the lesson, the children ordered the materials from least to most absorbent. It helped us understand to use certain materials to cover germs and keep healthy. They will be returning soon with another test for us to carry out!
As it was Fairtrade week, we learnt about what that means and about how to spot the fairtrade logo on fruit in the shops. The children learnt about the journey of a banana from where it’s grown to how it arrived packaged in our shops. We also looked at what fruit comes from what trees.
In history, we looked at the battle of Hastings and learnt about William and Harold’s battle for the crown. In Design and technology, the children looked at levers and sliders and had a practise making both using some of their own designs. In PSHE, we thought about what we do or choices we make in our daily lives to keep healthy.
Overall, we had a good week and have been putting our skills to the test. Looking forward to next week’s busy events!
Week ending 23.2.24
It’s been great to see our Year 1s get straight back into things after a nice half term break. We’ve loved being back together and learning again!
We started our morning off our week with a visit from two students from Cronton college who delivered a science lesson. Our science project was based around Matty the mouse. Matty the mouse needs a warm place to stay as he lives amongst a scrap heap. We were told we needed to use materials from the scrap heap to make him a home that would stay warm for the winter. Each group were given a bottle that Matty would stay in and told to create something around it that would keep it warm. The children worked in teams to design and make their mouse home using the resources provided. After that, each bottle was filled with hot water and left for 10 minutes. On returning, the students measured the temperate of each bottle to see how much the temperature had dropped. All designs were very successful and it was great to see the children be proud of what they’d made!
In maths, we looked at using our doubles knowledge to work our near double number sentences. E.g. knowing 3+3=6 will help us work out 4+3=7. We then moved onto using our number bonds to 10 to help us work out number bonds to 20. Finally, we subtracted ones from 11-20 and used concrete resources to explain our reasoning.
In English, we immersed ourselves into our new book ‘Where the wild things are’. We took a sneak peak at some illustrations and wrote sentences to describe what we saw. Some children even came to the front to read their sentences aloud to the class.
In RE, we went on a spring walk around school and looked for signs of spring. The children were great at spotting buds, shoots, insects and nests. We were excited to see new life and to know that spring is around the corner! In PSHE, we started our healthy me topic and began with a game of what we thought healthy and unhealthy things are for our bodies. We then went onto learn what keeps us healthy and learnt a little action poem to remind us. In history, we started our new topic and started our series of lessons discussing what a monarch is. We talked about our current monarch King Charles and how he ascended the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth passed away.
Overall, it was lovely to be reunited and have a good first week back! Looking forward to seeing what learning we will be doing next week…
Week ending 9.2.24
A lovely week to end a fabulous half term!
We started off the week with a visit from road safety. We talked about what to do in different situations and answered questions from a quiz. The children were very knowledgable and could recognise how to be safe.
In English, we looked at the conjunctions ‘because, and, or, so and but’ and how to use them correctly in a sentence. The children worked in groups to read sentences and write the correct conjunction that made sense. Later on, we looked at correcting and re-writing a letter from Imogen Splotts (from our Hermelin book). Imogen struggled to use capital letters in her writing so we worked hard to help her spot her mistakes and re-do them.
This week we managed to read our detective stories to reception. The children loved having the chance to read something they had created and the reception children really enjoyed listening to them and asking questions. A very wonderful morning!
In maths, we concentrated on adding numbers together within 20. We used concrete resources to figure out what method was easiest for them to work out how to add two numbers together. Some children counted on from the largest number, others made 10 in the ten frame and it was easy for them to subitise the ten and ones.
In Spanish, Mrs Kimmins taught the children different animals and how to pronounce the names for each of them. In computing, the children learnt about routes and how to program the Beebots to go from one place to other via different routes. The children worked hard to find the quickest routes from one place to another. In RE, we looked at our earth and discussed ways in which we can look after it. We looked at how our earth has been spoiled and decided to create posters to save the planet. The children worked in pairs to draw and write about the most important ways to prioritise looking after our planet.
Hope you all have a wonderful and restful break this half term. I look forward to seeing you all when we go back!
Week ending 2.2.24
Another lovely week in Year 1! As always, lots going on and much learning to be done.
In maths this week, we have been continuing our work with number lines and began estimating where numbers would go on blank number lines. This skill helped us to understand more about place value and which numbers are more or less than others. We then moved onto addition within 20 and used the ten frames to work out how we would add single digits together by making ten.
In English, we wrote our big independent writes, probably our biggest one yet! The children loved writing about their animal detectives and had a really good go at making sure their sentences made sense and presentation was neat. I am very proud of their final results!
A question was raised in the week about how Hermelin finds lost items in the dark. This led us to a little experiment in science using torches. We found out that if a material is shiny it reflects the light and lights up, whereas dull objects don’t reflect light making it harder to spot in the dark.
In PSHE, we talked about dreams and goals and how reaching them can sometimes be challenging and stretch our minds. We made hand flowers to remind ourselves that our goals are in reach and we may have to stretch our minds at times but it’ll be worth it in the end.
In PE, we did some dancing linked to the weather. The children chose their own dance moves and put them together in a short sequence. We then split up and managed to watch one another’s performances and participate as an audience.
In our RE God and creation topic we looked at God’s detail in creation. We took our learning outside and used magnifying glasses to see if we could zoom into parts of creation and notice the detail. The children liked having the chance to explore and wonder - it was really fun!
In Computing, we continued our topic of moving robots. After making programs last week, this week we followed some using shape mats. The children had to place their Beebot on a starting position, follow and type the program in and then some tried predicting where the Beebot would end up!
Overall, a successful week and we can’t believe we are into our last week of our first Spring half term on Monday. Looking forward to more learning and being together next week!
Week ending 26.1.24
A busy week of learning in Year 1 this week!
In maths, we looked at number lines up to 20 and used them to work out more or less than a given number. The children have been working on using and understanding the correct mathematical language of ‘greater than, less than, fewer than’. The children have been practising and recapping their tens and ones knowledge when talking about the numbers from 10-20.
In English this week, we planned out our own detective story inspired by our Hermelin book. The children had wonderful ideas on who their detective animal will be, what street they live on and how they help the residents. This is in preparation for their big write next week! We are working on clear finger spaces, neat handwriting, full stops, capital letters and most importantly checking if it makes sense.
In Science, we looked at objects and used words to describe its properties. The children then worked in groups to see how they would sort the objects. Lots of great discussions went on about whether certain objects fit in a group or if it should be left out. In Geography, we recapped our learning from last week and looked at different coastlines. We then shared our own experiences of what specific coastlines we’d been to and with who or some of us spoke about why we would want to visit a certain one. In PSHE, we began the lesson with a mirroring activity where the children paired up with someone and had to work alongside one another and copy movements. We then worked with a partner to design a welly and discuss one thing they’d like to work on together as a team. In music, the children played the glockenspiels along to a song to see if they could keep us with the pace and rhythm. In computing, the children worked in groups to use all of the buttons on the BeeBots to create a program and watch their program unfold before them when they clicked ‘go’. The children were excited to see the BeeBots move how they had commanded them too.
The children had another library trip this week to swap last week’s books. It was so lovely to see them read and share what they’d loved most about their book with a partner of their choice before handing it back!
I’m looking forward to seeing what next week’s learning brings!
Week ending 19.1.24
Another jam-packed week of learning for us in Year 1!
In maths, we used a new resource called ‘dienes’ which helped us to understand the separation of tens and ones in two-digit numbers up to 20 more easily. The children were good at saying how many tens and ones numbers had. Eg. 14 has 1 ten and 4 ones.
In English, we focused on grammar skills this week. We looked at plurals and are now understanding that when we are describing more than one of something we add the suffix -s or -es. We also looked at the prefix un- and how that can change the meaning of a word when put in front of it. For example, happy and then when the prefix un- is added, it becomes unhappy.
In science last week we looked at naming materials for our new topic. This week, we were beginning to describe the properties of these materials using word mats to assistance us. In PE, we continued with developing our ball skills and this week the children worked on throwing. On one day, they focused on throwing into a target using the some of the skills learnt from last week. The following day they then practised a butterfly and basket hold with their hands to help them catch a ball throw. In art, the children used paint and objects to create stamp patterns. In computing, we looked at a BeeBot robot together. The children analysed the button and predicted what they’d do and then we tried each button out.
On Friday, the children were taken to our school library where they chose a book of their choice. It was wonderful to see them so excited about which book to take home. They will be able to change them each Friday from now on!
Hope you all have a restful weekend and see you on Monday!
Week ending 12.1.24
Happy New Year!
It’s been so lovely to reunite this week and catch up about our Christmas break. We’ve had a busy first week and quickly got back into our routines.
We started off the week with our Monday Funday. The children made and decorated their own treasure chest to keep their achievements and things that they are proud of in there. They also got creative and made a piece of work of their choice. This linked to the start of our RE topic about creation. In the afternoon, we watched a Cinderella pantomime!
On Tuesday, we had an unusual suitcase delivered outside our classroom. It had no name on so we had a peek inside… we found a magnifying glass, notebook, pen, maps and binoculars. We had a discussion about who the suitcase could belong to, we came to the conclusion that it could either belong to an adventurer or a detective. Later on in the week, we found out that the suitcase belonged to a detective mouse called Hermelin! We’ve started to read our new story and we are loving it. This week we’ve written sentences describing what we can see in the illustrations and also wrote down some questions to ask Hermelin.
In maths, we’re now focusing on numbers up to 20. Understanding the words before and after and how double digit numbers can be broken down into tens and ones.
We started our new Seaside topic in geography. We looked at a map of the UK and talked about its coastline and tried to draw around it independently. The children were also great at using maps to figure out the seas surrounding the United Kingdom.
In music, we started our new topic ‘In the groove’. The children listened to a piece of Blues music and used the glockenspiels to play along. In Art, the children started their new topic and went outside with Mrs Hill to create different rubbings. Some children chose trees, benches, leaves, they liked exploring the different patterns that came about and practising the skill. In PE, we focused on our rolling technique linked to our new ball skills topic. The children learnt how to take a good stance with their arms and legs in the correct position in order to roll the ball accurately. They then put their skills into practise with a rolling game.
Overall, we’ve loved being back together this week and I’m looking forward to seeing what this term brings!
Week ending 22.12.23
What a fabulous week to end on for our Autumn term. We have had lots of fun and activities throughout the week which put big smiles on our faces.
We had our final computing lesson and learnt about the artist Georges Seurat who made paintings using dots of paint. The children then worked on creating their own flower using his style of painting - I was very impressed!
Later on in the week, we got creative and made our snowmen Christmas cards and personalised baubles. We hope you enjoyed hanging them on your tree!
On Thursday, we had our Cronton Talent Show in the morning. The children voted the song they wished to perform to the school and chose ‘Last Christmas’. They did a wonderful job learning the lyrics and actions and some of us even did some dance moves and used bells. In the afternoon, we had our disco. The children loved dancing and playing games. Finally, on Friday, we had breakfast with Santa and were able to see him and receive an early present!
Thank you so much so your cards and gifts, you are all so generous and kind. Myself and Mrs Hill have been very blessed.
Overall, we’ve had a wonderful first term together and the children have worked so hard. I’m looking forward to seeing what our Spring term looks like. I hope you have a lovely Christmas break and see you in the new year!
Week ending 15.12.23
A lovely week in Year 1. The children have continued to be resilient and hard-working.
In maths, we began our new topic about 2D and 3D shapes. The children have been recognising shapes and sorting them into groups. Over the week, we worked on using mathematical language to reason why we grouped shapes in certain ways and also realised that sometimes a group of shapes can be sorted in different ways.
In English, we finished our big writes and wow they are amazing! The children were so resilient writing their four parts to the story using their plan.
In Science, we talked about how to keep our bodies healthy. We discussed all of the different food types and how having a balanced diet is great to have and how protein helps our muscles!
In Spanish, the children learnt about different clothes we wear in different weathers. They can now recognise vocabulary and use some of it when spotting the clothes.
In Computing, the children created some wonderful digital artwork based on Henri Matisse’s ‘The Snail’ and Kandinsky’s circle painting. We worked in pairs on Sketch app and used its tools to create pieces of artwork inspired by these artists. The children did extremely well!
Towards the end of the week, we had our Santa Dash. The children were amazing running around for so long and looked very Christmassy! At lunch time, we had our Christmas meal so all bellies were full after all of the running!
Overall, we’ve had a lovely week. One more week and Year 1 will have completed their Autumn term - I’m so proud of how hard they’ve worked and how grown up they’re becoming!
Week ending 8.12.23
An eventful week for Year 1 this week! We had our wonderful Christmas Fun Day on Tuesday. As you can see, the children really enjoyed going around all of the stalls with their tokens. The children loved seeing their gardeners lead a stall and went round with their friends and came away with lots of treats.
In English, we started to write our big finding narrative write. The children have been working really hard to include all the writing skills we’ve learnt over the term and to use their plan to structure their write. We will be finishing them next week and reading them out to our friends if we want to.
In maths, we have been looking at lots of different skills. We ended the week by adding 2 and subtracting 1 on number lines and understanding which way to go on the number line and where we start and finish.
In RE, we continued learning about the magi (wise men) and looked at the pictures we had in last week’s lesson. We talked about how different the paintings all were and how different people interpreted the visit of the wise men to Jesus. The children then talked with their partner about what they thought the visit would have looked like and drew their own interpretations which were wonderful to see. In D&T, the children cut up their fruit and made their own fruit salad. They were able to describe the different tastes of the fruit to Mrs Hill and why they had chosen them. In Spanish, the children continued to learn about the weather and what clothes they wear in different temperatures and weathers. In PSHE, we talked about what makes a good friend and ways that we can show kindness to others. It was lovely to see the children discuss about these and we are making sure we practise them in the classroom and playgrounds.
To end the week we had our Christmas Nativity on Sunday. The children were AMAZING and made me so proud! They sang so well and were great villagers and remembered all the actions. Well done Year 1!
Week ending 1.12.23
Week ending 24.11.23
Another fun week of learning in Year 1.
In maths, we began to explore subtraction and different methods of how to subtract. The children have understood that we can use the vocabulary subtract, take away and minus to describe the symbol -.
In English, we have been focusing on our sentence accuracy and making sure we read through our sentences to check they make sense. One day, we used freeze frames to act out scenes of the book and say what we think the characters could have been feeling the that time - the children were AMAZING at this! They then went onto write sentences using those ideas.
In Computing, we created artwork on the iPad in the style of the artist Piet Mondrian. The children worked with a partner to create lines and fill in the squares and rectangles with colours of their choice.
In Science, we focused on the sense hearing and how our ears work. The children learnt about the outer, middle and inner ear. We learnt how sound waves travel through our ear canal and down the middle part of our ear. The vibrations hit our ear drum and messages are sent to our brain to understand the sounds.
In PSHE, we continued to explore our ‘Celebrating Differences’ topic. We talked this week about bullying and which adults are there to speak to if we are unhappy or need help.
In PE, we used the mats to practise a sequence of shapes. We practised tuck, straddle, star, dish, arch, front and back support. We focused on tightening our muscles to hold the shape for 5 seconds.
One of our kindness challenges this week was to read with other children. Therefore, our gardeners and Year 5s came to read to us some afternoons during story time. We really enjoyed it!
Finally, Year 1 won the attendance award again this week - as you can see we were excited to have got it again!
Week ending 17.11.23
Yet another wonderful week in Year 1. This week it’s been anti-bullying week! We wore odd socks on Monday and then discussed throughout the week what it means to be kind to others.
We began the week by receiving two gifts. The children opened them and found that behind the sparkly gold wrapping were some sweets and in the small brown wrapping was a heart with the name Jesus on it. We talked about how Jesus is a gift from God and came to this earth as a humble king born in a stable. Jesus is an enteral gift that keeps on giving.
In maths, we recapped the addition family facts and then moved onto solving addition problems. Instead of solving 1 step problems e.g adding two objects together, we looked at problems that consisted of adding up objects individually and then adding them together. Eg. Farmer White has 2 cows and 1 sheep. Farmer Rose has 4 cows and 2 sheep. How many animals do they have altogether?
In English, we wrote what Old Bear could have been saying to himself in the attic. The children have really been thinking of what a good sentence looks like. We are re-reading our sentences to check for finger spaces, full stops, capital letters and that it makes sense! We also wrote a short description of what Old Bear looks like using adjectives.
In PE, we travelled on and over apparatus in different ways and understood what it meant was to create a sequence. We made a beginning position and an end, so when we showed others at the end they knew where we started and ended our sequence.
In Computing, we started our new topic of digital art. The children used an app to create a self portrait using different tools. The children were very good at changing the colours and sizes of the paint brushes, chalks and pens.
We had our first class trip to the Museum of Liverpool on Wednesday. The children were well behaved and loved the activities. We began the trip by exploring the museum. Then we went to our ‘Toys through time’ workshop. We were split into groups and given a selection of toys that varied between old and new. Some of the toys that were handed to us were over 100 years old… one being 270 years old! The children had to order the toys oldest to newest and we discussed as a class our reasons for ordering them and what the toys were made out of. After that we had lunch and onto our next activity of small Liverpool where we learnt more about our city and had a play in the water with boats in the Liverpool docks.
Year 1 were very excited to receive the 100% attendance trophy this week! We hope that we can win this again. 😀
Week ending 10.11.23
A busy week returning to school after half term. It’s been lovely to have everyone back together!
In maths, we have been looking at systematically finding out all number bonds for numbers up to 10. The children have understood a different method to find number bonds using ten frames and counters. We begin with all the counters being one colour and then turn one over each time to write down the number bonds that appear. Eg. 0+10=10, 1+9=10, 2+8=10.
In English, we have read our new book ‘Old Bear’. We discussed how characters may feel throughout the story. We then looked at a WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) of a finding narrative and talked about what makes a good sentence.
In PE, we started our new gymnastics topic and looked at different ways to travel. The children worked really hard to think about moving low and high and using different parts of their body to move around.
In PSHE, we started our ‘Celebrating Me’ topic. This week, we discussed how we have things in common with others and worked with a partner to find out 3 things that we had in common with them. In RE, we began our new topic and looked at gifts. We had discussions on whether gifts are just objects or are they more than that. As an activity, I asked how the children feel when they give a gift and how they feel when they receive one and the class had to move to their chosen emoji and explain their answer.
On Friday, we celebrated Diwali! We talked about it being the festival of light and read the story of Rita and Sama. In the afternoon, we worked with our gardeners to create some artwork. We looked at how mehndi (a hand art tradition) is used during the celebration of Diwali and created our own patterns.
A successful week back in Year 1 - we are looking forward to what next week brings!
Week ending 27.10.23
Year 1 have had a lovely busy week before finishing for half term. I have been very proud of the resilience and efforts we have all put in this week.
In maths, we began exploring addition facts using our part whole models. We would begin with a whole number and then break it down into all of its different parts. For example, we worked with the whole number 8 and found that we can split it up into 1+7, 0+8, 4+4, 5+3, 6+2. The children looked at different ways these number sentences could look. We explored together that there are 4 facts for each number bond, therefore making it a family when you find all 4.
For example:
3+5=8 or 8=3+5
5+3=8 or 8=5+3
We are understanding that not all number sentences start with the parts and that number sentences can be recognised in different ways!
In English, we made some predictions about our new book for next half term. Some children came out to read their predictions to the class. It is very important that the children are reading aloud what they have written so that they can recognise mistakes and build upon their editing skills.
In PE, we were put into our colour teams and played an attacker and defender game. The children worked on using their skills taught over the weeks to pass to players, stop and control the ball and to strike or defend. In Science, we observed the weather all week and recorded it in our books. When we looked back over the week we saw a mix of weathers and began talking about what the weather mainly looks like in the season of autumn. In Art, Year 1 worked really hard and drew up the final parts of their portraits. They took their time focusing on their features and using the pastels effectively. In history, we looked at why we celebrate bonfire night. We began looking at the Houses of Parliament and understanding that laws are made there. The children even wrote what laws they would like to make if they were prime minister. We then delved into the story of Guy Fawkes and the children loved it!
Overall, a wonderful end to a great half term. I hope you all have a well earned rest and I am looking forward to seeing you when you come back!
Week ending 20.10.23
Another busy week in Year 1!
In maths, we have begun to explore part-whole models. The children have understood how to break down a whole number into its parts. Later on in the week, we looked at how those parts and whole can be written in a number sentence. The children understood that we add parts together and they can be written either way. For example, 3+2=5 is the same as 2+3=5.
In English, we spent all week writing up our set of instructions on how to catch the witch and put her back in the book. The class did very well considering this was our first piece on non-fiction writing! I am very proud of how hard they have worked.
In PE, we continued with our invasion game skills and learnt how to pass to one another with the inner part of our feet. We put our skills to practise and trying moving whilst passing and striking in small goals. In Spanish, Mrs Kimmins taught the children more about the weather and songs that go with them. The children are remembering a lot of phrases now which is encouraging to see! In Art, the children added details to their portraits and will be continuing those into next week as they finalise them. In RE, we discussed the importance of charities and how charities like Christian Aid help those who might not have a good harvest. In Science and Geography, we recapped our knowledge learnt over the past half term about recycling and our school. In computing, the children used an app and their keyboard skills to create a poster about how to be safe when using technology.
Let’s see what more things we have to learn about next week…!
Week ending 13.10.23
What a very eventful week in Year 1!
In maths, we looked at using the vocabulary of greater than, less than and equal to. We then learnt the symbols that are used to represent them. For example, 7 is greater than 4 is shown as 7 > 4. 3 is less than 9 would be 3 < 9.
In Science, we went on an autumnal walk around the school to observe what’s happening to the nature around us. The children found lots of different coloured leaves and it struck up conversations and questions about leaves changing different colours and how some trees leaves don’t fall. In Geography, we looked at the different ways we travel to school and made a pictogram. We then drew our journeys to school and how ours all might look different.
In music, we looked at playing some instruments to our song ‘Hey You’. The children were able to play notes along with singing. In Art, Year 1 started to paint their portrait base. They began by mixing colours to create their skin tone and then added it to their pencil drawing. Next week, when it’s all dried, we will add in facial features!
Throughout the week, children who wanted to be a candidate for school council came to the front of the class and explained why they wanted to be a member and why people should vote for them. On Thursday morning, we held our school council elections and after confidential voting we are pleased to have elected Rosie and Lowenna!
On Friday morning, we had a bit of a surprise going into our classroom.. it was a mess! We spotted green glitter in our Rapunzel book, the window open, chairs turned over and pencils everywhere. The children soon figured out what had happened, the witch from our Rapunzel book has escaped! Later on in the day, nursery and Year 2 came to find us because they had found a wand and broomstick in their classrooms. We immediately got started and made a plan to catch the witch. We will start writing up our instructions for people to follow next week.
Year 1 will keep you updated with our mystery witch and let you know if we can catch her and put her back in the book!
Week ending 6.10.23
A wonderful week learning in Year 1 - we are certainly getting more confident at using our previous skills and knowledge.
In maths, we focused on the vocabulary 'equal to, greater than, less than'. The children were able to use this language in lessons when describing pictures and diagrams. We then looked at the symbols used for each of the statements (< > =) and began to use them to compare numbers. Year 1 liked working practically with a partner using counters and lolly sticks to see the comparisons visually.
In English, we had a letter and set of instructions delivered to our classroom. We found out that they came from Dexter (a boy from our story) because he had just escaped a troll and wanted to let us know what to do in case it happened to us. Dexter forgot to use some capital letters and full stops in his letter to us, so we used our purple pens and became a tiny teacher by correcting his mistakes. We then analysed the set of instructions and spotted bossy words (imperative verbs). The children got into partners and sorted a set of words into bossy and not bossy words.
In Geography, we learnt about human and physical features. We discussed how these are things that you can see all around you. Physical features are natural things like seas, mountains and rivers. They would be here even if there were no people around. Human features are things like houses, roads and bridges and have been built by people. We then took our maps and ventured outside onto the playground and field, where the children drew what human and physical features they could see. In PE this week, we focused on skipping. The children learnt to hold the rope waist high and to put the rope behind their heels to start. We learnt how to do a single jump and a double jump. In Spanish, we have continued with our topic about the weather and Mrs Kimmins taught us a Spanish lullaby about the wind - The Wind Blows. Visit the Modern Foreign Language Blog on the Curriculum page to see more! In Computing, we continued with our keyboard skills and wrote more sentences. We focused on using capital letters and full stops using the correct keys and even added a picture of ourselves using the pen on the app.
We ended the week with our Harvest Festival. A huge well done to all of the children who took part, you were fabulous! Thank you to everyone who donated to Widnes food bank, it is much appreciated!
Week ending 29.9.23
A great week had in Year 1!
On Tuesday, we had our European Day and dressed up with the theme of Italy in mind. The children looked amazing and had a great time learning more about the country. We looked at where Italy is on the world map and how it kind of looks like the shape of a boot. We learnt a few Italian phrases and in the afternoon, visited the colosseum and had an ice cream with friends - the ice creams were very tasty!
In English this week, we began our independent write about a traditional tale. The children worked so hard following their plans and writing sentences to form a narrative and to sequence their stories.
In maths, we’ve looked at numbers in words, counting backwards, 1 more and 1 less and matching. The children have been great at working together to solve problems and using mathematical language to prove their answers.
In Geography, we recapped what an aerial view is and had a look at an aerial view of our school. We then took a trip around school to see what areas we could label on the map and discussed what we use the areas for.
In Science, we looked at how paper is made. We watched a video that took us through the process of how wood is turned into pulp and then into paper. We were all very fascinated how science can help us achieve this!
In Computing, we looked at keyboard skills. The children worked in pairs to write their names and a sentence about them using the iPad keyboards - they learnt very quickly!
Overall, we’ve had a wonderful week and have enjoyed learning and growing together as a team! Looking forward to seeing what next week brings.
Week ending 15.9.23
A lovely busy week in Year 1!
We started off the week by a surprise parcel turning up at our door. We opened it up to find a witch’s hat, a spell and a not so very good plan of a tower. Year 1 quickly got to work and began talking about what made a good tower and built some examples. Later on in the week, we looked at pictures from our new book ‘Rapunzel’ and immersed ourselves into what the characters could be saying and describing them.
In maths this week, we looked at counting and then applying it to counting from a larger group. The children have adapted so well to working on tables and independently!
In Geography, we looked at where our school is and addresses. We explored maps and discussed how an address and postcode help find places in the world.
In Art, we looked at the different ways we can use our pencils and what patterns we can make with them e.g cross-hatching.
In Computing, we looked at computer and laptop technology. The children did well to label both of them and talk about what the different parts do.
In music, we learnt the song ‘Hey You’ and talked about a pulse being the heartbeat of a song. The children did a great job finding the pulse of the song and clapping, stomping along to it.
Also, we had Spanish with Mrs Kimmins. We practised the greetings and what we use for different times of the day. We started a new topic about the weather and sang a song about the sun.
Overall, Year 1 had a wonderful week and we are looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen next week!
Week ending 8.9.23
We had a wonderful time settling into Year One this week. Everyone adapted really well to the new routines and lessons. We LOVE the playground and field at break and lunch times and chatting to our gardeners.
In maths, we looked at what we already know about numbers up to 20 and number formation. In English, we had discussions about our summer holiday and wrote a bit of news that we wanted to talk about.
In PE, we started our new topic ‘fundamental skills’. The children impressed me with how well they can jump in length and height and we talked about how we can hold our balance.
In Computing, we looked at our new word ‘technology’ and understood throughout the lesson that technology is made by humans to help us in our every day life. The children worked well in pairs to sort objects into technology and non-technology.
Overall, we’ve had a lovely week getting to know each other and I’m looking forward to learning more together as the weeks go on!
Welcome to Year 1
Welcome to our new class blog for 2023 - 2024. We cannot wait to have some wonderful times learning new things together.
We are really looking forward to the year ahead and all the new and exciting learning, adventures and trips to support our learning with our KEYS Curriculum.
With our Christian Vision “I can do everything through God who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 I know we will strive to do our BEST.
All the information your child needs will be given on their return in September.
Enjoy the summer holiday and look forward to seeing you in September.