Class 1

Welcome to Class 1

Mrs Makinson

Spring Term

Hello! I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas! Please see below to find out about what your children will be learning this term.

If you need anything, please feel free to contact me via Class Dojo or to speak to me on the playground before/after school.

English

The children will start the year by learning about traditional tales. We will be reading the Gingerbread Man and retelling the story. We will then innovate our own version by creating our own character to replace the Gingerbread Man. We will be writing character descriptions about our characters. We will then learn about instructions. We will write our own instructions on how to make Gingerbread Men and follow them to make some! Finally, we will be writing our own rhyming poems.

Mathematics

In the spring term, the children will building on their understanding of 10 and applying it to help us understand numbers up to 50. They will learn how to:

• Count in 2s, 5s and 10s
• Find one more and one less
• Compare numbers, lengths, capacity and weight
• Order numbers
• Add and subtract
• Find doubles and near doubles
• Solve word problems
• Measure with a ruler

RE

In the spring term, the units the children will study are:

• Jesus - Teacher and Healer: This unit will help the children to understand Jesus and his ministry as a teacher and healer. They will also explore how the Church continues his ministry today and how Christians are called to follow Jesus' example.
• Forgiveness: This unit will help to develop the children's understanding of forgiveness being a gift we receive and a way to show love to others. They will also explore different choices and the consequences they have.
• Lent: During this unit, the children will learn that Lent is a time of change and of growing to be more like Jesus.
• Holy Week: The children will learn about the events of Holy Week and how they tell the last days of Jesus' life on Earth. In particular, they will explore Palm Sunday, the Last Supper and the Stations of the Cross.

We will also be celebrating our Class Saint - The Holy Family – in February.

These are the prayers that your child will be learning throughout Year 1. Please try to practise these at home to reinforce them.

Science

The children's spring topic in Science is 'Animals'. They will be able to name the 5 different animal groups and recognise which animals belong in each group by identifying their similarities and differences. They will also explore animal diets and be able to describe animals as carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Then the children will look at humans and will be able to recognise different body parts and the five senses.

The children will also continue their 'Seasons' unit, which will continue throughout the year. They will learn what the four seasons are and observe what it is like during winter.

History

History will be taught by Mrs Rogers. The children's spring term unit is all about Kings and Queens. They will learn about different English Kings and Queens, and be able to place them in chronological order. They will focus particularly on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. They will also learn about castles and their history, which will be supported by our exciting trip to Warwick Castle!

Geography

In the spring term, the children will learn about weather and climate. They will explore how the weather changes throughout the four seasons. They will also think about the different types of weather we experience in the UK. The children will learn about extreme weather types and use an atlas to identify hot and cold places around the world.

PE

PE will be taught on Friday afternoons by Mrs Pemberton. The children should come dressed in their PE kit on this day. The children will be focusing on developing their fundamental movement skills - agility, balance and coordination - through a range of activities.

Computing

In an ever-growing technological world, being computer literate is more important than ever! Using Purple Mash, the children will begin the term by using software tools to group and sort objects. Then, they will learn about and follow simple algorithms. Finally, the children will create their own animated storybook with drawings, animations and sound. 

Art

Art will be taught by Miss Daws. The children's spring unit will explore the artist Barbara Hepworth. The children will learn about her life and work. They will develop their understanding of line and shading, and will use clay to create different shapes and textures. They will then create their final sculpture inspired by Barbara's work.

DT

In the spring term, the children will begin by finishing creating their windmills for a mouse. After, they will move onto a food unit. The children will be tasting and selecting a range of fruit and vegetables to make a smoothie! They will have to refine their cutting skills and understand how different flavours work together.

Music

Music will be taught by Mrs Rogers. This term, the children will explore the question - how does music make the world a better place?  They will focus on the skill of listening and responding to music, by finding the beat of different styles of music and answering questions about what they have heard. The children will develop a range of other skills including playing instruments, improvising and composing. This will help them to understand a range of musical vocabulary including pulse, rhythm, tempo and pitch. They will also explore three different Musicians of the Month.

PSHE

In the spring term, PSHE will focus on our feelings. We will explore different emotions that we feel and how they can be good or bad feelings. We will learn strategies to help us to manage our emotions when they become overwhelming. We will then focus on friendships and thinking about how we can ensure we have healthy relationships with our peers.

Vehicle

In the spring term, our Vehicle will be all about the Live Simply Campaign. We will be thinking about how we can live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others. In conjunction with Year 4, we will explore how we can reduce single-use plastics in school and work towards becoming a plastic-free school.