Welcome to Year 1
Our Class Teacher is Miss Thorpe
Our Curriculum
Science:
In Science, Year 1 will be continuing their learning about Animals, including Humans, in line with the Year 1 National Curriculum. The children will identify and name a variety of common animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and begin to group them according to their characteristics. Through these discussions and investigations, the children will learn to identify and compare basic structures of animals and recognise that humans are a type of mammal.
The children will learn about carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, and begin to understand what different animals eat. They will also identify, name and label the basic parts of the human body, linking each part to the correct sense, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Year 1 will develop their scientific vocabulary and build their understanding of how animals (including humans) grow, survive and stay healthy. By the end of the unit, the children will confidently classify animals into groups, describe their features and explain how humans are similar to, and different from, other animals.
They will explore key scientific questions such as:
- Can all birds fly?
- What animal group do humans belong to?
- Do animals have the same body parts and senses as us?
- Are all mammals carnivores?
- How do you look after a guinea pig?
Geography
Geography is our driver subject this half term as we learn about Kenya. We will begin our topic by locating Kenya and Njoro, the location of our sister school, before exploring the human and physical features of the country. We will make comparisons between the UK and Kenya, exploring weather and climate, homes, school life and other aspects. We look forward to working with our partner school in Njoro during our topic to find out more about everyday life.
Through our Geography theme, we will be exploring the following questions:
- Where is Kenya?
- What does Njoro have in common with our town?
- What would school life be like in Njoro compared to at Egerton?
- What is the climate like in Kenya?
- Would England or Kenya be better suited for a lion?
English
Somebody Swallowed Stanley by Sarah Roberts will be the focus of our writing this half term. This lovely story about the ocean and caring for our planet will help inspire the children’s ideas and enthusiasm for writing.
During the unit, we will be practicing key Year 1 skills such as joining words and ideas using and, using capital letters and full stops correctly, and beginning to use question marks and exclamation marks. We will also learn how to add simple suffixes where the root word does not change (for example -ed, -ing, -er and -est). The children will practice writing clear sentences and organising their ideas.
At the end of the unit, the children will use everything they have learned to write their own short information text about sea animals we have explored in our reading.
PSHE
In Year 1 PSHE, children will explore Citizenship and what it means to be part of a class and school community. They will learn why rules are important and how they help everyone feel safe and ready to learn.
The children will discuss the different needs of pets, as well as the needs of babies and young children and how these change as they grow. They will also explore how people are similar and different, and think about the groups they belong to.
The unit will introduce voting as a fair way to make decisions, helping children develop an early understanding of fairness, responsibility and belonging.
Our focus SDG for the term is: SDG 14 Life Below Water
Year 1 will explore Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. This goal focuses on caring for our oceans and sea life. Through links with Science and English, the children will learn about marine animals, ocean habitats and why it is important to keep our seas clean. They will discuss simple ways we can help, such as reducing litter and looking after our environment. This learning will help the children understand how small actions can protect sea life and keep our planet healthy for the future.
Our focus Children's Rights Article for the term is: Article 12
Our children’s rights focus is Right 12 – respect for the views of the child. Year 1 will learn about Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, created by the United Nations. This article teaches children that their thoughts, ideas and opinions are important and should be listened to. During PSHE lessons, the children will explore ways to share their views respectfully, such as through talking, drawing, role play and class discussions. They will also learn why it is important to listen carefully to others, take turns and understand that everyone’s voice matters.
Our PE days for this half term are: Mondays and Thursdays. If there are any changes, I will inform you with plenty of notice.
Homework will be handed out on a Friday and should be completed and returned by the following Thursday.
Please find our Curriculum map below for more information.
Please make sure to check Seesaw for regular updates about our learning, homework and announcements.