Year 1 Staff

Hello and welcome to Year 1!

We are so excited to be teaching in Year 1 - an important year as the children transition from EYFS to KS1. Our aim is to ensure that all pupils feel happy and supported in their classroom, where they can continue to develop their knowledge of the world around them, including their physical, social and emotional understanding.

Our carefully designed and enriching curriculum will help children learn in small and sequential steps where we will help them build both their confidence and resilience along the way. 

Here are just a few of the wonderful things pupils will be learning over the year:

• Diving into painting 
• Learning about different, everyday materials
• Delving into the continents and oceans that make up our planet
• Building an understanding of seasons 
• Unpicking mechanisms and how they work

By the end of Year 1, we are confident your child will have had an enriching experience which has built on their understanding of key topics and personally developed them as individuals.

Below is further information that we think parents may find useful but please don’t hesitate to speak to us directly if you would like further details on anything.

Timetable:

• PE is on a Wednesday and a Friday. Children must wear their school PE kit on the days they are having PE lessons. Please remember to take earrings out on these days and long hair must be tied back.  

• Every Wednesday afternoon, children will be taught by our specialist PE coaches (Coach Nathan and Coach Simmeon) and by our wonderful Head of Music - Mr Mather.

Home Learning:

In addition to the Daily Fluency Practice, weekly Home Learning is set on a Friday and collected the following Thursday. Pupils will use Collins Practice Workbooks for English and Maths where they will be set one task that will be linked to their class learning. It is important that children only complete activities that are set for that week by the teacher.

Optional ‘Half Termly Projects’ are also set where we encourage children to make one project relating to a topic they are being taught over that half term.

Trips: 

In Year 1, we are hoping to book the following experiences over the year. Information will be communicated to parents nearer the time once bookings are confirmed. Parent confirmations and payments must be made via Arbor.

• Autumn: Local Visit to a Church
• Spring: To be confirmed 
• Summer: London Symphony at the Barbican 

Key Dates:

We are looking forward to providing parents with a variety of opportunities to visit the school and speak with teachers over the year. Below are some examples of such events where parents will receive an email closer to the date to confirm exact dates and times. 

• Class assemblies: 
  • 26th January 2024 & 3rd May - Armstrong
  • 9th February 2024  & 10th May -  Earhart 

• Parent Evenings:
  • 11^th – 12^th Oct
  • Jan – (TBC dates)

• Open Classroom Week:
  • 6th – 9^th November
  • 11^th – 14^th March

• Events:
  • 2^nd Nov: Black Culture Celebration Evening
  • 18^th April: Eid Celebration Evening
  • 22^nd – 23^rd May: Music Extravaganza
  • 4^th – 10^th: Sports Days

Parent Support: 

We value the offer of support from parents in any way. Parents have supported the school by hearing children read, volunteering in the classroom & for school trips, helping at whole school events, managing the library, and many other fantastic ways. Additionally, parents have offered their time and specialised skills such as decorating corridors with engaging art displays or building structures for plants in the playground. Furthermore, some parents have purchased equipment and resources through their child’s year group ‘Amazon Wish List’, which you can do here: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/89QO96RK5049?ref_=wl_share. 

If you would like to support the school in any way, please contact us or the office and please remember, this is not an expectation of parents / carers to do.