Autumn 1

Settling into Year 1

What a fantastic start to Year 1 we have had! The children have been busy settling into their new classrooms, becoming familiar with our daily routines and developing their independence.

We have been so proud of how the children have embraced new challenges, built friendships and demonstrated enthusiasm towards their learning. Through a mixture of adult-led activities and continuous provision, the children have had lots of opportunities to explore, practise new skills and build their confidence as learners.

Maths

We have been busy developing our mathematical knowledge through lots of practical and engaging activities!

In our learning about addition and subtraction, we have explored number bonds, part-whole models and mathematical stories, using practical resources to help us explain our thinking.

We have also investigated 2D and 3D shapes, learning to recognise, name and describe their properties. During our work on patterns, we explored repeating patterns and developed our understanding of positional language, using Bee-Bots to practise giving and following instructions.

Throughout our learning, we have been encouraged to explain our mathematical thinking, solve problems and use resources to support our understanding.

Writing

In English, we have enjoyed exploring a range of wonderful stories that have inspired our writing.

Our books have included Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and The Frog Who Lost His Croak.

Using these stories as inspiration, we have been developing our confidence in writing sentences, focusing on using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. We have also been practising saying our sentences aloud before writing them and using our phonics knowledge to help us spell words.

It has been wonderful to see the children growing in confidence and beginning to develop their own ideas as young writers!

Design and Technology Penguin Enclosures

In Design and Technology, we have been exploring freestanding structures through our exciting penguin enclosure project, inspired by the story Lost and Found.

We began by investigating different structures and thinking about what makes them strong and stable. We then explored different materials and joining techniques before designing our very own penguin enclosures.

The children thought carefully about how to create an enclosure that would keep their penguin safe, while also providing an interesting environment for it to explore.

We then brought our designs to life, using our developing practical skills to construct and evaluate our finished products.

Science Everyday Materials

In Science, we have been investigating everyday materials and their properties.

We have explored a range of materials, learning to identify and describe them using vocabulary such as hard, soft, smooth, rough, flexible and rigid.

We have also been investigating which materials are waterproof, making predictions and carrying out practical investigations to test our ideas.

Through these activities, we have been developing our scientific skills by asking questions, making observations and talking about what we have discovered.