Year 1

Meet the Team


Mrs Parker - KS1 Phase Leader and Year 1 Class Teacher	Ms Evans - Year 1 Class Teacher	Mrs Chambers - TA	Miss Price - TA

Our Year 1 Curriculum

Autumn Term

At the beginning of the Autumn term, our Year 1 children dive into an exciting new topic, ‘Dinosaur Planet’. This topic sparks curiosity, imagination and a love of learning as we explore the incredible world of dinosaurs. In History, the children discover a range of dinosaur species and learn about the different theories surrounding their extinction. They enjoy becoming mini‑palaeontologists as they investigate how we know so much about creatures that lived millions of years ago. In Geography, the children explore prehistoric landscapes and find out where dinosaur fossils have been discovered across the world. They look at maps to identify countries and continents, helping them understand how far‑reaching these discoveries have been. Our Art lessons encourage creativity as children design and create dinosaurs using a variety of techniques, including drawing, painting and collage. In DT, they learn about simple mechanisms and use sliders to create their very own moving dinosaur models.

In Science, we learn all about the human body. The children learn to identify and label key body parts and discuss the everyday activities we use them for. They also explore the five senses, touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, investigating which body parts allow us to experience the world around us.

In the second part of the Autumn term, our Year 1 children embark on an exciting journey to London through our topic, Bright Lights, Big City. This topic brings History, Geography, Art and Design to life as we learn all about our capital city and one of its most famous historical events. In History, the children explore The Great Fire of London. They create a timeline to show the order of events and learn what houses were like in 1666. They also find out about Samuel Pepys and how his famous diary helped people understand what happened during the fire. In Art, we recreate dramatic scenes of The Great Fire of London using paint, chalk and sketching pencils. In Design and Technology, the focus is on London’s architecture. Children use junk modelling materials to build their own versions of well‑known landmarks found across the capital. In Geography, the children learn about the four countries of the United Kingdom and their capital cities, helping them develop a strong sense of place.

Our Science lessons this half term focus on animals. Children learn about different animal groups and how to identify which group an animal belongs to. They also discuss how to care for pets and create a tally chart to find out the most popular pets in the class. To finish the topic, the children take part in a bird‑watching investigation on the playground. After making their own bird feeders, they observe which birds come to enjoy the seeds.

Spring Term

In the Spring term, our Year 1 children explore the fascinating world of toys from the past through our topic, Memory Box. This topic encourages the children to think about how life has changed over time and to make links between their own experiences and those of children long ago. In History, the children learn about toys from the past and discover how some traditional toys are still enjoyed today. They also explore what school life was like during Victorian times and compare it to their own experiences. In Art, we learn about the artist Piet Mondrian and use his distinctive style to decorate our own memory boxes. In Design and Technology, the children develop their practical skills by using woodwork tools to create a moving vehicle. In Geography, the children explore the features of cities, towns and villages, learning how these places differ. They also investigate weather patterns around the world and create their own weather charts to record daily changes over a short period of time. A highlight of this half term is our visit to Weston Park, where the children have the opportunity to play with toys from the past and even try making their own.

In Science, the focus is on the seasons. Children discuss the clothes we wear at different times of the year and the hobbies we enjoy in each season. They take part in a senses walk around the outdoor environment, noticing what they can see, hear, feel and smell in Spring. To finish the topic, we carry out an investigation by creating our own rain gauge and measuring how much rainfall we collect over a week.

Summer Term

During the first part of the Summer term, our Year 1 children blast off into their new topic, ‘Moon Zoom’, where they explore the wonders of space and find out all about the first moon landing. In History, the children learn all about Neil Armstrong, discovering who he was and why his mission was so important. They watch footage of the Apollo 11 landing and uncover interesting facts about this remarkable moment in history. In Geography, the children will compare the environments of Earth and the Moon, learning how each one is unique. They begin to use maps confidently and are introduced to simple map symbols to support their understanding of place and space. Our Art work is inspired by the space artist Bonestell. The children learn about his dramatic space paintings before creating their own artwork in his style. In Design and Technology, the class works together to plan, make and taste their very own fruit smoothie, before evaluating the final product.

In Science, the children explore the world of materials. They investigate different properties, describe how materials feel, and use Venn diagrams to sort and compare them. Through hands‑on investigations, they test which materials are waterproof and which ones float, developing their scientific thinking and curiosity.

As we move into the second part of the Summer term, our learning transforms into an action‑packed adventure all about superheroes. The children learn all about superheroes through a range of hands‑on, imaginative activities. In Art, we design and create our own superhero masks using a range of materials. We also study Vincent Van Gogh and create our own landscape paintings. In DT, the children begin to learn the first skills in sewing, learning simple stitches and using their new skills to design and make a unique item of superhero clothing. Our History lessons introduce the children to Sister Dora, a real-life local hero. The children explore key events from her life and sequence them on a timeline to understand her impact on the community. In Geography, the children use maps to locate the countries where real-life heroes and inspirational figures come from, helping them build a wider sense of the world.

In Science, our focus turns to plants and trees. The children learn to identify a variety of common plants, name their parts, and describe the purpose of each one. They also develop their observational skills by reading clues and deciding which information matches each wild plant. As part of this topic, the children will be planting a seed and making regular observations of how their seed changes into a plant.

PE Days

PE Days: Monday and Tuesday

Homework

Given out each Thursday and returned by the following Tuesday. The homework sheets are glued into the children's homework books.

Expectations:

8 new spellings to learn each week on spelling shed. Logins for spelling shed can be found in the front of the children's homework books.
Numbots is an app to improve number fluency. Logins can also be found in the front of the children's homework books.
Reading 5x week.
Maths task.

Thank you for your continued support. Please feel free to contact us on Class Dojo if you have any questions or concerns.

The Year 1 Team