Welcome to the Year 1 Class Page
Here, you can follow our learning journey throughout the year, both in and out of the classroom. We are all looking forward to working hard and having an exciting year!
Autumn Term 1 2025
Our topic this half-term is 'Into the Woods', where we will be looking at seasonal changes and weather patterns, in Science, and map skills, in Geography. In English, our main text is 'The Gruffalo' by Julia Donaldson.
Below, you can find our Year 1 Autumn Newsletter, Yearly Curriculum Overview and a list of useful dates for the autumn term.
Our First Week in Year 1
During our first week in Beech Class, we concentrated on settling into our new classroom and getting to know our teachers. We also took part in some Working With Others activities, to build our team working skills.
One of our first activities was thinking about the way we behave in school. We discussed different types of behaviour and sorted them into 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable'. We also made a 'Class Charter', which is a special set of rules we will follow to make Beech Class a kind and safe place to be.
We also discussed our similarities and differences, including the way we look, how we behave and our likes and dislikes. Everybody understood that, although we are different in many ways, we are all special and we should always be kind to one another. We made some paper plate faces, celebrating our differences.
To develop our WWO skills, we were challenged to work in groups to make the longest paper chain, using only one sheet of A4 paper. Everybody had to discuss how they were going to cut their paper to make the longest chain. Eventually, we realised that cutting thin strips would result in more links!
As our first week was nice and sunny, we were able to use our outside area in the afternoons, after working hard all day.
Art - Exploring Paint
In our Art lessons this half-term, Beech Class will be exploring how to use paint, to achieve a range of effects. In the first session, they explored making marks, using different sized brushes and paint thicknesses. It was lots of fun and really allowed them to explore the paint freely and creatively.
Maths Investigation Day
In Beech Class, our themes were sorting objects and making patterns. We began by sorting lots of different classroom objects in different ways. They included shape, colour and size. We had to make sure that there was at least one thing the same, in each of our sets.
In the afternoon, we looked at repeating patterns. We made some patterns with shapes and other objects, thinking carefully about the repeats.
Next, we collected some objects from nature, such as leaves, sticks and acorns, and used them to make some lovely repeating patterns.
Computing - Using a Laptop
In Computing, we have been learning how to use a laptop. We were shown how to log on, how to use the keys to type and how to use the track pad to move the cursor. We practised these skills by playing one of our favourite phonics games.
Geography - Maps
In Geography, we have been learning about maps. We learnt what maps are and how and why we use them. We looked at some different types of maps, including those found in atlases and huge road maps of the local area.
Autumn Term 2 2025
Our topic this half-term is, 'Superheroes', where we will be learning about real-life heroes, Florence Nightingale and Grace Darling, in History. We will also be designing and making some puppets, using textiles, in our Design Technology lessons.
Our main text in English is, 'The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man' by Michael Chabon.
Maths Week 2025
During Maths Week, we learnt about shapes, measuring and time. First, we looked at a variety of 2D shapes, named them and described their properties. Then, we went on a shape hunt around the school.
Next we learnt how to measure different objects accurately using cubes. We measured lots of things from the classroom and also our water bottles and shoes!
Finally, we learnt how to tell o'clock times. We made our own clocks, using paper plates, and used them to tell the time.
To consolidate our learning, we played a time game and then a game of o'clock bingo.
Anti-Bullying Week 2025
During Anti-Bullying Week, Beech Class learnt about what bullying is and how we can prevent it. Some of the school's Wellbeing Champions came to talk to us in our classroom. They gave us cards with different scenarios on that we then acted out. We discussed what was happening and thought about how we could be a good friend to others.
Finally, the children completed a 'Friendship Flower', showing how we can be kind and treat each other well.
Little City
We really enjoyed our time with Little City. We were able to dress up in lots of costumes and pretend we were doing different jobs, including vets, builders, mechanics, hairdressers and cafe owners.
Design Technology - Puppets
In DT this term, we made some superhero puppets using textiles. First, we looked at some examples of different puppets and looked closely at how the fabric was joined together. Next, we practised some different joining techniques, to see which would be the best to use when making our own puppets.
We practised joining materials by sewing, gluing and stapling them. We decided that gluing our fabric would be the best option, as it is strong and won't leave any gaps.
We used felt to make our superhero puppets. We had lots of fun making them and they were all fantastic!
Spring Term 1 2026
Our topic this half-term is 'Taking Flight'.
In Geography, we will be studying maps, along with the seven continents and oceans of the world. In History, we will be learning about the lives of famous aviators, The Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart.
Our main text in English is, 'Little People, Big Dreams: Amelia Earhart'.
Please see the Year 1 Spring Newsletter below for more information.
Science Week 2026 - Everyday Materials
We began the spring term with Science Week, where our theme was 'Everyday Materials'. At the beginning of the week, we learnt the names of different materials, including wood, glass, metal, plastic, fabric and paper. We sorted them into sets, discussed their properties and thought about which materials different objects were made from.
We then used all of our knowledge about materials to perform an exciting investigation. We wanted to find out which material would be most suitable to make an umbrella for a Teddy. We made some initial predictions, then tested four different materials to see which were waterproof and which were absorbent.
We predicted that the plastic would be waterproof and also flexible enough, to make an umbrella for Teddy and we were correct! We ended the week showing the other classes what we had learnt in the school's Science Fair.