Year 1
Welcome to Year 1 and the team
The year ahead provides a wonderful variety of exciting learning opportunities for your child as they begin the next part of their school journey.
Your class teachers:
1T Lindsay Turner (Year Group Lead and English Lead)
1C Rebecca Campbell (Assistant Head Phase 2 and Early Reading Lead)
1H Izzy Heap
Support staff:
TA: Ada (across whole year group on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)
LSAs: Maggie (Mon – Fri); Mrs Sheikh Mon, Weds – Friday; Mrs Evans and Mrs Stephens
The transition from Reception to Year 1 is an exciting, but significant step for children. It is completely normal for some children to feel a little overwhelmed by the more formal approach to learning in Year 1, but as they settle into the routines, the children begin to take a more independent approach to their learning. In the afternoons of the autumn term, we will be continuing with child led learning to help with the transition from Reception. Please be assured all staff in Year 1 are experienced in providing support and guidance to help the children settle.
Timetable:
Please download a copy of the year 1 class timetables by clicking on the image:
Learning in Year 1:
English is focused on learning and practising Foundational Knowledge and we use a selection of ‘core texts’, to inspire and aid the children’s writing. Continuing from Reception, the children are taught phonics based on the ‘Read Write Inc’ (RWI) scheme of work. This is a structured reading and writing systematic, synthetic phonic programme.
Our maths lessons support and consolidate children’s existing knowledge of mathematical concepts. The aim is mastery in mathematics through exploring concepts in greater depth and being able to reason and problem solve in different contexts. To achieve this, we teach new learning by building on prior knowledge through microscopic steps.
Children will have Music and French once a week, which is taught by our specialist teachers. The wider curriculum units can be found on the curriculum section of the website.
Reading:
Reading is a key priority in Year 1. Your child will receive weekly phonic sound sheets during the week that the sound is taught to further consolidate their learning, as well two Read Write Inc take home reading books. A free choice book will be sent home to enjoy over the weekend too. We feel that it is important that reading books are sent home for you to enjoy with your child to develop their reading for pleasure alongside the functional teaching of how to read. Research has found that adults modelling reading around the home and sharing high quality texts sets your child up to be a confident, lifelong reader.
Just like in Reception, we encourage you to write in the reading record each time that you have read with your child. Each class teacher will be keeping a log of your child’s reading progress in a separate folder at school as the children are reading daily with a teacher in the Phonics lesson.
More information will be provided at the ‘Meet the Teacher’ on the 8th September and more specific information around how Phonics is taught, how to support at home in addition to the opportunity to see a live phonics lesson on Wednesday 30th September at 9am in the Downey Hall. Please await further communication for details about how to sign up to this event.
Home Learning:
For the Autumn term, reading will be the main focus for your child’s home learning, through the sound sheets, Read Write Inc and free choice books sent home each week. We will also be sending home 4 focus red words (non-decodable words) for the children to practise reading by sight. These words are taken from the Year 1 Common Exception Word reading list and children are expected to be able to read and spell these words by the end of Year 1.
In the Spring term, we will begin to send home Maths and SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) quizzes, on alternate weeks as well as a few Topic quiz style questions on the last week of term. These are designed to consolidate learning to aid quick recall.
We will be sending home these quizzes in a home learning folder for your child to complete.
PE:
PE is taught by AMSA each week.
1C will have PE on a Wednesday and Thursday
1H will have PE on Tuesday and Wednesday
1T will have PE on Tuesday and Thursday
Please ensure your child wears their named PE kit on their PE days and that spare shoes and socks are in their bags.
Afternoon snack:
We provide the children with a fruit snack in the morning and would ask that you please provide a healthy snack for your child to eat mid-afternoon. This does not need to be substantial as the children have eaten lunch, but can be fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, crackers or rice cakes but not crisps or sweet snacks or sandwiches. Please note that we are a nut free school. We find their energy dips in the afternoon and that a healthy snack is just what they need to keep them going through to the end of the school day.
We look forward to getting to know you and children in the coming weeks.
Very best wishes
Many thanks,
The Year 1 team
Teacher emails:
lturner@wimbledonpark.merton.sch.uk
rcampbell@wimbledonpark.merton.sch.uk
iheap@wimbledonpark.merton.sch.uk