Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome back to the new academic year at Edward the Elder! We are so pleased to be able to welcome our children back and we are sure we will all settle quickly back into a routine. We hope that you had an enjoyable summer and that you have all stayed safe and healthy. Year 1 will bring plenty of challenges as the children begin their school journey but with everyone’s support we know your child will succeed!
Your class teachers will be Mrs Evans during morning sessions and Mrs Turner during afternoon sessions. Supporting us in Year 1 this year will be Mrs Hunt our teaching assistant and Mrs Houlston and Miss Bhella - at specific times during our week.
To provide you with as much information as possible, attached is a copy of your child’s timetable. This gives a brief outline of your child’s day, but should be viewed as a guide only as it is subject to change!
The Autumn Term is always a busy time for children in Year 1. In English, we will be focussing upon sentence construction, the use of simple punctuation (capital letters and full stops) and using phonic knowledge to spell words. Children will be encouraged throughout the year to verbally rehearse their ideas before writing them. In Maths, we will start by building on the pupil’s experiences of number in Reception and learning all about 2D and 3D shapes. Look out for our new and exciting Maths initiative which will be starting very soon! More information to follow. In Science, children will learn about themselves and their senses as well as sorting and classifying common animal groups. This year, children will be taught History, Geography, DT and Art in a thematic/topic based approach – we will keep you updated with all of our exciting new learning and ideas relating to this!
Just as it was in Reception, reading is a massive focus in Year 1, therefore please continue to support your child’s reading at home regularly. We remind you that children’s books need to be in school every day. We would also encourage you to write a comment in their reading records regularly, building your child’s confidence and the link between home and school. Any extra practise at home is always welcome! Please support your child by encouraging them to read the words using their phonics skills. Children may also have nonsense words or ‘Helpful Words’ to practise which are also important in helping them to read accurately. Phonics is particularly important during Year 1, as children are required to take a phonics test during the Summer Term, which consists of 40 words (real and nonsense) to read – we will have a parent meeting to discuss the phonics screening test during the Spring Term.
Pupils will remain in their classes for all lessons. Throughout the year, children will have one weekly spelling test which will take place every Tuesday. New spellings for the following week will also be set on this day.
Purple creative homework books will continue this year and we aim for it to allow our children to both consolidate their learning from class as well as move their learning on. This homework book will be coming home with your child very soon – please look out for this! The insert to the book will provide further information about this. It is important that all children attempt their homework tasks which they will have two weeks to complete.
PE will take place twice a week (Monday and Wednesday) so please ensure that your child has the correct PE kit in school. White round neck t-shirt, shorts (black or navy) and black pumps. Both PE lessons will be taught by Mrs Harper and will cover a range of skills. It would also be appreciated if all uniform (including PE kit and pumps) is labelled with your child’s full name and class. Please can we remind parents that jewellery should not be worn in school with the exception of stud earrings, and in line with Health and Safety guidelines these should not be worn on PE days or covered with a plaster supplied from home. Long hair should also be tied back.
Please note that Year 1 should enter the main gate at 8.45am and be collected from our external classroom door at 3.15pm prompt. Our learning begins as soon as the children enter our classroom therefore punctuality is vital. Lateness will result in your child missing elements of their learning.
A reminder that if your child is asthmatic, please ensure an in date inhaler and spacer is in school at all times. Please also ensure you have informed the office with any updated medical information.
We look forward to working with you in order to ensure your child has a valuable year. Year 1 is a very important year and we look forward to one which is full of learning and progress. If you have any questions/queries now or throughout the year, please do not hesitate to speak to us, either after school or by making an appointment via the school office.
Mrs Evans Mrs Turner
Year 1 Teacher/Assistant Headteacher Year 1 Teacher/SENCo
