Autumn Term Highlights from Year 1

Message from Mrs Stark

Overall, I am so impressed with how well Year 1 have settled into the new term. With many new routines, fresh learning opportunities, and lots of instructions to follow throughout the day, the children have shown wonderful listening skills and great resilience in such a short amount of time.

I am incredibly proud of their efforts and achievements so far. A big thank you to parents for your quick check-ins and the ongoing support you continue to give your children at home with Reading.

The KS1 Christmas play was a real treat this term! Year 1 put in so much effort — from practising lines and dances to singing their hearts out. Their enthusiasm and teamwork made the performance truly special. We couldn’t be prouder, and we thank parents for all the support that helped make it such a success.

Phonics and Writing

Year 1 has been working incredibly hard this term to become fluent readers and confident writers. The children have been learning how to use their sound buttons to support decoding, as well as engaging in partner talk to help them build and share sentences.

We have been focusing on the important skills of remembering that sentences need capital letters and full stops, and the children are making fantastic progress in writing their own sentences independently.

Alongside this, we have been paying close attention to letter formation and handwriting, helping everyone to develop neat, clear writing that they can be proud of. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and determination as they grow in both reading and writing.

Maths

We have been focusing on addition and subtraction within number bonds to 10. The children have been working hard to understand how numbers fit together and how they can be broken apart.

In our practical lessons, children have been learning to use their classroom resources independently — such as counters, cubes, and number lines — to support their problem-solving. We are especially proud of how they are beginning to apply these strategies when working on their own, showing growing confidence and resilience in their maths learning.

Geography

This term, Year 1 have been busy exploring our local area through geography. We began by looking at aerial maps and locating our school, which helped us understand how maps represent places from above.

In one of our lessons, the children had great fun using maps to find different spots around the school grounds, developing their skills in following directions and recognising landmarks.

We also learned about the difference between physical features (such as rivers, hills, and trees) and human features (such as buildings, roads, and playgrounds), and how to identify them on a map.

It has been wonderful to see the children’s curiosity grow as they connect what they see in their environment with the maps they use in class.

Science with links to 11 Before 11

This term, Year 1 have been exploring seasonal changes and learning how different types of weather affect the way seeds grow. The children have enjoyed making connections between science and the world around them, noticing how nature changes with the seasons.

We had an amazing time on our school trip to Rushall Farm! The children loved getting hands-on with nature — digging up worms and discovering the importance of soil in helping seeds to grow. They were especially excited to plant their own seeds, and we look forward to watching them sprout in the weeks ahead.

The trip was packed with memorable experiences: meeting the farm animals, exploring the woods, finding conkers, feeding the chickens, and even meeting the local sheep called ‘Wooliam’! The highlight for many was the tractor ride, which gave us a real taste of life on the farm.

It was a wonderful opportunity to bring our classroom learning to life, and the children’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and sense of adventure truly shone throughout the day.