Year 1

SUMMER TERM Learning

English

This half term we will be completing units based around the books ‘Lost and Found’, ‘The Yeti and The Bird’ and ‘Pig the Pug’. Our texts are all based on the theme - Friendship and Kindness, which we will unpick and discuss whilst reading. This term we will be focusing on retelling stories with a grammar focus of adverbs and synonyms to support vocabulary that is more exciting. The children will also have opportunities to write postcards, letters, poems and character descriptions. In Summer 2 our theme will be Imagination and Creativity. Our texts will be ‘Iggy Peck Architect’, ‘The Magic Bed’ and ‘Julian is a Mermaid’. Within these stories, we will develop our skills of writing setting descriptions, instructions and creating our own fantasy stories. 

Phonics

We will be continuing the Little Wandle phonics scheme with daily phonics sessions and guided reading sessions three times a week. In addition to this, we will be practising the spelling of words in short spelling sessions which link to the termly spelling lists. Please see our website for any additional phonics support and guidance.

Maths

In Summer 1, we will focus mainly on Counting and Unitising. While this unit is primarily about being about to count money, it gives children the opportunity to experience unitising (i.e., that a ‘unit’ can have a value other than 1). Specifically, this will focus on units of 2, 5 and 10. This will prepare them for work on multiplication and division in Summer 2.

 Throughout the year, children have done extensive work on counting, addition and subtraction, doubling and halving, and unitising. This will lay strong building blocks for them to apply this knowledge to multiplication and division. They will begin exploring this in Summer 2 focusing again on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. They will also explore fractions, in terms of halves and quarters and they will learn basic elements of time.  

Science

In Science, we will be building up our botanical and biological knowledge in our topic ‘Introduction to Plants’. We will be developing our substantive knowledge of plants, learning to identify different plants and their features, the role of flowering plants, trees and their parts, the nature of deciduous and evergreen leaves, the role of seeds and bulbs and their origins and that seeds need water for growth. We will explore all of this knowledge with loads of hands-on activities and experiments, observing and growing plants to understand their nature. This will develop our disciplinary knowledge as we seek to understand plants scientifically: setting up experiments, recording observations (including with magnifying glasses!), use identification charts and even look at how scientific research into plants has lead to important discoveries like important medicines. In Summer 2 we will look through the year’s learning and explore science through various stories. We will continue some of our work on plants in the early part of this term.

Computing

Our topic for Summer 1 is ‘Programming – Virtual Bee-Bot’. We will explore programming by giving clear instructions to a virtual Bee-Bot and explaining how it works. Children will be able to use their knowledge of algorithms and decomposition to give explicit instructions to their Bee-Bots, gaining an early understanding of programming. They will learn how to debug instructions when things go wrong and tinker with softer. They will also learn to operate a camera to take photos and videos, as well as editing them.

Geography

In Geography, our topic is ‘What is it like to live in Shanghai?' Children will be able to identify physical and human features and identify the similarities/ differences of these between Shanghai and London. They will also be able to locate China and England on a map understanding what continents they are in and how people would travel between them,  Using a trip into central London where we will also visit Chinatown we will further explore how Shanghai may be different from our local area.

History

In Summer 2 we will be looking at the topic ‘How have explorers changed the world?’ We will look at what it means to explore and what has been discovered across time. The pupils will explore Christopher Columbus and Mathew Henson researching what made them successful explorers and what they did that has affected our lives today. We will also discuss how exploring has changed in today’s world.

Art/DT

In Art we will be focusing on Sculpture and 3D paper clay. Within this module we will experiment using paper, card and clay to form different 3D shapes. Children will be able to make choices about their sculpture, e.g. how they arrange the tubes on the base or the colours they place next to each other. They will shape paper strips in a variety of ways to make 3D drawings and glue their strips to a base in an interesting arrangement, overlapping some strips to add interest.

In Summer 2, our DT focus will be textiles where the children will have the opportunity to design, test, evaluate and create their own sock puppet. Children will join fabric together and decorate their puppets to match their designs.

PSHE

In the Summer term we will complete our work on citizenship. We will look at different groups that people belong to and begin to consider how democracy works. Moving on from this, and connecting with our Maths for the term, we will be looking at economic wellbeing. Children will understand what money is and how it helps us. We’ll think about ways to keep money safe and be able to recognise the purpose of banks and building societies. Children will understand the difference between saving and spending money. Alongside this, we’ll look at different kinds of jobs within and outside our school and begin to describe what these jobs are. We will also be involved in doing our termly ‘No Outsiders’ lessons to reemphasise belonging and inclusion in the school.

RE

In Summer 1 our question is ‘Why are new born babies so special?’ Children will discuss and explore why people might celebrate a new baby and be able to identify what different religions believe and their traditions for new born babies. We will also identify the similarities’ and differences between the religions celebrations and beliefs.

In Summer 2 we will move onto the question how should we care for others. We will discuss why people believe we should care for others as well as what religions teach their people about care and respect.

Music

This term we will be participating in the Wandsworth Vocal Project. We will have musical sessions once a week where, along with reception, we will learn seven songs that tell a story of the angel in the garden. We will then perform this to the rest of the school and parents on a date to be confirmed. These sessions will teach children rhythm, performance skills and focus on expanding their sense of music along with their confidence.

Trips and Special Events

16th May – half day trip to China town.

14th June – Battersea Park Zoo

We will be sending a message on Dojo closer to the time asking for parent volunteers so please keep the day free if this is something you would be interested in.

Reminders

Please send your child in with their coat, book bag, reading record, water and fruit (optional) every day. Please ensure everything is named.

Please record any reading you do with them at home in their reading record.

Please connect to Dojo if you have not already to keep up with notices, pictures and your child’s dojo points.