Year 1

Top tips for Year 1:

PE kit:

Children are asked to come to school in their PE kit on their PE day. Ash class will have their lessons on a Wednesday afternoon and Yew class will have their lessons on a Tuesday and Friday. This is to reduce the need for additional items in school and also enables the children to do more PE (no time lost getting changed). A full PE kit consists of: a plain white t-shirt, trainers, dark coloured jogging bottoms or shorts and a dark coloured jumper / hooded top.

Muddy Mondays (outdoor learning):

Every Monday, the children in Year 1 go up to the school mini woods to enjoy some outdoor learning and Forest School activities. This is the highlight of the week for many of the children and gives them the opportunity to develop and grow in a different environment. Children will need to come to school dressed appropriately in non-uniform with suitable outerwear. They will also need to bring in a pair of wellies or sturdy boots, which are kept in school for the half term.

Labelling items:

Please ensure all your children’s belongings are clearly labelled (especially jumpers and cardigans!).

Reading:

Please listen to your child read regularly as this will support their confidence, fluency and has a huge impact upon their language and writing skills. Sharing and enjoying books together and reading to your child are equally important. Please ensure you have signed your child’s reading record so their book can be changed each week.

New books are sent home each Monday and then collected / checked on a Thursday (having them in their bags throughout the week allows us to read with the children in school too).

We also allow the children to borrow a library book of their choice each Friday to enjoy over the weekend and return to school on a Tuesday.

Water bottles and snack:

Children need to bring in their own water bottles (labelled with their name) and will have access to these during the day. It is important to keep them hydrated. Fruit is provided by school each morning. If your child wishes to bring in their own snack, please ensure it is healthy (e.g. preferably fruit based).

Remote and Home Learning:

In Year 1, we use Seesaw to facilitate remote and home learning, especially during school closures. Please ensure your account is active (ask if you aren’t sure). We will also use this as a form of communication.

During school closures, the learning tasks for the following day are shared each evening. These include Maths, English, Phonics and a Topic activity each day, along with a story read by someone from the Year 1 team. We also encourage children to access the NumBots and Anima Phonics websites each day to support their learning and help develop key skills.

There are lots of other resources available for you to tap into, such as: Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize and CBeeBies / CBBC programmes, Oxford Reading Owl, Top Marks and YouTube (which includes lots of educational videos and physical activity sessions e.g. PE with Joe and Cosmic Kids Yoga).

We understand these can be difficult times for us all, but encourage you to access the lessons we have provided on Seesaw and to complete them as you and your child are able. Learning is more than just taking part in lessons; it is amazing what children learn through playing a game with their families, going out for a walk or helping around the house. It is important that we take care of ourselves and each other.

We encourage all families to look for opportunities to support their child’s learning outside school. This can be through reading and also phonics practice, number work, watching educational programmes on TV, use of apps and learning about the world around them.

Please do contact us via Seesaw if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for all you do to support your child’s education and development at home. Together everyone achieves more.

The Year 1 Team