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Year 1

Learning Links

Maths

https://nrich.maths.org/

https://ttrockstars.com/

English

For parents – Letters and Sounds (littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk)

Brothers Grimm Archives – Storynory

Science

Animals including humans – KS1 Science – BBC Bitesize

Geography

United Kingdom (nationalgeographic.com)

History

Free Learning Resources – Florence Nightingale Museum London (florence-nightingale.co.uk)

Scientists and engineers – KS1 History – BBC Bitesize

  • Mar 272025

    Exploring Measurement

    Year 1 had the opportunity to explore measurement with their families outside.  As part of their maths topic, Year 1 learn about non-standard and standard ways to measure.  Mrs O’Connor created measurement challenges to complete and discuss with our families.  The children demonstrated their knowledge of using a metre stick to measure and also using their mathematical knowledge to help solve the challenges.  Their feet came in useful as well!

    It was a super morning of measuring!

  • Mar 052025

    Year 1 Science STEM materials workshop

    When SetPoint visited the school we became Scientists, Investigators and Engineers!  We had a fabulous morning exploring different materials and their properties.

    Our first activity was feeling and sorting different materials into the right categories.  We sorted fabric, wood, rubber, plastic and metal.

    Next we explored a variety of words that could describe the properties of different materials.  We each had a turn with a feely bag, describing the properties of an item for our table to guess.

    After sharing the story of The Three Little Pigs, we decided that the pigs needed curtains in their windows to stop the wolf looking in.  Using different fabrics and a torch we investigated what materials would be best and why.

    Finally, a big challenge was set!  We had to design and build a house for a pig that would stand strong if a wolf tries to blow it down.  Using a hairdryer, we tested our houses to see whether they were strong enough.

    A very enjoyable morning, investigating and exploring a variety of materials and their properties.

    Pupils comments:

    I liked when we put our hand in the bag because I liked the guessing.  Sia

    I enjoyed making the piggy’s house because I liked putting the tooth picks and sweets together.  I liked the wolf huffing and puffing but it didn’t blow down!  Kay

    I enjoyed when Helen tried to blow the house down with the hairdryer.  Anoushka

  • Nov 272024

    Design and Technology Parent Activity

    Year 1 have been exploring different fruits and vegetables as part of their Design and Technology lessons. In our first lesson we discovered that strawberries were the most popular fruit in the class. We displayed this information on a pictogram.  Next we spent time using our senses to explore a variety of fruits by sketching parts of the fruit and writing words to describe them.  The following task was to learn how to grate, peel and chop different fruits and vegetables.  We learnt how to handle the different tools safely and had the opportunity to explore using them.

    We then had a very important task to do.  We had to design a new recipe that was healthy and looked very appealing to eat.  We wrote a shopping list with the items we needed to buy.  Our families were invited to come and watch us create our own individual dish using our design.  We were able to show our families how to handle the tools safely and create our healthy dish.

    The best bit – eating it!

  • Oct 232024

    Trip to Mill Green Museum

    As part of our learning about ‘The Great Fire of London’ and the past, Year 1 went on an adventure to Mill Green Museum.  We are very lucky that we were able to walk there.

    We explored how they used to grind the grain to make flour in the past.

    We explored the mill.

    We became bakers like Thomas Farriner.

    We learnt about the past by investigating a variety of objects.

    We used evidence to explore the past.

    We finished our day with the Fireman’s Bucket race!

  • Mar 282024

    Spring Term Explore and Learn

    The children have been busy embedding and deepening their class learning through their Explore and Learn sessions. The children have been finding objects more and less than 1 metre, making doubles and number bonds to 20 with a game of hide and seek the beanbags. History and Science learning continued with Apollo 11 spacecraft and sorting animals into mammals, birds, fish and amphibians. Computing skills developed as we programmed Beebots to move around a grid to different destinations. Finally some children enthusiastically started the development of the growing area focusing on their science skills as they dug and investigated their discoveries.

  • Mar 222024

    Year 1 Reading with Parent and Carers Session

    Reading for pleasure is one of the most important gifts we can give the children. There is no pressure for children to decode unknown words, they can just enjoy.

    The children will develop a rich vocabulary from having books read to them at a higher level. You will hear these words being echoed back along with seeing the structure in their writing and hearing it in the way they speak.

    Keep enjoying reading for pleasure with your children!

  • Mar 142024

    Mill Green Museum: The Great Fire of London

    First we played a true or false game about the Great Fire of London. Then we matched labels to objects from 1666, the time of the Great Fire of London, and matched them to pictures of modern day objects. Next we went into the mill to learn from the miller how wheat is turned into flour. There is a water wheel which turns the cogs which turns the mill stones to grind the wheat to make the flour.

    Then we went into Thomas Farriner’s Bakery (the kings baker in 1666) to make our own bread roll using the flour from the mill.

    After our very happy and yummy lunch we continued our activities. First we learnt how archaeologists find out about the past finding artefacts underground and we then dug for treasures ourselves. We found metal coins, precious jewels, bones and many more clues about the past.

    We made a Tudor house and then to end the day we played a game to race the bucket down the line to put out the Great Fire of London as quickly as possible.

    We have really enjoyed our trip to Mill Green Museum!

  • Mar 072024

    World Book Day

    Year 1 celebrated our love of reading this World Book Day at school … in our pyjamas!

    We shared our favourite books with our friends and then made a class book to recommend them to each other.

    The funniest book of the day was called ‘The Book With No Pictures’ which Lawrie recommended. We could not stop laughing!

  • Jan 082024

    3-D Shapes and Patterns

    3-D Shapes

    We have been learning about 3-D shapes including cubes, cuboids and cylinders. We found objects in our classroom to match each 3-D shape including a cone-shaped carrot and a sphere-shaped pumpkin!

    Pattern

    In one of our lessons we went outside to make repeated patterns.  We used leaves, sticks, stones, didicars and other objects we find outside.

    ‘My repeated pattern is barrier – space – barrier – space – barrier – space,’ said Leo.

    Arthur said ‘My pattern is stone – stick – stone – stick.’

  • Dec 142023

    The class went for a surprise visit to Santa and the elves in Santa’s grotto.

    The children decorated biscuits and talked to Santa before being given a little treat. It was so much fun!

  • Nov 272023

    Fruit and vegetables

    Our Design and Technology learning this term has focused on eating more fruit and vegetables.

    We have learnt to identify and describe some familiar fruits and vegetables, using vocabulary like skin, flesh and seeds. We also gathered data on the most popular fruits and vegetables in Year One.

    We prepared the fruits and vegetables hygienically, working safely with sharp tools such as knives and graters. We enjoyed preparing our fruit and vegetables and made a face using them before eating!

  • Sep 152023

    Walton–on-the-Naze

    Year 1 had a wonderful day at the seaside when we visited Walton-on-the-Naze with the rest of the school.

    We enjoyed our lunch at the tower before heading to the beach for fun playing in the sand and jumping the waves with our friends.

  • Jun 282023

    Knebworth Park

    Year 1 have been learning about plants and how they grow in science. Using our knowledge, we have then written explanations of plant life cycles in our English lessons.  On Wednesday 28th June we visited Knebworth House to find out more.

    In the walled garden we learnt about different pollinators. They are growing banana trees which are pollinated by bats! We looked at different types of seeds and the different fruit and vegetables they grow into. After, our guide showed us some of the different tress they grow in the gardens. They have a huge soft tree that is 200 years old, it is called a Redwood. Even though it was giant it is still a baby, they can grow up to 3000 years old. We then went into the herb garden and discovered lots of different ways herbs can be used for food and medicine. We were all able to plant our own seed to take home and look after.

    After the plant workshop we went on the dinosaur trail. We looked at all the dinosaurs, some were herbivores, some were carnivores.

    After lunch we had a chance to play in the playground and the huge fort. The towers were really high, we could see all of Stevenage.

  • Jun 062023

    Ark Farm

    Ark farm came to visit us in Year 1. We got to meet all the animals and loved being able to stroke them all. We looked at the difference between the mammals and the birds, baby mammals need milk and birds are born from eggs. Mammals are like us and are hairy but birds have feathers instead.

    The rabbit’s fur was so soft. It had really long ears, our ears are flat.

    Pigs hair is rough! They eat plants and meat like us. We are both omnivores.

    The sheep was so fluffy. We get wool from sheep.