Year 1 2026 - 2027

Year one is the beginning of Key Stage One where we begin to access the National Curriculum.

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A warm welcome to a new school year! We hope that the children have had a wonderful break and that they are ready for the launch of our new exciting topics.

We look forward to seeing you back in the classroom on Wednesday 2nd September.

As always, if you have any questions, we are more than happy to help!

Miss Taylor and Mrs Thompson

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We have a huge variety of stories and non-fiction books lined up to provide many opportunities for story telling, writing, role-play, creative work, and PSHE discussions.  

Our No Outsiders stories this term will include… 

We will explore themes of inclusivity, family, differences, compromise and sterotypes.

In Maths, we will explore the following areas…

Place Value (within 10)

Addition and Subtraction (within 10)

2D and 3D shapes

Please follow the link below to find the maths help books for each of these areas.

http://www.excalibur.cheshire.sch.uk/page/maths-workbooks-for-parents/86832

In geography, we will be exploring our immediate locality. We will be developing mapping skills by locating familiar features on aerial photographs and creating simple maps. Where in the world are we?

Our history topic for the first half term is “How am I making history?” We will explore the children’s own personal history and develop an understanding of chronology. We will find out what childhood was like for parents and grandparents and explore how we remember important events. We will compare childhood in the past with childhood today, identifying what has changed and what has stayed the same.

Staff

Who is who in year one?

Class Teacher: Miss Taylor (Mondays -Thursdays)

Class Teacher: Mrs Thompson (Fridays and Teaching Assistant for the rest of the week)

Welfare Assistant: Mrs McCormick

Welfare Assistant: Mrs Dickson

PE

PE lessons will be on Monday and Friday.

Children will leave their kit in school so they can change for PE- please name everything! If your child comes home in their PE kit after a sports club, please try and get it straight back into school!

Kits will be sent home for washing at the end of each half term.  

Joggers and tracksuits can be included if the weather gets chilly but these should be in school colours.

For health and safety reasons, long hair should be tied back and children should not wear jewellery.

Earrings should be taken out or covered with micropore.  (Children should arrive with earrings already covered or taken out as staff can not assist with this)  

Children need pumps or trainers. Ideally, these should be pull on or have velcro fastens.  This will allow them to be as independent as possible and ensure a speedy change.

Refreshments

Children need to bring fresh water in a labelled water bottle every day. They are encouraged to have regular drink breaks and can have their bottles refilled when needed. We ask that you don't add juice to their water bottles.

Children will need to bring in a healthy breaktime snack or hot snacks such as crumpets and toast can be chosen from the kitchen and paid for on Parentmail.

During afternoon break, your child will be offered a piece of fruit.  This fruit is funded by the government healthy eating initiative.  

Homework

In your child's homework book will be a sheet outlining the homework for that week.

There will be a handwriting activity- please ensure your child is holding their pencil correctly and forming their letters as per the Read Write Inc formation sheet.

One or two short activites will be set on Seesaw at the end of each week.  They will vary in terms of subject focus (it may be maths or topic based, a request to bring something in or a literacy task).

If appropriate, there may be a "Mathletics" activity instead for them to have a go at (logins can be found on their login cards in the back of their homework book). They can win points on Mathletics and there is the chance to earn certificates during our celebration assembly on a Friday. The children will have a week to complete the tasks so please support them to get their home learning done.  

Seesaw can be used to post messages but please be aware that it is not checked daily so a message of importance should be given at the door, via email or by telephone.

By the end of Year 1, children need to be able to count (in ones) to a hundred.  Please make sure your child is secure counting forwards and backwards with numbers to 20, then to 50 and then to 100.  Skip counting in tens, fives and twos is also a great thing to practise when you have a few spare minutes now and then.

The children also need to record numbers, from memory, using the correct formation and of a consistent size.

Click the formation paper below if you like.

Reading

In Year 1, the children will bring home books related to our Read, Write Inc. programme.  These books need to be returned on the following Monday so new ones can be issued.  Please return them in the Read, Write Inc. folder provided.  

The children are also encouraged to take books home from our school library.  We endeavour to visit the library once a week when books can be changed and taken home. The library books can be identified by the 'Excalibur Library' sticker on the back cover. Please keep these in school bags so that they can be changed when the opportunity arises.

Are you ready for some extra home learning?

Try the games below for some learning fun.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ordering-and-sequencing/caterpillar-ordering

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/helicopter-rescue

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=PostSortingcalculationsv2