Dear Parents and Carers of Owls, 
I hope you had a lovely summer! We’ve had a great first week getting to know each other and catching up on all our exciting holiday news. The children have settled in well, they have remembered classroom rules and routines and seem very happy to be back at school with their friends.

The children are very fortunate to have Mrs Giles (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) and Mrs Gerbino (Thursday) supporting them throughout the year. In addition, Mrs Price will be teaching the class on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon. The children’s learning now transitions from the Early Years Framework to the National Curriculum so it will be a little more structured than before, however we will ensure they transition smoothly through fun, hands on learning experiences. For the first couple of terms our timetable will very much mimic the timetable from Ducklings and the children will have the opportunity to learn through continuous provision at the end of each day – this is very similar to COOL time.

English

In class we will be looking at a particular text, which the children will be introduced to next week! We will be learning the text through Talk for Writing (T4W) and the emphasis in writing will be on forming sentences through dictation using finger spaces, full stops, capital letters, as well as forming letters correctly.

Maths

Our focus this term is place value within 10. We will be working with numbers up to 10 by counting objects, representing numbers, ordering numbers, comparing numbers and thinking about the tens and ones in each number. The children will get to practically explore place value with a range of fun activities in and outside of the classroom.

Science

We will be using Oak National Academy for Science this year and in Term 1, the children will be naming and grouping different animals with Mrs Price.

R.E

The theme for this term is understanding Christianity and God and we will be exploring the different beliefs Christians have.

History

Using Oak National Academy, we will be studying photographs from the past and investigating what they can tell us about Britain’s recent past.

PSHE

Mrs Semple will be teaching the class PSHE on Fridays and this term the children will be thinking about themselves, learning right from wrong and looking at the NSPCC: pants rule.

Art

Miss Hayward will be teaching the class art on Fridays. This term the children will be looking at drawings and sketchbooks with a focus on spirals.

DT

The children will complete four DT units over the course of the year. This term they will complete a textiles unit of making puppets.

Computing

Mr O’Neon will be teaching computing to the class on Fridays. The children will be learning how to … in their classroom using a laptop.

PE

This term PE will be on a Monday and Friday. Please can your child come into school wearing their kits on both these days. This term the children will be learning Yoga with Mrs Price!

Phonics

The children will continue to learn through Read Write Inc which allows them to read and write effectively through a systematic phonics approach. Year One pupils will complete a phonics screening check in Term 5; however, this isn’t something to worry about and more details will follow at our first parents meeting.

Home Learning

From next week, the children will be sent home with a new home learning book. The children must hand in their books by the following Monday, please remind your child to hand in their Home Learning book. Every term there will be a grid with a range of activities to choose from. Your child is welcome to decorate their Home Learning book however they wish.

Supporting your child at home

If you would like any advice on how best to support your child at home please feel free to speak to me and I would be happy to discuss any areas your child may need additional support with and how best you can do this.

Items from home

Your child is not allowed to bring any items from home into school. In the past when children have brought in items, i.e a toy car or a figurine, it has created lots of problems in school. The item either gets lost, broken, given away to a friend or stolen, as well as being a distraction during learning time. Because of this we do not do show and tell, however I warmly welcome photos to be sent to me for your child to show their friends. This could be a photo of something exciting they have done over the holiday/weekend, or a photo of their new toy or a pet - just to name some examples! Please send photos to the school admin email address and they will be forwarded over to me.

REMINDERS
– P.E this term is on Monday and Friday. Your child needs to come in wearing their PE kits on both days. 
– Please remember to read daily with your child and record any engagement of reading at home in their reading record books. Reading books will only be changed once they have been read and recorded twice.
– You must send your child into school every day with their blazer and school headwear (caps/berets). 
– Please ensure all uniform is labelled clearly. 
– Please remember to bring a water bottle in every day. 
– Please make sure there are no peanut products in packed lunches. 
If there are any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to ask. 
 

Best Wishes, 
Mrs Laidlow