Welcome to the Owl Class web page for 2022-2023! 

A very warm welcome to Owl class’s home page! 

We have had a tremendous start to the academic year across Term 1 and are looking forward to Term 2. We all know Term 2 is a special time of year, particularly across Key Stage 1. as we prepare ourselves for the annual Nativity performance. This year we will be performing ‘A Fireside Nativity’.

Our transition day

Our learning

We are looking forward to an engaging and exciting Curriculum this term, with topics for us all to get our teeth stuck into! As a school, we are following the new Cornerstones Curriculum. Each ‘long’ term (so 3 times a year) the topics change. There is always one main topic and several companion units.

In Term 1 and 2 the main topic is a History unit called ‘Childhood‘, we will be exploring what life was like for children in the past, with a focus on old toys. If you have any old toys at home that you are happy for your child to bring in, we would love to share them! The companion units are the Art Units – ‘Funny Faces and Fabulous Features’ and ‘Mix it’. The Science Units are – ‘Everyday Materials’ and ‘Human Senses’ Geography is ‘Our Wonderful World’ and Design Technology is – ‘Shade and Shelter’ – which is all about den building! We are really excited to explore these topics with your children.

We work hard to ensure that Year 1 is a gentle transition for the children from Reception. The children will still have opportunities to learn through continuous provision (play!) and all the support structures that they had in place (visual time tables, head phones, reward stickers etc) will still be used, so please be reassured that your child will we warmly welcomed, loved and supported throughout their journey in Year 1.

English

Children in Year One continue to develop their phonetic knowledge using Read Write Inc (RWI). You may notice that the name has changed slightly from previous communications. This is because the Government require all schools to have fidelity to a scheme. In order to accommodate this all staff have had refresher training and we have made slight tweaks to our practice. We carefully group the children so that each child is being supported, yet challenged, ensuring excellent reading progress.

Children will have Read Write Inc lessons from Monday-Thursday. On Friday they will have an ‘Inspired to Write’ lesson. This is an opportunity for your child to practise everything they have learnt in RWI and apply their learnt skills in writing. The theme will vary each week, it may be based on a story, a picture, an event or even a piece of music!

Reading

Children will have access to two books to read at home. One will be an eBook set by their RWI leader to match their phonic ability. Each eBook will be accompanied by a quiz, which provide opportunities for children to apply their phonic knowledge, as well as developing their comprehension skills. Each child will also bring a physical book home each day, a book that they will choose themselves to read for pleasure.

The phonically matched text (eBook) will stay with them for a few days and should be re-read to develop fluency in reading. The reading for pleasure text may seem too easy or hard for your child, please share the reading with them if they need support, they have chosen it to enjoy, if your child chooses the same book more than once, that is fine too, we all love to re-read a favourite text!

Maths

We use Power Maths as the main driver in our Maths learning, but this is supported with a range of practical activities to ensure that each child has a secure understanding of the concepts taught.

Term 2 coverage

English – Read Write Inc will continue in the same way that the children are used to from Bumblebee class. We have had a wonderful first term of Read Write Inc., supported by our weekly Inspired to Write lessons each Friday.

In Maths this term we will be developing our knowledge and understanding of numbers to 10, with a specific focus on addition and subtraction. Last term we were using a ‘count all’ method, whereas this term we will be focusing on the ‘count on’ method to improve efficiency in our maths work. To support our learning we will continue to use representations such as the part-whole model and ten frames, as well as number lines.

In Science we will be learning about the human senses. This project teaches children that humans are a type of animal known as a mammal. We will have opportunities to name and count body parts and identify similarities and differences. We will learn about the senses, the body parts associated with each sense and their role in keeping us safe.

History is our main unit on Childhood – this project is one that continues into Term 2 from our first term. This project teaches children about everyday life and families today, including comparisons with childhood in the 1950s, using artefacts and a range of different sources.

In Computing we will be learning how to log on, type simple words and how computers help us. We will continue to develop such skills using various programs such as paintz.app. This has proved hugely successful across Term 1.

In Geography we will continue to focus on the human and physical features around us. We will use maps, cardinal compass points and positional and directional language. We will learn about the equator, hemispheres and continents. We will also be introduced to the countries, capital cities and settlements of the United Kingdom. The children carry out simple fieldwork to find out about local physical and human features within this project.

In PE this term we will be focusing on Gymnastics. We will continue our learning on basic movement from Term 1, including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities. Our PE lessons will take place every Thursday. So please ensure that the correct PE kit is available on these days.

In PSHE this term we are developing on from our learning on relationships, moving onto exploring the importance of happy and healthy friendships.

In Art our new project ‘Funny Faces and Fabulous Features’ focuses on the concept of portraiture. We will learn what a portrait and self-portrait is, including the features that are included. We will also explore a range of ways a portrait can be produced, experimenting across medias. We will be using our knowledge and skills acquired across Term 1, on primary and secondary colours. We will apply this learning to our portraits. We are also looking into holding our very own Art Exhibition! More details to follow about this exciting venture…

Home Learning

Term 1 saw the reintroduction of Home Learning for every child. At Bethersden our home learning tasks are set each week on Tuesday via Google Classroom. Each child has their own login details to access this (which includes an email address and password – these can be found in their yellow reading records). Once set every Tuesday, the tasks will be due the following Monday. The tasks will range from physical activities, discussions, questions to explore – all activities we hope you will enjoy!

We are looking forward to continued support with home learning across Term 2.

How can you support your Year 1 child?

There are many ways that you can support your child to have a healthy, fun filled Year 1!

• Please make sure that they are on time, have the correct uniform and have had a healthy breakfast.
• Read!  Listen to them read, read to them, let them see you enjoying reading – reading in any form will help foster a love of books – something that we are passionate about at Bethersden Primary.
• Please ensure that they have the correct PE kit in school each day.  PE is normally Thursday, but we may have the opportunity to have an extra session some weeks.
• Provide a water bottle (hydrated brains are happy brains!)
• Please provide appropriate clothing for outdoor learning, we will not let the weather stop us!  We are also needing to keep the room well ventilated, so an extra layer, or a blue fleece may be appreciated as the weather gets colder.

Contact us

We are always available after school if you need a quick catch up. If you need a longer or more private meeting, please book this in at the office and we will be happy to accommodate.

If you have a non-urgent message for the team you could email the families email on the address below. This is checked regularly and the message will be passed on to the class team.

families@bethersden.kent.sch.uk

We cannot wait for another successful term in Owl Class!

Very best wishes,

The Owl Team