Year 1 Spring

 This Spring Term in English, our Year 1 children have been on a wonderful journey as readers and writers, exploring a range of exciting texts and developing their confidence and creativity.

We began the term by immersing ourselves in traditional tales, with a particular focus on different versions of Rapunzel. The children loved comparing the classic tale with a modern retelling, noticing how characters and endings can change. This helped them to think more deeply about stories, characters and choices. Building on this, the children planned and wrote their own innovated versions of Rapunzel, showing great imagination and independence. They worked hard to include clear story structures, descriptive vocabulary and conjunctions such as and and but to extend their ideas.

As the term progressed, we moved into our “Family Album” topic, focusing on recount writing. Using a range of texts, including The Scarecrows’ Wedding, the children learned how to retell events in the correct order using time words such as first, then, next and finally. They explored the key features of recounts and practised answering questions about events using who, what, where and when.

To support their writing, the children used sequencing activities, picture prompts and oral rehearsal to build their ideas. They then wrote their own recounts step by step, beginning with an introduction and continuing through each part of the event. Throughout the process, they developed their sentence accuracy, using capital letters, full stops and the pronoun I correctly.

We have also introduced “Purple Polishing Pens”, encouraging the children to edit and improve their work independently by checking punctuation, improving vocabulary and making sure their writing makes sense.

It has been a fantastic term, with the children showing great enthusiasm for storytelling and growing confidence in their writing. We are very proud of their progress and look forward to continuing to develop their skills next term.

Year 1 have developed their understanding across a range of key areas, building confidence through practical activities, discussion and problem solving.

We began by exploring time, where children learned to tell the time to the hour and half past using analogue clocks. They enjoyed sequencing events in their day and using language such as first, next, before and after. We also explored days of the week, months of the year and compared durations using vocabulary such as earlier, later, quicker and slower.

The children then moved on to calculation strategies within 20, where they strengthened their understanding of number bonds and used these to support addition and subtraction. They practised solving one-step problems using concrete resources and pictorial representations, as well as working with number sentences involving +, − and =.

In our numbers to 50 unit, the children developed their counting skills, working forwards and backwards and in multiples of 2, 5 and 10. They explored place value using practical resources, helping them to understand tens and ones, and compared numbers using mathematical language such as greater than, less than and equal to.

We then deepened our understanding of addition and subtraction within 20, focusing on comparison and difference. Children used a range of strategies to solve problems and began to explain their reasoning more clearly.

In fractions, children were introduced to halves and quarters. Through practical activities, they learned to recognise and find equal parts of shapes and quantities, developing a strong visual understanding of sharing and grouping.

Finally, we explored measures, focusing on length and mass. Children compared and measured objects using vocabulary such as longer, shorter, heavier and lighter, and began recording their findings.

Throughout the term, the children have shown great enthusiasm and resilience, using practical resources and mathematical language to deepen their understanding. We are very proud of the progress they have made and their growing confidence in Maths.

The children have enjoyed developing their musical skills through the Charanga units In The Groove and Round and Round. These units provided a fun and engaging way for children to explore different styles of music while building confidence in singing, listening and performing.

Using In The Groove, the children learned a simple, catchy song in a variety of musical styles including Blues, Baroque, Latin, Bhangra, Folk and Funk. They explored how the same song can sound different depending on the style, developing their listening and appraisal skills. The children enjoyed discussing what they could hear and sharing their opinions about the music.

Through Round and Round, the children continued to build on their understanding of rhythm, pulse and pitch. They practised keeping a steady beat, clapping back rhythms and using their voices to copy simple melodic patterns. Vocal warm-ups became an important part of each lesson, helping children to sing with increasing confidence and control.

Throughout the term, the children had opportunities to play glockenspiels, learning simple patterns using notes including C, D, E and F. They also explored improvisation, taking turns to create their own musical ideas using both their voices and instruments. This helped to develop their creativity and confidence as young musicians.

In addition, the children began composing their own simple pieces, working together to create and perform short musical patterns. They thoroughly enjoyed performing both individually and as a class, often adding movement and actions to enhance their performances.