We are all really happy and excited to back at school and looking forward to learning lots of new topics this year. Our Class teacher is Mr George Clarke.
Our TA is: Mrs Thomson
PPA cover Wednesday: Mrs Thomson
Curriculum
We follow the National Curriculum, with our learning themed around topics that make links between different subject areas. You can learn about each year group's topic themes for each half term by clicking on the curriculum overview under the curriculum section of the website, and if you would like to know more about our topic in Apple Tree Class this half term, you can download the topic web below.
We learn about all the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum: English, Maths, Science, PE, History, Geography, Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology and Music. Although we're not required to learn a modern foreign language in KS1, we have Spanish lessons on a Thursday afternoon each week to introduce us to the language. We also learn about and from other religions in our RE lessons, based on the Cambridgeshire Agreed Syllabus, and about other useful life skills in PSHE, using the Cambridgeshire Primary Personal Development Programme. More information about each subject is also available under the 'Curriculum' area of the website.
Homework
A Homework grid will be sent home with you child every half term. There are nine activities please complete a minimum of four per half term. Homework is generally based on the previous learning, or expanding the scope of the learning the children do in school. So please let us know if your child struggles or you feel that they need more practice. Children will never be in trouble for failing to complete homework or for making mistakes – if you struggle to find time for it, please don’t worry!
Life in Apple Class
Apple Class are friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. We all are keen to share our ideas and show what we can do. We are working on settling quickly to our learning and to develop our independent learning styles. We love to show interesting objects to one another and we love reading aloud to the rest of the class.
PE
PE days are Tuesday (Outdoors) and Thursday (Indoors) . Please ensure your child has suitable clothing especially for PE days. PE kits should include a T-Shirt, shorts, trainers, jogging bottoms and a warm top for outdoor PE. Extra socks during the Autumn/Winter months would be really useful especially if some children are wearing tights. Please remember to label all clothing!
Supporting your child
There are so many ways to support your child's success. Reading with your child is a great way to start. Ask them questions about what they are reading and what the story means. In maths we are going to work on our problem solving skills and our mental maths mastery along with the skills we need to succeed in real world applied maths situations.
These links were originally set up for remote learning during the first lockdown, but you may find them useful now - I try to check the links are up to date but please be aware some of them may have changed! As always, please feel free to dip into anything useful and ignore the rest.
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/libraries/library-news - information on library reopenings.
https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/english-school-closure-home-learning-classroom-management-key-stage-1-year-1-year-2/story-packs-school-closure-home-learning-classroom-management-key-stage-1-year-1-year-2/penguin-story-packs-story-packs-english-school-closure-home-learning-classroom-management-key-stage-1-year-1-year-2 - Puffin Books story packs have stories and linked activities, a bit like Guided Reading.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ - ebooks and phonics resources. Click on ‘My class login’ to access the ebook library (please email for login details).
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources - phonics activities and games for all levels. Some are limited to subscribers only but many are freely available. If you’re not sure what level to start on, just ask!
https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/about-the-game - phonics game that progressively builds skills (email for login details if you’d like to try it out).
https://www.youtube.com/user/puffinbooks1/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=23 - Puffin Storytime playlists for a range of ages, usually read by the authors/illustrators.
https://stories.audible.com/discovery - audio books for all ages.
https://www.letterjoin.co.uk/log-in.html - handwriting practice (please email for login details).
https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-1/ - Resources to access the White Rose scheme of learning we use in school. Question sheets linked to the videos will be emailed out.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button - a range of arithmetic challenges including doubling and number bonds.
https://nrich.maths.org/primary - practical activities and games to embed understanding of key concepts and develop reasoning & problem-solving skills.
https://www.mathematicsmastery.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Learner_Maths_Y1_W6-10.pdf - good for encouraging deeper understanding, reasoning and problem solving, particularly for children who rush quickly through simple fluency questions to slow down, find working strategies and develop their learning further.
https://www.cambslearntogether.co.uk/home-learning/challenges - indoor and outdoor maths challenges from the Cambs Maths Team. A collection of challenges to practise maths in fun and practical ways
https://cambridgemathshub.org/year-1-2 - from the same team, this has links to individual activities for each age group, including an overview of the type of activity/maths content, a summary of what to do and a list of the resources you’ll need. Great if you’re looking for a quick activity to extend what you’ve just been learning about or add an extra bit of maths practice to your day.
https://www.purplemash.com/sch/meridian-cb23 - our school's online computing learning platform (please email for login details). As well as accessing our weekly lessons, you can find many cross-curricular games and activities to try.
https://www.singup.org/singupathome/song-of-the-week/
https://www.singup.org/singupathome - resources from our music programme, SingUp, that can be used at home.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyCLoPd4VxBuxu3sLztrvWFehzv-LnR2c – Joe Wicks’ 5 minute workout videos. We often use them for warm-ups or learning breaks.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyCLoPd4VxBvPHOpzoEk5onAEbq40g2-k – Joe Wick’s kids’ workouts to do at home.
https://cosmickids.com/watch/ - Kids' Yoga
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life - NHS advice on physical and emotional wellbeing
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers/ks1-collection/zbr4scw - BBC Supermovers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-early-years-foundation-stage-ks1-feeling-better/zm2st39 - BBC videos about identifying and dealing with emotions, aimed at KS1 and EYFS.
https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus-A-Book-for-Children.pdf - a way to talk to children about Coronavirus.
https://www.strengtheningminds.co.uk/ - this page includes a link to the Strengthening Minds ebook: Staying Home in Style!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/tags/zjpqqp3/year-1-lessons/1 - BBC Bitesize lessons
Child-friendly General Reference:
https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/
https://kids.britannica.com/kids
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ks1/zn2n92p