1SM

Summer 1 Week 3

This week we started exploring the characters feelings in our new book There’s a Rang-tan in My Bedroom. The children sorted their feelings into a table and then wrote their own sentences using their phonics skills. In Maths, we continue to explore tens and ones as well as odd and even numbers. 

Summer 1 Week 2

This week, we had PE with Coach Dylan. The children practiced their throwing and catching skills. They had to look at the ball and work in pairs to be successful. 
The children have been making estimations in Maths and putting numbers on the number line. In English we have used iPads to research lions and create a fact file. 

Summer 1, Week 1 

The children have been fantastic this week. 

We have started to write in pre-cursive style and the children have been working really hard each day. The children have read 'One Day On Our Blue Planet' and have learnt lots of facts about lions. Next week, the children will create their own 'Lion Fact File.' In Maths, the children have been looking at tens and ones. They have been able to identify how many tens and ones in teen numbers e.g. 17 has one ten and seven ones. 

Spring 2 Week 5

The children loved listening to Traction Man’s adventures in various settings. The children were inspired to create their own adventure stories set in different parts of the classroom. The children used the iPads to take pictures and add/ draw their own ‘evil characters’. Some children chose the fruit bowl for their story setting and had the bananas being saved by Traction Man from the ‘evil apples’. Some other ideas included the ‘evil shapes’. I was so impressed with all the wonderful ideas, creativity and artistic talent. 

Spring 2 Week 4

Well done to the children in 1JD for their wonderful class mass. You read and sang beautifully on Wednesday morning. 

This week we have been exploring our new class text 'Traction Man is Here!' by Mini Grey. Next week, we will have the chance to create our own adventure stories and we will use the IPads to take pictures of different settings. In Maths, we have looked at subtraction and have been practicing our number bonds to 20. 

Spring 2 Week 3

In Year 1 we enjoyed dressing up for World Book Day. The children came to school in pyjamas or as a 'mismatched' animal. We created our own bookmarks and wrote a diary entry as Barnabus from 'The Barnabus Project.' In Maths, we re-visited odd and even numbers and looked at addition and subtraction. 

Spring 2 Week 2

Highlights of the week: 

-A wonderful mass led by 1SM. 

-Starting our new book 'The Barnabus Project'.

-Solving addition and subtraction equations. 

-Parent's Evening and sharing our work with our parents/ carers. 

Spring 2 Week 1

Welcome Back to Spring 2!

This week we have:

-Learnt about UB40. 

-Made our own musical instruments out of materials. 

-Thought about how we can show love in RE. 

-Solved addition and subtraction questions and represented our answers in different ways. 

Spring 1 Week 5

The children's enthusiasm for our space topic has been fantastic! We have thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Astro Girl and 'Toys in Space' this half term. The children have learnt space songs and done their own space research using our school IPads. 

In Maths, the children have used cubes and counters on their first, then and now boards to support their addition and subtraction learning. 

Spring 1 Week 4

The children have had lots of questions about space following the start of our new text 'Astro Girl'. The children created a guide to space. Some of the points included 'Eat space food, take care of the rocket and get used to floating.' We will continue to read this book next week and do our own research about space on the iPads. In Maths, we have started subtraction and have been writing our own number stories We will continue looking at parts and wholes next week. 

Spring 1 Week 3

This week we have been thinking about the characters feelings in our book 'Toys in Space'. The children have been working hard on their letter and number formation each morning. We have been practicing 'y, p and g.' Next week, we will start our new text 'Astro Girl'. 

Well done to the children for their fantastic space projects. They are a wonderful addition to our classroom and members of the school community have commented on the fantastic efforts. 

On Wednesday, the children in KS1 came together for 2MT's mass. The children sang and responded reverently. 

In Maths, we have continued exploring commutative law. E.g. 2 + 4 = 6  and 4 + 2 = 6    6 = 2 + 4 and 6 = 4 + 2. 

Spring 1 Week 2

The children have continued reading 'Toys in Space' by Mini Grey. The children were able to describe their favourite toy and create a lost toy poster. We will continue to explore this text next week. 

The children have been writing prayers and enjoyed our new unit in R.E- Jesus, Teacher and Healer. 

In Maths, we have been using bar models to represent our addition problems. 

P.E- The children worked on their balls skills and were working in teams to move around the cones in different ways. 

Spring 1 Week 1

Welcome back and Happy New Year! The children have had a wonderful week with our trip to the Think Tank being a highlight. The children enjoyed the night dome show in the planetarium and were able to look at different animals on the wildlife floor. We enjoyed role play in the mini brum and spent time in the play cafe, hairdressers, building site, doctors etc. We also enjoyed learning about the human body and different materials. Later in the week, the children also enjoyed ball skills with the Aston Villa coaches. Our focus in PE is ‘Look, Share, Collect.’

Autumn 2 Week 7

We have made a great start on our Christmas RE unit as we talked about Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. The children enjoyed watching the KS2 Carol Service and we talked about the meaning of Christmas. On Thursday, the children in St John's house enjoyed a celebration with Mrs McConvery. We also also had great fun during the Christmas hat parade and our final praise assembly of the term. The children showcased their Christmas hats and we were very impressed. 

Autumn 2 Week 6

This week, we have had lots of festive fun. The children were amazing in our Nativity performances on Tuesday and Wednesday and we were so proud of their singing and actions. We have also enjoyed our new book 'I want my hat back'. The children wrote questions to find out which hat belonged to Miss Jones. 

A highlight of the week was the pantomime on Thursday morning. The children enjoyed talking about their favourite parts of Cinderella. 

In Maths this week we have been looking at odd and even numbers. We used numicon to help us sort the odd and even numbers. 

Autumn 2 Week 4

We have enjoyed welcoming the parents for our open maths lessons. The children have enjoyed exploring numbers to 10 and partitioning the whole using cubes and counters. 
In English, we read The Bear and the Piano and we have been describing the bear character. The children then thought of their own animal and instrument e.g. the cat and the drum. 

Autumn 2 Week 3

This week we learnt about Road Safety. The children watched a video, answered quiz questions and created posters to help children keep safe near the roads. 
On Tuesday, we had a Diwali story telling workshop. The children acted out the story of Rama and Sita. The children got the chance to work in two groups to create different characters. They used their arms and practiced different facial expressions. 
On Friday, we enjoyed World Youth Funday. The children listened to the Daughters of Divine Charity and sang along to ‘Rejoice in the Lord’ with body percussion. 

AUTUMN 2 WEEK 2

The children in Year 1 had lots of fun this week. They especially enjoyed outdoor day on Tuesday. Nico said 'We made bears footprints. We used sticks.' Rumbi said ' I enjoyed balancing and jumping in PE.' Grace said 'We made bear dens.' Tziyion said 'Outdoor day was really fun and I worked in a group with my friends.' 

For anti-bullying week, the children did their safeguarding hands. They were able to think of five adults they can talk to if they are feeling worried or sad.

Autumn 2 Week 1

Welcome back to Autumn 2. We are excited for the busy, fun-filled half term ahead. 

In Maths, we have been looking at 5 and a bit. We have used counters and tens frames to identify what 5 needs to make a certain number e.g. 5 need 2 to make 7. 

In English, We have started our new topic 'Story Book Bears'. We have read 'The Bear Under the Stairs' and are excited to do some research about bears next week. 

In RE, we looked at Psalms and asked wondering questions. Example 'I wonder if there is a Psalm about animals.' 

Autumn 1 Week 7 

This week's highlights: African Drumming Workshop, Whole School Mass, Senses Activities and lots of basic skills! 

On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to play the African drums. The children learnt the song 'Che Che Kule' and sang along whilst playing the drums. The children listened carefully and had so much fun. We learnt what the drum was made from and described how it felt. 

On Wednesday, we celebrated St Luke's Feast Day with a whole school mass. The children read and sang beautifully. Well done, 1JD and all the children in Year 1 for being so reverent. 

We have continued our English lessons on our book 'Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin. The children looked at pictures of Trinidad and described what they might see, hear, smell, taste and feel. We also thought about how Floella might have felt when she got on the boat to come to England. 

In Maths, we have been using tens frames and counters to represent different amounts. The children have also been sorting items into groups and showing their answers in a part whole model. 

In PE, we have also been practicing ball skills and the children have been throwing, catching and rolling the balls to a partner. 

In Phonics, we are learning new Phase 5 sounds and recapping some of our Phase 3 and 4 learning from Reception. We have been reading words including 'er, oo, oo, ai, ee, igh, air, ear, ou, oy, ea, ay.'  

Autumn 1 Week 6
This week has been filled with lots of fun. The children have been using their sense of smell this week and enjoyed guessing the different scents. The children described them as minty, floral and fruity. 
On Thursday, we enjoyed Harry Potter Day where we did dragon maths and looked at some different settings from Harry Potter. 
We made crowns to celebrate St Edward’s Feast Day. 

Autumn 1 Week 5

We have had such a busy, fun filled week this week. The children really enjoyed seeing The Animal Man and having a Bug Hotel workshop.  

Next week, we will be finishing off our work on ‘Amazing Grace’ in our English lessons. We have all really enjoyed the story and hearing about how determined Grace was. We will also be starting a new book ‘Coming to England’ by Floella Benjamin, which will tie in with our Black History teaching.  

On Thursday, we will be celebrating Harry Potter day. Children are welcome to wear glasses or a scar for the day.  

In Maths, we will be continuing to work on parts and wholes, understanding that a group can make a whole (for example, a group of football players makes a whole team).  

Autumn 1 Week 4

In Maths, we have been looking at one more than a number and using the terminology: 'greater than', 'less than' and 'equal to'. The children have used the rekenreks and numicon to compare quantities.

We started our new class text 'The Day the Crayons Quit' and the children thought about how items in their house might feel. One of the children said their wellies might be sad because they only get worn on outdoor day. 

Next week, we are looking forward to animal man and the bug hotel! 

Autumn 1 Week 3

This week we were thinking about things that make us happy. In our class text 'Ruby's Worry, we read that she liked playing in the garden and swinging up high. The children wrote down all the things they enjoyed in their books. In Maths, the children have been using cubes and counters and sorting them into groups. The children have been comparing groups and sharing which group has more and fewer. The children have thought about different ways to represent numbers and have been practicing write numbers in digits and words. 

Our Active Learning sessions have been busy and focused. Highlights include;

-Geography

Making models of our ideal classroom and labelling them. Focusing on prepositional vocabulary (next to, behind, on)

Art

Using our observation skills to paint and draw pictures of animals for our Noah’s ark display. 

D&T

We made Worry dolls and followed the design process by choosing our own materials and following our design. 
 

Week beginning: 11th September 

ART WEEK

The children have worked so hard this week! 

On Monday, we started reading our class text 'Ruby's Worry' by Tom Percival. The children thought of reasons why Ruby might be feeling worried and shared their ideas in groups. We looked at images from the text and thought about different feelings and emotions. The children received a letter from Ruby asking for help. Next week the children are going to respond to Ruby with ideas on how to get rid of her worry. 

In R.E, we have read the creation story in the bible and we went outside to look at our beautiful world. The children discussed what the word 'beginning' meant and drew pictures of the things God created on each day. 

Art week was filled with lots of colour and we learnt about ways we can show feeling and emotion with colour and facial expressions. We have created a self-portrait wall for our classroom display and we enjoyed our 'Portrait Workshop' with Mrs Scott. The children decorated frames with sequins, feathers and stickers to frame their self portraits. 

What a fantastic first week back to school we have had! I have been so proud of each and every child for settling in to the class routines and their attitude to learning. 
 

This week, we have been focusing on our gospel virtues ‘Grateful and Generous’. The children thought about what they are grateful for and ways we can show generosity. We have also made our own class rules which we have all agreed to try and follow. 
 

We celebrated Mary's birthday this week and made flowers. We went into the hall for a whole school prayer service. The children were reverent and respectful; joining in with responses and songs. 
Well done for a fantastic first week in Year 1. 

Welcome to 1AC

2022-2023

P.E

Our P.E day is Thursday.

Your child can wear:

• Jogging bottoms (blue)
• School P.E t-shirt
• School cardigan or jumper
• Trainers
• Please remember no earrings should be worn for health and safety reasons and a white round neck t-shirt with the school badge and plain blue or black shorts/ tracksuit bottoms should be worn.

Summer 1 Week 5 - Homework

Trip to botanical gardens

The children enjoyed visiting the Botanical Gardens on Thursday. We were very fortunate to have fantastic weather. We explored the greenhouses, identifying different plants and where they come from. We enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch on the grass and had a great time learning all about the different parts of a flower. 

Coronation Day

On Friday, we learnt about the coronation ceremony and King Charles. The children learnt the national anthem and wore red, white and blue. We learnt the makaton signs for king and throne. 

Outdoor Day

The children have really enjoyed outdoor day. We looked at the story of the Ugly Duckling and used outdoor materials to create a home for the ducklings to live in. The children created some excellent outdoor homes and shelters and worked out their team-building skills to create them.

We arranged objects such as sticks, twigs, leaves into pairs and the children identified different plants and flowers in Forest School. The children also designed their own wellington boots for the ducklings to wear outside. 

School Closure - 10.03.23

Due to the weather events, work has been set for the children to complete at home. This includes Maths, English, Phonics and Science. 

Please see below the work set for the morning.

In Maths we have been learning about addition and subtraction number bonds to 10. 

Please complete the number bonds to 10 activity sheet. There is also a number bonds to 10 mastery mat if your child would like to challenge themselves further.

In Science we have started looking at seasonal changes. 

Please go through the Science - Day and Night pdf. This gives the children more information on why we have day and night. It also covers some examples of things they might see during the day and night. The children will then need to complete the Science - Day and Night worksheet where they need to sort the words into the correct section in the Venn diagram.

Below are activities for Phase 3 and Phase 5. The Phase 3 worksheet is a matching activity; please read the sentences and match them to the picture. There is also a range of activities on the Phase 5 worksheet. 

English

Watch the video below all about the seasons. Using the writing frame, think about what you like to do in each season. 

We have provided a seasons word bank to support your writing. Remember to include capital letters, full stops and letter spaces. 

Spring 2 Week 4

This week has been filled with Phonics, reading, Maths, a new RE unit and lots more. 
The children created some fantastic art on Brian Travers from UB40 using a range of materials and colours. The children were reverent and respectful during our prayer service and have thought careful about Jesus’ messages during Lent. 

Spring 2 Week 1 - Homework

Spring 1 Week 7

Spring 1 Week 6

Spring 1 Week 5 - Homework

Spring 1 Week 5

The children have been reading The Man on the Moon. We have really enjoyed learning about what Bob does in his day as an astronaut. In English we have created our own fact files about the Moon and have been working hard on our handwriting.

In Maths, we have been looking at addition number sentences. We explored how the equals sign can also go at the start of a number sentence, as it shows when two or more quantities are exactly the same.

Autumn 2 Week 3

Retreat Day

On Tuesday we were really lucky to have a whole school retreat day with Dan and Emily from OneLifeMusic. We really enjoyed learning about God's amazing creations. Our focus in Year 1 was on God's creation in the ocean. We talked about all the creatures God had created and filled out our own creation booklets. We enjoyed coming together as a school to learn and sing new songs and take part in lots of fun quizzes!

Autumn 2 Week 2

Autumn 2 Week 1

Autumn 2 Week 1

The children enjoyed exploring and reading our new class text 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea'. We made predictions about the story and created fantastic character descriptions using lots of exciting adjectives. 

In Maths, we have been comparing groups by using the vocabulary more than, less than and equal to. We have started to look at the symbols that we can use to compare groups.

In R.E our focus has been on family and celebrations. We explored the importance of Sunday in the church and the key features of a Mass.  

Autumn 1 Week 4 Homework

Autumn 1, Week 4 

The children have learnt about St Therese of Liseux as we celebrated 'Little Way Week'. The children created flowers and drew pictures of acts of kindness. In Maths, we have been looking at one more than a number and using the terminology: 'greater than', 'less than' and 'equal to'. The children have been challenging themselves further to get onto the challenges in lessons. 

In English, we started our new class text 'My Friend the Monster' and the children made predictions about what was under the bed. We also created lost posters, using descriptive language. It was wonderful to see all the amazing lost poster and read all of their brilliant descriptions!

Autumn 1 Week 3 Homework

Autumn 1 Week 2 Homework

Week beginning: 12th September 

ART WEEK- Good to be Me

On Monday we started reading our class text 'Ruby's Worry' by Tom Percival. The children thought of reasons why Ruby might be feeling worried and shared their ideas. We looked at images from the story and wrote captions. We then created a story map to support our writing next week.

In R.E, we read the creation story in the bible and went outside to look at our beautiful world. We discussed what we could see and drew pictures of the things God created each day. 

For Art week, we learnt about ways we can show feeling and emotion through colour and facial expressions. The children drew their own colour monsters and chose a colour to express an emotion. We look forward to our 'Portrait Workshop' in October with Mrs Scott.

The children have also spent time this week remembering and praying for Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the Royal Family.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.

2021-2022

Summer 2 - Movers and Shakers

As we prepare to finish our year together, the children have been reflecting on their favourite moments of Year 1. We made a beautiful Praise Psalm using these ideas, with a lovely suggestion of “Thank you God for creating the plants and trees so we could go and visit the Botanical Gardens.”

In Design and Technology, we have been looking at wheels and axles. We looked at a variety of things that move using wheels and identified how they move. We then explored ways of making wheels move by making an axle. After designing a vehicle that moves, we applied our skills by making our final product. Check out our pictures to see how we did. Which one is your favourite?

Summer 2, Week 3 - Refugee Week

This week, we have been reading ‘The Day War Came’ by Nicola Davies. It is a moving, poetic narrative, with child-friendly illustrations. In the book, we follow the heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful journey of a little girl who is forced to become a refugee.
 

Through guided reading, we discussed how the girl’s emotions drastically changed within the first six pages of the book. This led us to a circle time where we discussed how people can display emotions in different ways. 
 

As we continued to read the story, the young girl lost her home. We discussed what the word “home” means to us. We had some wonderful suggestions such as “it is a place where we are safe and protected” and “my home is where all my family and the people I love are.” Eliza made the profound statement “a house is bricks but your home is your heart.” We then began to think in more detail about Human Rights and made posters to explain to Reception class what they are.
 

We are looking forward to continuing to read, and work on, this text next week. 

Summer 2 - Week 2 - Art Week

We had an exciting week learning about Claude Monet as part of Art Week.  Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and was the founder of the Impressionist movement of painting. He was particularly focused on painting nature in the way he could see it. 
 

On Tuesday, during Outdoor Day, we had the opportunity to paint in the style of Monet’s ‘The Four Trees’. We used different techniques to apply the paint, including using cotton buds and paintbrushes. 
 

Later in the week, we painted pictures based on ‘The Japanese Footbridge’. We used a colour wash to paint the background and painted a bridge on half of the page. When we folded our paper over, we were left with a printed image on the other half of the page (just like the reflection of the bridge in the water!) We completed our work by adding tissue paper trees and reeds. 
 

We finished our week by creating a collage in the style of Monet’s’The Water Lilies’. We painted lilies on pieces of paper and cut them out into different shapes and sizes. We then applied these to a colour washed piece of paper to build up our picture. 

Summer 2 - Week 1 - The Queen’s Jubilee

This week, we focused on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In our guided reading session, we read a non-fiction text about the Queen’s life; from when she was born up to her coronation. We learnt lots of interesting vocabulary such as coronation, crown, throne, heir and jubilee.

We then learnt about the Queen’s family and labelled a picture of them standing with her at Buckingham Palace. In our Art lesson, we made portraits of the Queen in the style of a postage stamp, paying particular attention to her crown. 
 

On Thursday, we celebrated the Jubilee with a whole school picnic and, although the weather was wet, we enjoyed ourselves. 

During the half term holiday, we are asking you to create a project for the Commonwealth celebrations.

Our class country is...

Australia

We would like you to create a personal project that is inspired by our class country. You might decide to sculpt, paint, draw, research, cook, design etc...

This is down to you.

Please return your projects to your class teacher on the Monday of the first week back of Summer term 2. We are so excited to see what you have got up to... Maybe even have a taste of it if you are feeling generous!

Happy Researching...

Oxford Owl

How can I help my child’s reading at home?

Sharing books together

Reading phonetically decodable books at home is very useful for developing children’s phonic skills.

• Before your child starts reading, look at the cover and title together. Encourage them to think about what the book might be about to get them engaged and in the right frame of mind to read.
• Talk about the book as you read, recapping and asking questions as you go to check your child’s understanding of what they’re reading.
• Point to the words as your child reads, encouraging them to try every word to the very end (children learning to read often neglect suffixes).
• If they’re struggling with a word, help to break it down into individual sounds, then blend the sounds together. Breaking words down into syllables can also help. With longer or compound words, support children to identify elements of the word they might know or find easier to decode, for instance, rain/ing, kind/est, foot/ball. Cover up part of the word and encourage children to read it in smaller chunks.
• If your child is still struggling, it’s OK to tell them the word.
• Finally, don’t forget that praise is really motivating for children as they read.

  Make practice fun!

  Here are some quick, fun games you can play at home using the focus phonemes in your child’s reading books. These will all help to increase confidence reading and blending sounds.

• Write down all the phonemes on separate pieces of paper and get your child to practise reading them quickly, one after the other. Mix up the order to make sure your child isn’t reciting them!
• Stick up different phonemes around a room and ask your child to hop to one phoneme, skip to one and jump to another as you call them out.
• Get your child to write as many words which include the focus phonemes as they can in 30 seconds. Make it easier or harder by giving them more or less time.
• Choose six phonemes and give each one a number. Roll a dice and ask your child to say the phoneme that the dice lands on.

Summer 1, Week 4 - Trails

In our Geography this week, we began to look at trails around our school. We had a map of the school and, using clear directions and language, navigated around it and took photographs.

Summer 1, Week 2 - Vocations

Our big question this week was ‘What has God called us to be?’ We thought about the gifts and talents that God has given us and how we can use them to be the best we can be. On Wednesday, we had Takeover Day where we were able to take over the jobs of some staff in school.  We had to write an application for the job and explain why we would be a suitable candidate.

Summer 1, Week 1

We welcomed the children back to school from their Easter break this week. It was wonderful to hear about their break and all of the exciting things that they got up to!
 

It is also a time of celebration for the Church as begin the season of Easter. We read the story of the women finding the empty tomb and the impact this had on the disciples. We then looked at the Paschal candle and the important symbols shown on it. 

Spring 2 Week 5

This week, we have been learning about Holy Week in preparation for next week. We began with Palm Sunday, where we re-enacted Jesus returning from the desert and people throwing palms and cloaks on the ground for him.  We then learnt how people changed the way they felt about Jesus and became angry at him.

We role played the Last Supper, with crackers and fruit juice, and repeated the words Jesus said, relating them to the prayer Father Denis says at Church. We learnt about the importance of the Stations of the Cross and how some of the stations can help us to live our own lives. We made our own versions of the stations through artwork and sculpture. 

Spring 2, Week 3- STEM week

The children have had such a busy and exciting week this week, as we took part in STEM week.  We were tasked with opening our own ‘Yoghurt Cafe’ to celebrate British produce. We thought up lots of different names for our cafe and decided on “The Yummy Yoghurt Factory”.  We then designed our own logos using 2D shapes so that our cafe would be recognisable. 
 

After that, we learnt about where the ingredients for our yoghurts come from such as milk coming from a cow and fruits and vegetables being grown from seeds.  We observed a wide range of seeds closely with a magnifying glass and used scientific vocabulary to describe them. We decided to make a fact book about where food comes from to share with our Reception children.

On Wednesday, we learnt about the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and what foods are the best to include in our diet. Mrs Naylor was pleased to hear that you can still have chocolate…in moderation! We designed our Fruit Yoghurt dishes to prepare ourselves for when we made them.

On Thursday, we learnt two techniques for cutting fruit- the bridge technique and the claw technique. After washing our hands, we then used these techniques to safely chop the fruits we wanted to include in our yoghurts. The best part of the week was when we tasted our own yoghurt dishes! Some of us really enjoyed them but others found the yoghurt too sour. Well done everybody for trying something new!

Spring 2, Week 2- Outdoor Day, Mass 

The children led a wonderful Mass on Wednesday for Year 2 and 3, with prayers they had written themselves and hymns chosen by the class. All of the children acted with great respect and reverence and their singing was sensational. 
 

We also enjoyed working outdoors on Tuesday where we worked like explorers. 

Spring 2-Week 1

The children have returned from their break with a fantastic attitude and are ready to learn.  Our new Gospel values are Intentional and Prophetic, and we will be looking for children who are living values.

This week, we have been reading different types of poetry including instruction poetry, shape poetry and descriptive poetry.  On Tuesday we celebrated Shrove Tuesday and learnt about why people make pancakes.  We also tasted some pancakes and used our senses to describe them and with the vocabulary we generated a descriptive poem. On Wednesday, we received the ashes as a sign that Christ is in our thoughts. 

Spring 1 Week 6-Safer Internet and Mental Health

We started off the week by coming into school in pyjamas to raise money for a mental health charity: Forward Thinking Birmingham. We also celebrated Safer Internet Day and looked at ways to stay safe online. The children answered questions and created posters. We also explored how to take an effective photograph using the iPads.

Spring 1 Week 5
This week, we have continued our learning about space. The children have been thinking  about questions they would ask Neil Armstrong and have been using question marks in their writing. We looked at the safety features in place when Neil Armstrong went to the moon and ordered the events. In computing, the children used the iPads and gave instructions to help a rocket get to the different planets. 

Spring 1, Week 4- Topic Launch and Outdoor Day

This week, we launched our Explorers topic. We had such fun making papier-mâché planets, junk model rockets, space art with chalks and pastels and so much more! Check out the photographs in the gallery.

On Tuesday, we spent the day in our Forest School.  We finished our work on ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by making homes for the wild things using natural materials. After we had built them, we had great fun having a ‘wild rumpus’ and dancing to our own music. 

Spring 1, Week 1

Welcome Back!

The children have returned to school with enthusiasm and have worked so wonderfully this week. We started off the week by sharing what we had done in the Christmas break and the children did a piece of writing all about it. In Mathematics, we have been focusing on 2D shapes and how we can use them to make block patterns. We explored the properties of some common shapes and how they can be put together to make a picture. We had some fantastic pictures ranging from a cat to a turtle! On Thursday, we were so excited to see snow. We went outside to investigate how many snowflakes we could catch on our tongues. This led to some interesting questions which we will try and answer next week. Some of the questions included: “Why does snow look white?”, “Does it only snow in winter?” We had an assembly about The Epiphany and watched a video about ‘The Christmas Story’ and then we created our own crowns. We used different shapes and paint to create a repeating pattern. Take a look at the pictures below to see our fantastic work. 

Autumn 2, Week 4 - Outdoor Learning

We had a wonderful time during our Outdoor Day on Tuesday, despite the cold. We spent time in the forest school, where we built shelters and worked as part of a team.  We were challenged to make the shelter as small as possible…and the results were amazing! We then started to look at the different types of trees in the forest and noticed that some still had their leaves on. This led us to identifying the evergreen and deciduous trees on the school grounds. The best part of the day was when we got to play in the fallen leaves and throw them at Mr Worthington and Miss Westwood!

Autumn 2, Week 3 - One Kind Word

This week, we celebrated Anti Bullying Week and focused on the theme of ‘One Kind Word’.  On Monday, we dressed in odd socks to celebrate our differences and originality. After this, we discussed the meaning of what bullying is, how to spot it and, more importantly, how to stop it! With the theme of ‘One Kind Word’ in our minds, we wrote secret messages about each other, saying kind things, and shared them out on Friday.

Each day this week, we thought of a kind word to add to our Word Wall and tried to use it in our writing and when speaking to one another. Our English lessons have involved us looking at The Tiger Who Came to Tea in greater depth.  We found evidence in the text that told us about the tiger’s character (we know he is polite because he says “Excuse me”) and considered solutions to different problems in the story.

In History, we made a toy museum containing modern toys and those from the past. This led us to the question ‘how do we know these toys are old?’  We answered this question by comparing what materials new and old toys are made from and the way that they look.

Autumn 2, Week 2

We would like to thank all of the parents, grandparents and carers, who attended our open afternoon on Monday. It was wonderful to see how proud the children were to show you their classroom and their work.

This week, we have been reading ‘The Tiger who Came to Tea’ by Judith Kerr. We made predictions based on the front cover, used our imagination to answer ‘what if’ questions (what if Sophie had of closed the door?) and explored the author’s use of repetition for effect. The book was written in 1968, so we used this as an opportunity to compare changes between then and now. We compared a picture of Kings Heath high street from the 60s to one taken last week and were amazed by how much has changed! This then led us to think about other things that have changed over time, particularly toys.

In Mathematics, we have been exploring how to use a part-part-whole model to represent a number. We know that two (or more) parts put together make a whole. 

Autumn 2, Week 1 

The children have returned to school with enthusiasm and have all worked so hard, during another busy week.  On Monday and Tuesday, we celebrated All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day. We learnt the significance and importance of these special days and held a prayer service to remember the loved ones we have lost. 

This week was ‘Coding Week’ and the children have been working on the IPads and engaging in a range of coding activities. Some of our coding activities didn’t even need a computer! We solved coding puzzles by giving instructions to each other and found treasure on a map.

On Tuesday, we had a special visitor called Laura, also known as ‘The Animal Lady’. The children got to meet lots of animals, including an owl, a lizard, a snake, a honey bear, a hissing cockroach and many more! We were so excited and enjoyed writing all about the session and our favourite animals. 
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The children have also discussed COP26 and the impact climate change is having on the world.  We made a class pledge where we will try to walk to school more, pick up litter and recycle where possible. Through Geography, we explored weather symbols and suitable clothing for different types of weather. 

As it is Bonfire Night this Friday, we discussed the importance of keeping safe at this time of year. We also created some firework artwork using pastels and chalks. We enjoyed selecting different bright colours for our work. 

Take a look at the pictures of our exciting week below. 

Autumn 1, Week 7

We have had an unbe-leaf-able week! We have noticed lots of changes around our school grounds; leaves have changed colour, leaves have started falling off trees, the weather has changed and the days are getting shorter.  It must mean that Autumn is here!

We have spent lots of time outside this week, collecting leaves and twigs, making art projects in the style of Andy Goldsworthy and recording the weather. Can you see any signs of Autumn when at home?

Autumn 1, Week 6 

This Week we have been looking at signs of Autumn. The children looked at the changing colour of the leaves. 
We had lots of fun making split pin dogs as part of our learning on our class text ‘Dogger’. The children followed instructions and worked really hard to put the parts together. The children were really proud of their work. 
On Wednesday, we celebrated St. Edward’s feast day. We went to church and the children sang and read fantastically! We also drew pictures of St. Edward in our Art sketchbooks. 

Autumn 1, Week 5

On Monday, we had an African Dance Workshop. The children learnt a dance routine and had lots of fun. At the end of our routine we shouted ‘jambo’. ‘Jambo’ is a Swahili greeting. 
We started our new class text ‘Dogger’ and have been discussing our favourite toys as part of our History topic ‘Toys through Time’. The children created lost posters to help Dave find Dogger. 
We have also been outside on a ‘Senses Walk’. The children shared what they could see, smell, hear and touch when exploring our school grounds. 

Week beginning 27th September 

What a busy week we have had in Year 1! We learnt about St Thérèse of Lisieux and how she dreamed of being a missionary.  She understood that very few of us are called to make big and radical gestures, but that through small, loving actions we too can deliver God’s love to the world. We thought of little ways we can be kind and loving to others- ask us about our ‘little ways’.

We we’re also lucky to have Mrs Scott come and visit us to help us make self portraits.  We learnt about what makes a good portrait, saw some famous examples and then created our own masterpieces.  

P.E.

Despite the rain, we were still able to have our PE lesson with Coach James this week.  We practiced our skills of “look and avoid” when moving around a space.

Week beginning 13th September 

In phonics this week, we have been revising how to read, and spell, words with double consonant endings.  Can you use these words in a sentence?

buzz

mass

peck

huff

hill

kiss

lick

Next week, we will re-cap reading and spelling words that start with adjacent consonants.

—- ——-
 

In Mathematics, we have been counting groups of objects. We did this carefully, making sure we only counted each object once. 

Week Beginning 6th September 

What a fantastic first week back to school we have had!  I have been so proud of each and every child for settling in to the class routines and their attitude to learning. 
 

This week, we have been focusing on our mission statement ’Jesus is at the Heart of all that we do”, and how we can apply this to what we do in school.  The children thought of some wonderful ways to show this. We have also made our own class rules which we have all agreed to try and follow. 
 

In English, we have been reading ‘Ruby’s Worry’ and written letters to Ruby to suggest ways in which she can become less worried.  A lot of our letters suggested she use her Safeguarding Hand and speak to a teacher or adult in the school.  In Maths, our focus has been on sorting and counting objects into groups.  We started our new topic, ‘Marvellous Me,’ by labelling the parts of the body in Science and drawing self portraits in Art.

Welcome to Class 1PW. We are a class of 28 children working with Mr Worthington and Mrs Naylor. So we can get to know each other a little better, I have put together a little something for you to read.

Dear Year 1 children and parents,

I am so happy to welcome you all back to school after such as difficult year. I feel really lucky to have you all in my class again, and cannot wait to learn new things together. I have written this letter so that you can get to know me better.

My name is Mr Worthington, I have been a teacher here at St. Edward’s since I started my teaching career; 10 years ago this September. I have taught in many year groups including Reception, Year 1, and Year 4. I lead Science across the school and it is a subject I am passionate about. I studied Chemistry at University and even worked in a laboratory when I graduated, where I wore a lab coat and goggles!

I grew up in Dudley and moved to Birmingham over 15 years ago. The children in my class will often hear me talk about my family and I particularly like to share stories about my two dogs, Rupert and Henry, who are always getting up to mischief! In my spare time, I enjoy reading (especially Harry Potter and comic books) and playing Mario Kart. People often say I am a very happy person but also quite forgetful; lots of children I have taught know this and always help me with jobs in the classroom.

We have many ways to communicate here at school, but currently the most efficient way would be to email us at year1@stedward.bham.sch.uk. I am checking this daily and will try to respond to you as quickly as I can.

Mr Worthington

As the children are now Year 1, we are encouraging them to try and be a bit more independent and to think about what they can do themselves to prepare for the school day. To help get the children into routine to start with please could you help us by checking that your child always has the correct school uniform, a drinks bottle and their reading bag in every day.
 

Our current PE day is on a Thursday, and the children can come into school in PE kit for the day. Please remember no earrings should be worn for health and safety reasons and a white round neck t-shirt with the school badge and plain blue or black shorts/ tracksuit bottoms should be worn.

The children have settled in extremely well; from the first day they have come in with big smiles and full of stories and things to tell me, it really does make me smile!

Currently, we are re-establishing routines and reminding the children of the rules which will help us to learn and keep everyone safe all at the same time, they are so eager to please and have already earned lots of track it light points! 

We have currently studying two books; ‘Ruby’s Worry’ and ‘My Friend the Monster', which the children have loved. These books have provided us with a wonderful opportunity to discuss our feelings and emotions.  The children have produced some wonderful artwork about things that make them happy and made ‘safeguarding hands’ where they have identified five people in school who the can talk to if they are worried.

Our topic ‘Marvellous Me’ has really interested the children and they have enjoyed learning about the different parts of the body and carrying out investigations around their senses.  We had fun trying to guess what was in the mystery box without using our sense of sight!

Academic Year 2020/21

Design & Technology- Thursday 1st July

Today we applied the skills we have been developing to make our sock puppets. We referred to our original design, adapting it where necessary and selected our resources. We are really proud of our creations. 

Computing wb 21st June

1PW have enjoyed using the netbooks this week to create artwork. We practiced logging on to the netbook and used our BGfL log in and password to access paint. We worked with a partner and created some brilliant work. We then saved our masterpieces to share with each other on Mr Worthington’s whiteboard. 

Science Week 21st - 25th June 

We had an exciting start to our week when we had a virtual assembly from a group of STEM ambassadors.  They explained what they do in their job, how Science helps them to do their job and what they like the most about it. One of the ambassadors had even made cars for a James Bond film- wow!

On Tuesday, we made Chromatography Butterflies.  We drew patterns on filter paper with felt tip pens and placed them in water. Just look at what happened…

Biscuit Bear

This week, we are reading Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey.  We had great fun on Monday when we made our own biscuits to eat whilst we listened to the story.  We are going to write a recipe card so that people can make biscuits too!

Vocations Week 14th to 18th June

This week, we have been thinking about the vocations that people are called by God to do. We explored different jobs people may have and the role that God is calling us to do.

On Friday, we enjoyed VIP day, where we dressed up as somebody important.  Who would you dress up as?

Design Technology

This week, we have been practicing our cutting skills, using a template to mark out the shape of our material. Some of the material was quite difficult to cut, but we persevered and felt very proud of ourselves. We are looking forward to applying this skills when we make sock puppets. 

English

We have been reading ‘Previously’ by Allan Ahlberg. The book is written in an unusual style…all of the events are told backwards!  Some of our favourite Traditional Tale characters are featured in the book and we have enjoyed retelling different stories in reverse.  Take a look at our story maps.

Art Week 14th June - 18th June

This week, 1PW have been studying the work of Claude Monet.  We researched information about where he was born (in France, which is our class Euro team!) and looked carefully at some of his paintings.

Below are some pictures of us creating some art work.  Check back soon to see our work.

Maths Week 7th June - 11th June

World Bee Day- 20th May

Year 1 was a hive of activity today as we celebrated World Bee Day.  Thank you to Mr Duffy for his fantastic talk about the importance of bees.  There was an excited buzz in the classroom for the rest of the day.  Ask your child for some interesting bee facts 🐝 

Music wb 17.05.21
This week, we have been learning how to play untuned percussion instruments following a beat.  We explored a range of instruments and made some fantastic music.  Miss Poole even played her ukulele to help us keep time. 

Outdoor Learning

We enjoyed working outdoors this week, especially when it rained and we got muddy! We went on a plant hunt to identify some wild plants as part of our Science topic.  Can you name any of the plants we found?

Even though we have finished our Yucky Worms book, we were still excited to find so many because of the rain.  Did you know that worms come to the surface when it rains so they can breathe?  They don’t have ears but can feel the vibrations in the soil from the rain. 

Mental Health Awareness Week- 10th- 14th May

The theme for this years Mental Health Awareness Week is 'Nature'.  We spent lots of time this week connecting with Nature by:

• sitting quietly in the classroom and listening to bird song;
• going on a plant hunt in our Science lesson;
• sitting in the mud and chatting with our friends during our Outdoor Learning session;
• mindfulness colouring with a natural theme;
• making natural artwork.

At the end of the week we reflected on what we had done:

"I really liked being able to hear the singing birds.  It made me feel calm and happy inside." S.M.

"There was so much mud outside but I really liked it.  It was all squelchy and sticky."  S.S.

"My favourite way of being calm was the 'Palm Breathing', it was tickly on my hand." S.L

P.E

This half term, our P.E lessons are every Monday and Tuesday. We are completing lessons outside. Your child can wear:

• Jogging bottoms (blue)
• P.E. shorts
• School P.E t-shirt
• School cardigan or jumper
• Trainers

Outdoor Learning

We have our Outdoor Learning Session every Wednesday afternoon. 

As we can never predict what the weather will be like from day to day we ask you to try, where possible, to supply the following, a waterproof coat and trousers, wellington or walking boots, a long sleeved top, long trousers and a warm jumper. 

Please ensure all clothes sent in are old as there is a strong possibility of the children getting muddy! If the children could please come to school wearing their school uniform, they will then get changed before our outdoor lesson.