This Term

Below you will find information about what the classes in KS1 are learning about this term.

Autumn 2023

English

Where possible our English work this term will link with our Theme work but English lessons will follow the Talk 4 Writing approach. At the start of the term the children will be consolidating learning from last year. Year 1 children will focus on writing labels and captions to help them understand the difference between a word and a sentence. Year 2 children will consolidate the sentence writing skills they learned last year, using capital letters, full stops and simple conjunctions. All the children will listen to, learn and do work on a story with a repetitive structure (A Dark, Dark, Tale), a list poem about pirates, a traditional tale (Rumpelstiltskin) and also letter structures, writing a letter to Santa. The children will continue with daily phonics sessions and spelling skills. Children in Year One will consolidate the vowel and consonant digraphs that they learned in Reception and then move onto reading and writing larger words that uses these letters and sounds, including words with adjacent consonants. The Year Two children will also be consolidating their learning from the end of Year 1 to ensure they have remembered all the different vowel digraphs and the alternative sounds that different letters can make.

Maths

The children will learn more about number concepts including counting in different steps, ordering numbers, writing calculations using the correct symbols and recalling simple number facts. Year 1 children will learn to count to 100 and read and write numbers accurately from 1 to 20. Year 2 children will learn more about the place value of numbers in 2 digit numbers and then add and subtract 2 digit numbers from single digit numbers and multiples of tens. Year 2 will recognise odd and even numbers and begin to understand multiplication as repeated addition. All children will work on simple fractions, Year 1 will recognise half of shapes and small amounts of objects whereas Year 2 will recognise the written form of some simple fractions as well as begin to recognise the fraction of a given number or amount. All children will also work on comparing and measuring length, with Year 2 children working using centimetres and metres. The children will also work using the vocabulary of telling the time and learn more about 2D shapes.

Theme (cross curricular work - including Science)

Our theme for the first half term is “What does a Pirate need?” This will be a Science based unit or work in which the children will learn about materials. The children will learn the common names for materials as well describe them using everyday words. They will compare and sort different materials, start to learn about how the properties of materials make certain materials better suited to different objects and they will carry out simple scientific experiments to test materials. The children will also be set simple open-ended tasks to solve such as building and testing a model raft! To conclude this unit the children will have a pirate themed day.

After half term our theme will be “Who was Florence Nightingale?” In this cross-curricular unit the children will begin by learning about the significance of the Poppy Appeal and why this is important to our country. The children will then go on to learn about Florence Nightingale. They will learn key facts about Florence's early life as well the significance of the work she did which went on to shape the future of nursing in the United Kingdom.

Please see our Theme Work page for more detail about this term's Theme work.

Geography

The children will begin Geography work for part of the first half term. They will begin to learn the names and locations of the continents and oceans of the world as well as the countries of the UK, including their capital cities.

Art and DT

In the first half term the children will do Art lessons and learn about colour mixing, shade and tone as well as look at work by significant artists such as Matisse. The children will create work in the style of famous artists, applying what they have learned about colour mixing. As part of theme work, they will design, build and test their own rafts.

After half term the children will make a moving picture book as part of their DT lessons. They will measure and cut materials safely and create a picture book using levers, wheels and winding mechanisms. To link with their learning about Remembrance Day, they will also make 3D paper poppies.

Computing

Computing is often cross curricular and includes working on English and Maths skills using the computers but the start of the term computing lessons will focus on ensuring children have the grasp of basic skills for logging onto the school computers, finding and opening programs as well as inputting and saving simple text. Later in the term the children will have lessons on how to use control devices such as simple floor robots and programs with controllable objects. They will input instructions to make things happen as well as predict an outcome before they try out instructions.

During the first half term the children will be working on key physical skills, co-ordination using floor movements (moving in different ways such as side step and hop scotch) and static balance on one leg. PE is taught using the ‘Real PE’ approach where the children use story and song to help them acquire and master the key physical skills through a range of games, challenges and activities. After half term the children will work on the key physical keys of dynamic balance (moving smoothly in different ways) and static balance on a small base (toes and balls of the feet).

Music

The children will learn and sing a range of songs linked to curriculum areas. The children will also take part in Music lessons focused learning how to sing but also how to listen and respond to music. During the first half term lessons will focus on music which is 'hip hop' style. Later in the term the children will learn songs, actions and dances to perform as part of our Christmas Performance. The children will also have a weekly singing assembly.

The children will learn about belonging and how different religions show they belong to a particular faith as well as think learn about how babies are welcomed into the Christian and Islamic faiths. The children will also consolidate their understanding of why Christian's celebrate Christmas and the importance of festivals and celebrations to different faiths.

The children will take part in collective worship in class focussing on different themes. The themes for the Autumn term are ‘Forgiveness and Responsibility’ and ‘Tolerance and Respect’.

Life Curriculum

The children spend several sessions during their first weeks learning about new rules and routines for their new classroom. Each week the children will also discuss a ‘thought for the week’ with their teacher and class. These thoughts link closely to personal, social and health education. During the first half term the children will learn more about what it means to be a good friend. They will learn how to make new friends and discuss if doing what our friends tell us is always good for us. Later in the term the children will learn about healthy lifestyles, including understanding why exercise and hygiene can affect our health. The children will also discuss the term ‘disability’ and what this can mean to different people.