Ashurst Primary School

Year 1 class  

'Excellence Everyday'

'Learn, Live, Laugh and Love Ashurst'

Learn to be inspiring and make a difference to this world, we know how amazing you are,

Live with understanding and compassion for others, knowing we are all different and special in a community where equality stands tall,

Laugh and listen to the enjoyment of learning and excitement of everyone celebrating their achievements,

Love Ashurst, our special school and the hub of supportive staff, parents and children who aim high to be the best they can be.

Year 1 - Important Information

About the class

Staff Team - Miss Jones and Mrs Mackenzie

Learning Environment

In Year 1 we believe that children learn best when they feel safe and secure, in an environment where their ideas and opinions are valued.

We also believe that enjoying learning and having fun is key to their ability to succeed.

Therefore all of the lessons are interactive, exciting and engaging and involve the children in as many ways as possible.

The children also still have plenty of opportunities to learn through play while accessing our wonderful areas of continuous provision. We have areas such as a reading corner, numeracy area, writing area and role play.

We believe that a great resource can be each other, so discussions and questioning are encouraged in all aspects to allow the children to learn from others to build up their own understanding.

Giving consideration to mental health and well-being is very important in Year 1.  We work together with the children to create a classroom where all  children can  be happy and free from worry and anxieties.  We support this by promoting positive self-talk and  help children to build up their resilience and self-esteem.  We always have the time to support children to deal with any difficulties that occur. This year we have sourced some wonderful new stories that we will be using to explore and support positive  mental health and  well-being. 

All individuals

Each child enters Year 1 at a different stage; some are ready for the National Curriculum, whereas others will require a little support to achieve the Foundation Stage Profile objectives from Reception.

To continue the learning journey we take assessments made in Reception and identify the next steps for each child.

We see every child as an individual, not just a year group. We understand that every child learns in a different way and has different interests and it is our aim to adapt our teaching to suit the children.

We encourage their independence throughout, allowing them to take ownership of their learning and achievements and to understand how to solve problems on their own.

Rules and Routines

 At the beginning of the year, children are encouraged to contribute to our class rules and vision. This runs alongside the schools  policies and procedures and is expected to further improve the learning environment for all and in turn develop strategies for 'Behaviour for Learning'. Conversation and discussion are encouraged in Year 1 and is balanced with dedication to learn and succeed through quiet and independent work.        

Routine

• Doors open 8:45am
• Registration for Year 1 takes place at 8:55 am and the school day ends at 3:15pm 

What do we learn?

We have daily RWI Inc sessions,  Maths Mastery sessions and English/SPAG lessons.  We have exciting books on our class reading spine which give children a breadth and depth of literature. We use the Talk for Writing approach, which starts with oral rehearsal moving into innovated pieces of writing and finally independent pieces of writing.  We have reading lessons to help us work on year group reading objectives. We have daily opportunities to read across the curriculum.  In Maths, we use a mastery approach to enable all children to gain a deep understanding of the unit of work. The activities we complete range from practical to written in order to cater for the different learning needs of the children.  

We have an action packed curriculum with lots of exciting learning.  We work as scientists, historians, artists , musicians and much more! In Year 1 we can be whatever we want to be. 

 September 2026

Important things to remember: -

•  

• • Please provide a healthy snack for your child to eat at playtime.
  • Each child can have their own water bottle , please provide these with their name on.
  • PE for this year is on a MONDAY and TUESDAY, please ensure that your child comes into school wearing their PE Kit on these days.  Children will continue to come into school in PE kits on their days for PE.  On these days children must wear the following PE uniform: Black jogging bottoms or black sports leggings , white PE tops, black hoody tops . Or a Summer PE kit : the usual red shorts and the white PE top .
  • Weekly homework will be set on Friday and is to be handed in on the following Friday. Homework will be set on Seesaw ( log in and password details will be provided) or on paper. Seesaw enables staff to set work, monitor work and provide feedback online.   The homework will be a consolidation of work already done in class. Later in the year English homework will be set on SPAG.com (online), again log in and password details will be sent.  Homework used to support phonics screening will also be sent throughout the year.
  • We will begin to send home reading books out as soon as we have assessed your child’s reading level. Your child will need to return their home reading book/s every Friday, they can then select a new home reading book from the school library.  We encourage the children to read at home every night but at least three times each week. This is part of the homework expectations and we appreciate your support with this. Your child has their own personal reading record for you to record their reading journey. We expect these to be completed every time your child reads their school book. 
  • Topic webs will be uploaded onto this class page in the first week of each half term. Topic webs will inform you of the learning taking place and will provide a list of project homework activities to complete at home.  
  • Children are asked not to bring any other personal items into school; we will provide all necessary stationery.

Year 1 Long Term Plan 2025-2026

Year 1 Topic Webs

Learning 2025-2026

English

This half-term, our focus text has been The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and the children have thoroughly enjoyed bringing the story to life. Through role play, they stepped into character as the goats and the troll, using expression, movement, and imagination to retell the tale. We have also been developing our oracy skills through Talk for Writing, practising how to use our voices clearly and confidently to tell a story. The children have been fantastic at learning key phrases, adding actions, and even creating their own versions of the adventure. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow—not only in speaking and listening, but also in their ability to work together, share ideas, and have fun with storytelling.

Maths

Year 1 love using hands-on manipulatives and concrete resources to explore numbers in fun, practical ways. By building and breaking apart part–whole models, they deepen their understanding of number bonds to 10 and develop strong early number sense through active, engaging learning.

In our Mastering Number sessions, we have been using rekenreks to strengthen our understanding of number bonds to 5. The rekenreks are a fantastic resource, helping us to visualise numbers, build confidence, and develop quick recall. They are also supporting us in practising our subitising skills—recognising numbers without needing to count each bead.

Science

During Autumn 1, our topic was Animals, Including Humans. The children explored how amazing our bodies are and enjoyed hands-on activities to help them learn. One of the highlights was creating models out of plasticine, carefully shaping and assembling different parts before labelling them. This fun, practical approach helped us to remember key vocabulary and understand how our bodies fit and work together. The children enjoyed the animal aspect of our topic and used their own criteria to classify and sort the animals into groups.

Foundation Subjects

PE

In PE, we have been focusing on developing our ball-handling skills. The children have been practising how to control the ball with increasing accuracy, working on rolling, bouncing, and catching. These activities are helping to build coordination, teamwork, and confidence in physical movement.

Design and Technology

In Design and Technology, the children loved researching, designing, making, and evaluating their own fruit salads. They learned how to chop safely using the correct techniques and enjoyed creating delicious, healthy dishes while developing their practical skills and creativity.

Geography

In Geography, the children loved exploring our local area through exciting fieldwork. They investigated the enquiry question “What is it like where we live?” and enjoyed discovering the different types of jobs and services in our community, helping them understand more about the place they call home. 

History

In our history lessons, we have been investigating the enquiry question: “Why is St Helens important to us?” We explored the reasons our town is well known, including its strong links to the glassmaking industry. Learning about the Pilkington glass factory was especially interesting. We were also lucky to have a visit from the Sutton Miners, who brought in real artefacts and shared their own experiences of working in the mines. Their stories helped bring St Helens’ history to life for us.

Art

Music

Computing

In Computing, the children learned about the importance of staying safe online and how to use technology responsibly. They also used Purple Mash for the first time, learning how to log in independently and navigate key features with growing confidence and enthusiasm.

Enrichment