The Year 1 curriculum is not just a collection of subjects, but a foundation for your child's future learning. It has been designed to build curious minds and a love of learning. We structure our learning around termly themes such as Toys and Games, the UK, and Flight Exploration, which help connect the children's learning and enable cross-curricular links.

Maths

• Daily focus on crucial maths facts through maths fluency sessions.
• Maths lessons are taught through the mastery approach, ensuring pupils gain a deep and secure understanding of fundamental principles and reasoning and problem-solving skills.

English

• Daily focus on phonics, learn and practice letter sounds and diagraphs.
• English lessons centre around a wide range of core texts aiming to develop children's storyteller voices, oral vocabulary, and the basic building blocks for forming short written narratives.

Religious Education

• Through the Religious Education Curriculum Directory (RECD), we aim to deepen children's understanding of their religious faith by encouraging them to ask wondering questions about the teaching and life of Jesus and listen to those with other world views.  

 

Exciting things that happen in Year 1

• We look at artefacts, costumes, games, and smells from the past with Chertsey Museum, then design and make a toy.
• We design and make free-standing structures secure enough to withstand the big bad wolf.
• We visit Brooklands Museum to explore the history of aviation then design and make our planes.
• We visit RHS Wisley Gardens then grow and observe sunflowers.

 

Phonics Screening Check.

The Phonics Screening Check is a national test carried out by every child in England during a one-to-one sitting with a teacher. The Check assesses how well your child can use and apply the phonics skills they've learnt until the end of Year 1. During the Check, children read a mixture of actual words and pseudo-words (fake words). If a child does not meet the expected standard, they will be given the appropriate support with their phonics and re-take the Phonics Screening Check in Year 2. The children are prepared for this throughout the year, so they know what to do during the final Check. We encourage parents to support their child's preparation for the Check at home, reinforcing the skills and confidence they've gained in school.

Home learning expectations

• Children receive phonics reading books every Monday and Thursday based on the sounds and books they have been learning that week.
•  Books can only be changed when the reading records are returned with their previous book. Each child has a reading record, which allows parents and teachers to track reading at least three times per book.
•  In addition, children receive a small amount of home learning every Friday, which is delivered through Google Classroom. The learning will typically consolidate learning in a specific subject from the week, together with critical spelling.