Year 1

Welcome to the Year 1 Webpage for Rook Class and Lark Class!

We are absolutely delighted to welcome you and your children as they take this exciting step and transition from EYFS into Key Stage 1.

This year is all about growth, curiosity, and discovery. As the children settle into their new routines, we focus heavily on helping them become independent learners who love to explore. Through our daily lessons, we will actively develop their questioning and reasoning skills, encouraging them to ask "why?" and think deeply about the world around them. Everything we do is underpinned by our core school values: Respect, Reflection, Resilience, and Responsibility.

Your partnership is key to your child's success, and you can powerfully support their growth through simple, daily habits. We kindly ask that you regularly hear your child read and record this in their reading diary, whilst also continuing to share cozy bedtime stories to nurture a love for books. You can expand their language skills through meaningful two-way conversations about their day, and bring learning to life by encouraging them to write for a real purpose, such as helping with shopping lists or birthday cards. Finally, short, regular sessions on NumBots will work wonders for building their mathematical fluency and confidence.

Phonics is the vital foundation of early reading and writing in Year 1. To ensure every child makes the speediest progress, we proudly use the Read Write Inc. Phonics framework. Our comprehensive approach includes targeted phonics lessons twice a day, alongside a dedicated daily reading session. This intensive focus fully prepares the children for the statutory GOV.UK Phonics Screening Check, which takes place in June. To guide you through this journey, we invite all parents to a special Phonics Meeting in October, where we will explore how and why we teach phonics, and share how you can best support your child's decoding skills at home.

Please click on the link below to access the Phonics Reading Support for Parents PDF, which provides information following the Year 1 Phonics Meeting held in October 2026 and click on the links below to view useful Phonics Video Support.

Phonics Reading Support for Parents

Read Write Inc. Phonics: A Guide for Parents - https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/

Phonics Video Support for Parents

1. Using the Virtual Classroom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SELkzNpMleE&t=175s

2. Listening to Your Child Read - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07DruIKFsKw&t=6s

3. Why Read to Your Child? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UmwXQwx5gk

4. Learning to Read at Home - https://www.ruthmiskin.com/parentsandcarers/

In Year 1, Mathematics is all about building a confident foundation with numbers and practical math skills. By the end of the year, our Rook and Lark pupils will learn to count confidently up to 100, read and write numbers, and quickly know their number bonds up to 20 (like 15 + 5 or 12 + 8). They will explore simple addition, subtraction, and basic fractions (halves and quarters), alongside learning to recognise common 2D and 3D shapes. They will also develop practical, real-world skills by exploring money, comparing measurements, and learning to tell the time to the hour and half-past the hour.

English lessons focus on nurturing confident readers, enthusiastic writers, and expressive speakers. By the end of the year, our Rook and Lark pupils will learn to decode unfamiliar words using their phonics skills to read age-appropriate books fluently. In Writing, they will practice forming clear sentences using finger spaces, capital letters, and full stops, whilst learning to spell common exception words (tricky words) and split words into prefixes and suffixes. They will also explore exciting vocabulary, retell familiar stories, and develop their speaking and listening skills by sharing ideas and asking questions during class discussions.

Our Wider Curriculum

Geography: Pupils explore their local surroundings in "What is it like here?", examine national climates in "What is the weather like in the UK?", and discover global contrasts in "What is it like to live in Shanghai?"
History: Children reflect on their own lives in "How am I making history?", discover social changes through "How have toys changed?", and learn about inspiring figures in "How have explorers changed the world?"
Science: Young scientists enjoy hands-on learning across a range of subjects, including the human body, health, animals, plants, everyday materials, the weather, and the changing seasons.
Religion & Worldviews: We foster respect and understanding by exploring core traditions, stories, and beliefs within Christianity and Judaism.

We look forward to an exciting year of learning, discovery, and new opportunities in Year 1. By working closely with our families, we are committed to making this a happy, successful, and memorable year for everyone.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at year1@meadowsideprimary.org

Year 1

Long Term Plan

Need to Know

Knowledge Organisers