Year 1 Curriculum
Below is an overview of what Year 1 children cover in each subject over the year.

English
Children start the year by learning about basic sentence structure and building on their vocabulary. This is supplemented with daily Read Write Inc. Phonics where children use the sounds they know to read and write words (see Phonics and Reading). Each sequence of lessons is based around a class text which includes a range of genres from the traditional tale of ‘The Gingerbread Man’ to the much-loved Julia Donaldson book, ‘Zog’. Children also explore a range of poems and non-fiction texts. By the end of the year, children will be able to link sentences, enabling them to write for a range of purposes.

 

Reading Records
Reading Records are sent home on Monday and need to be returned on Friday. Children will bring home both the book they are reading in their phonics lesson and another matched decodable book to support them with their reading fluency.
Children who read at least three times a week will be entered into our weekly Reading Raffle Prize Draw.
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Maths
In maths, children build on their understanding of numbers up to 100. They consolidate number bonds to 20 and explore addition and subtraction methods, using a range of concrete and pictorial representations. Children continue to develop their knowledge of the properties of 2D and 3D shapes. Length, height, mass and volume are also covered in the spring term. Across the year, children are introduced to multiplication and division (counting in twos, fives and tens), fractions, money and time.
 
Science
Children explore animals including humans, forces, light and materials. Opportunities to act as scientists are planned into each area of study and children create their own hands-on experiments to develop their understanding and knowledge. Over the course of the year, children also investigate the seasons and the changes they bring.
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Art and Design
In art and design, children explore the works of many different artists with a deeper focus on Jasper Johns. This enhances their cultural development. Children explore colour and how primary colours can be used to create secondary colours. They are also taught how tone can be changed by adding more or less of the primary colours.
Children are introduced to many different forms of media such as pastels, paint, pencils and crayons. They also use paper and card to add texture and depth to their work.

Computing
In computing, children learn how to move a robot, using simple algorithms. Lessons are practical and children use various forms of technology such as iPads, laptops and Bee-Bots. Over the year, children also develop their knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe online.

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Design and Technology
In D&T, children investigate wheels and axles, developing their understanding of differing shapes. Later in the year, children design and make puppets from textiles, before evaluating the quality of their work. Finally, children focus on healthy eating through exploring combinations of fruits to make smoothies.

Geography
Children start the year investigating what it is like where they live. They then explore the UK and its capital cities. In the summer, children investigate what makes the world so wonderful, whilst developing their map-reading skills and exploring the world in more depth.

History
Children study three history topics over the year: ‘How am I making history?’, ‘How have toys changed?’ and ‘How have explorers changed the world?’ Children develop an understanding of chronology by looking first at their own lives and then by beginning to build an awareness that timelines extend before they were born.

Music
Children are introduced to different styles of music and each term have a focused song that they explore. They improvise with musical instruments and use their voices expressively. Children are taught how music has a ‘pulse’ and this concept is developed by playing games.
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PE
In Year 1, there is a focus on learning a range of fundamental movement skills and practising these in games. Children also learn how to link a range of movements by completing sequences in gymnastics and dance. Athletics is taught in the summer term.

RE
In RE, children explore world religions through the lens of a question which helps them to understand the world around them and how the beliefs of others differ from their own. In Year 1, questions include ‘What is God’s job?’, ‘Why should we care for the world?’ and ‘What do some people believe God looks like?’
 
RSE and PSHE
Children have weekly RSE and PSHE lessons. Through the RSE and PSHE curriculum, the children explore five areas in Year 1: ‘Family and relationships’, ‘Health and wellbeing’, ‘Safety and the changing body’, ‘Citizenship’ and ‘Economic
wellbeing’.