Welcome to Year One
Year One are taught by Mrs Weston, Miss Forrest, Miss Kaur, Mrs Brittle and Mrs Johnson
Our two classes are:
The National Curriculum for states ‘ In Year 1 children are introduced to more formal, subject-based learning, focusing on core subjects like English and Maths, plus others like Science, History, Geography, Art, Music, Computing, and PE, all while building foundational skills in phonics, numeracy, and developing independence, with an emphasis on both knowledge and skills for becoming educated citizens.’
Key Expectations
Phonics Screening Check- A test at the end of Year One to see if children can read 40 words.
Fluency- Children will work on their fluency in reading, which is the ability to read at speed and accurately recalling numbers facts.
Transition- Children will shift towards more focused learning and be expected to focus for longer periods of time.
'Phonics is the most effective way to learn word reading.' (The National Curriculum)
Phonics
The National Curriculum states that in Year One children must use phonic knowledge as their primary approach to read unfailiar words. Children are expected to read all Set 1, 2 and 3 sounds by the end of Year One. Children have a 45 minute Phonics lesson daily and will practice speed sounds in bursts throughout the day. Children start at Set 1 and when they are confident and can read all Set one sounds they will move onto set 2 and then 3. Children will have a storybook which correlates to the Set that they are currently in. We look at story books during phonics sessions to practice fluency and to help children comprehend what they are reading. Below is a breakdown of a typical phonics lesson in Set2.
Writing
In Year One, the focus of writing in The Ntional Curriculum is on developing children's ability yo compose and write simpel sentences that make sesne. Pupils learn to say out loud what they are going to writem compose sentences orally, and sequence them to form short pieces of writing. They are taught to use capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks correctly, and to join ideas with words such as and. Children are also taught how to form lower case and capital letters correctly.
At Birchills we want all children to enjoy becoming writers so we cultivate a love of writing through our vocabulary rich and high quality literature using Ready Steady Write by Literacy Counts. Ready Stedy Write uses an engagiong and vocabulary rich texts to create a wealth of writing oportunities. The Books we use in Year One are:
Maths 
Year 1 math builds number confidence through counting and place value to 100, addition and subtraction to 20, early multiplication and division, basic fractions, measurement (including time), and identifying common 2D and 3D shapes. At Birchills we follow Oak National Academy, this curriculum develops pupils understanding of mathematics over time so they become confident in identifying and perfoming the mathematics they need both at school and in their daily lives.
What maths looks like in Year One.
In Year One we will start by looking at decade numbers- saying, ordering, counting and comparing them. After this we will begin looking at patterns in numbers and then comparing quantiities. All of our lessons involve the use of manipulatives and being hands on with our learning whilst experimenting and building confidence with mathematical language.
'Reading for Pleasure can support reading and wider literacy skills, wellbeing, empathy, confidence and an aptitude for learning.' (National Literacy Trust)
Reading for Pleasure 
Here at Birchills we are an advocate for Reading for Pleasure and encourage children to choose a book and enjoy reading it. Reading for pleasure can lower stress levels, increase empathy and improve academic success. We ask that you encourage your child to read at home and create a love for reading.
Here are some reccommended texts for Year One:
Useful Sites
There are many ways you can support your child at home for extra information or ideas please see the webpages below:
Learning to read at home - Ruth Miskin Literacy
Oxford Owl for Home: help your child learn at home - Oxford Owl
Topmarks – Free Interactive Learning Games, Maths Worksheets & Teaching Resources
This year we will be learning lots of new things. Please see below for more information about our curriculum.
Throughout the year we invite our parents and carers into school to see how the children learn and how you can support them at home. Please look at our Reading and Maths Workshop below for information about how we teach both.