Year 1

Phonics is a big part of Year 1. Your child will continue to expand on their knowledge of phonics and will probably surprise you with just how quickly they develop their reading. They will undertake phonics learning each day, just like they did in Reception. They will learn tricky words, spelling rules and how to sound out and blend to aid them with their reading and writing.

In our school, we use the scheme Read Write Inc to teach phonics. Read Write Inc. is a popular phonics scheme. Like all phonics schemes, it teaches children the sounds in English, the letters that represent them, and how to form the letters when writing. Read Write Inc. Phonics includes reading books written using only the letters they have learnt at each level (and a small number of separately taught tricky words). The children will quickly feel confident and successful.

In Year 1 everything starts to become a little more formal, as the freedom and play of Reception are replaced with more organised activities. In their English lessons, your child will learn the spelling, grammar and punctuation rules they need to write clearly. They will start to write their own simple stories and non-fiction texts and learn how to hold a pencil. They will be introduced to a wide range of texts that will develop their vocabulary.

Literacy is a daily lesson, made up of three aspects:

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking and listening

Grammar and Punctuation in Year 1

In Year 1, your child will learn to:

• • Leave spaces between words
  • Put words together to make sentences
  • Join words and clauses using and
  • Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks
  • Use capital letters for names and use I properly
  • Turn words into plurals using -s or -es
  • Adding suffixes to verbs without changing the root word, for example helping, helped, helper
  • Using the prefix un- to change the meaning of verbs and adjectives, for example unkind and unclear
  • Putting sentences together to write short stories or anecdotes

Spelling in Year 1

In Year 1, your child will learn:

• • to spell simple words that can be spelled using the phonics they have learnt so far
  • to spell the days of the week
  •  how to spell words with simple prefixes and suffixes like un- and -ing
  • how to spell compound words, for example, football, playground
  • the names of the letters of the alphabet
  • to spell the Year 1 common exception words (see our list of Common exception words for Year 1)

Writing in Year 1

In Year 1, your child will learn:

• • to write simple sentences
  • to say a sentence out loud before writing it down
  • to put sentences into the right order to tell a short story
  • to re-read what they have written to check that it makes sense
  • to talk about their writing with their teacher or classmates
  • to read their writing out loud to their teacher or the class.

Handwriting in Year 1

In Year 1, your child will learn to:

• • sit correctly and use the right pencil grip
  • form lowercase letters in the correct way: starting in the right place, moving the pencil in the correct direction and finishing in the right place
  • form capital letters in the correct way
  • forming the digits 0–9
  • understand which letters are formed in similar ways
  • leave a space between words.

In Year 1, your child will start to build confidence working with numbers, through developing their counting and calculation skills. They will also gain an understanding of halves and quarters, start to measure and tell the time, and learn about some 2D and 3D shapes.

Your child will be taught to count forwards and backwards to 100, add and subtract numbers to 20, and be introduced to the idea of multiplying and dividing. They will be encouraged to use objects to help them solve simple problems in a practical way.

Much of your child’s learning will come from exploring and talking about maths in the world around them and there are simple things you can do at home to support their development.

In Year 1 science lessons, your child will use the following methods, processes and skills:

• asking simple questions (for example, what would happen if I didn’t give a plant water? What would happen if I tried to bend some plastic?).
• observing closely, using simple equipment.
• identifying and classifying.
• using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
• gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

Year 1 Science topics

Children will learn about the following subjects:

Plants

• identify and name a variety of common plants.
• identify and describe the structure of flowering plants.

Animals, including humans

• name common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
• name animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
• compare the structure of different animals.
• draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part is associated with each sense.

Everyday materials

• name a variety of everyday materials including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock.
• describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
• compare and group materials.

Seasonal changes

• observe changes across the four seasons.
• describe weather and day length associated with the seasons.

At Key Stage 1, children may be asked to learn about specific people or events that are both within and beyond living history. Teachers are more free to choose who or what they would like to teach about so there is a lot more variation between individual schools. Popular choices often include people like Neil Armstrong or Tim Peake, Grace Darling, or Florence Nightingale. Events such as the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight, or themes such as castles or toys lend themselves very well to learning about the past. There will often be a very strong link to a local event or person.

In Years 1 and 2, your child will be asked to begin to develop a geographical vocabulary by learning about where they live, as well as one other small area of the United Kingdom and a small area in a contrasting non-European country. They will learn about weather patterns in the United Kingdom and hot and cold areas of the world. They will use ICT, world maps, atlases and globes, simple compass directions, aerial photographs and plans, as well as simple fieldwork and observational skills. Schools have flexibility to choose the areas they teach and there is considerable variation between schools in their approaches.

Computing is an essential skill for all children to learn, and an important part of the curriculum. Here’s what your child will be taught in Years 1 and 2. 

Chances are your child already knows their way around your iPad and can navigate the internet like a pro, but computing lessons at school are more than just a bit of fun.

The core of computing is computer science, where children are taught the principles of information and computation and how digital systems work. They begin to learn the skill of programming, creating programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also links in with maths, science and design technology, and can be integrated into almost every subject your child studies at school.

In the new curriculum computing is seen to be a foundational subject, vital in helping children understand the digital world around them. Computational thinking is more about teaching kids problem-solving than coding languages, and the intellectual skills they’ll gain will be useful for whatever they do in life.

In Years 1 and 2, your child will be taught to: 

• Understand what algorithms are (a set of step-by-step instructions for carrying out a function), how they are used as programs on digital devices, and that programs work by following these precise instructions.
• Create and debug (find and remove errors from) simple computer programs.
• Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs.
• Use technology to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content.
• Recognise common uses of information technology in the wider world.
• Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping their personal information private.
• Know where to go for help and support if they’re worried about anything they see on the internet or other online technologies.

The main emphasis at Key Stage 1 PE is on the physical development of basic motor skills. Children learn to control objects, apparatus and themselves physically in a variety of situations. They experience progressively more difficult tasks and attempt an increasing range of activities.

Islamic Studies is a key part of the school’s curriculum. Through Islamic Studies, children develop a send of identity and belonging. They learn how their faith connects them to one another and to people of other cultures and backgrounds. Through Islamic Studies, children build the confidence needed to face the challenges of the modern world and be well rounded upright citizens. Islamic Studies also provides an opportunity for learners to talk about their emotions and understandings of Islam and to move them on from what they already know. Within Islamic Studies, children learn about their own faith and about other world religions.

In Year 1, children will learn about worship and how we pray to Allah. They will learn about Islamic ettiquette and developing good habits. They will also learn about prophets of the past and the life of our beloved prophet (peace be upon him).