Year 1 – Red Kite Class

Welcome To Red Kite Class

My name is Miss Hayes and I am the Year 1 class teacher!

Through learning, playing and discovering together, Red Kite Class support each other in becoming: 

Resilient Engaged Ambitious Creative Healthy

Autumn 1- Together We Belong

Welcome to an exciting first half term in Red Kite Class! This half term, our learning will be brought together through our class vision, Together We Belong.

As we settle into Year 1, we will be thinking about where we belong, what makes each of us special and how we can make our classroom a happy, welcoming place for everyone.

In English, we will be sharing the wonderful story Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. We will follow the adventures of a boy and a rather unexpected penguin, using their journey to inspire lots of talking, role play, reading and writing. Along the way, we will explore some important ideas about friendship, kindness, helping others and belonging.

In Maths, we will be getting to know our numbers really well! We will develop a secure understanding of numbers and place value within 10, using lots of practical equipment and hands-on activities. We will count forwards and backwards within 10, explore one more and one less, compare and order numbers, spot patterns and, most importantly, begin to explain our findings.

In Geography, we will explore the different places where people live and belong. We will look at our own local area as well as places further afield, discovering different settlements and human features. We will use photographs, maps, discussion and our own observations to become curious young geographers and find out more about the world beyond our classroom.

In Science, we will become investigators as we explore everyday materials and their properties. We will look closely at the materials different objects are made from, describe what they are like and begin to think about why some materials are better suited to particular jobs than others.

We will put some of this scientific thinking into action in Design and Technology, where we have an exciting challenge ahead. We will be designing and making our very own boats! Inspired by Lost and Found, we will explore structures, choose suitable materials and practice different ways of joining them together. Once our boats are complete, there is only one way to find out if our designs have worked... we will put them to the test and see if they float! We will then think like designers and consider what worked well and what we might change next time.

In RE, we will explore the big question, ‘What makes our world so amazing?’ We will learn about creation, beginning with the Christian Creation story and exploring how people with different beliefs and worldviews have similar and different ideas about how our world came to be. We will spend time wondering, asking questions and sharing our own ideas as we think about what makes our world so special and learn the importance of listening to and respecting different beliefs.

In PSHE, we will continue thinking about what it really means to belong. Through stories such as The Perfect Fit, games, discussions and activities, we will explore friendship, kindness and inclusion. We will think about the different groups we belong to and how our words and actions can help somebody else feel that they belong too.

We utilise every minute of the day to immerse our children into their learning. We read in small groups three times a week, focusing on a different text each week to build our decoding, prosody and comprehension skills. Mr Roberts will assist with daily additional phonics learning in the afternoons, and Mrs Dutta will teach Year 1 on Wednesdays.

We have a busy and exciting half term ahead, filled with stories, questions, investigations, building, exploring and lots of hands-on learning. Most importantly, we will be learning together and discovering what makes Red Kite Class a place where we all belong.

Phonics

In Phonics, we will be busy building our confidence as readers and writers through our Little Wandle phonics sessions. This half term, we will be reviewing and securing our Phase 2 and Phase 3 sounds, practising recognising each sound, blending sounds together to read words and using our phonics knowledge to spell and write. We will also practise reading tricky words and develop our fluency through lots of opportunities to read both in school and at home. Our aim is to help every child grow in confidence and discover the joy of becoming an independent reader.

Expectations

Reading is at the heart of our school here at Little Sutton. Children in Red Kite Class will have the opportunity to enjoy a story being read aloud to them every week, and they are often provided time to delve into a book of their choosing in our cosy reading garden. We also expect all children to read at home to an adult every night using our strive for five challenge!

Every week, children will be given a Little Wandle book and will also have the chance to pick a reading for pleasure book to read at home. Please ensure these books are returned every Wednesday. New books will then be given out and sent home every Thursday. 

PE will be taught on a Tuesday (afternoon) and Wednesday (morning). Children should arrive to school in their PE kits on both of these days. We also encourage pupils to bring a bottle of water into school every day as well as one healthy snack to enjoy at break time.

Get in Touch

We believe that communication is key to building positive relationships with all our families. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: abbey.hayes@littlesutton.cheshire.sch.uk

We value your messages and will respond as soon as possible, during working hours. If your enquiry is urgent, we will seek to accommodate an urgent meeting. To help us settle the children calmly in the mornings, please arrange non-urgent meetings by email. Many thanks for your continued support.