Year 1S

Spring 1

Come Fly with me – Arctic Circle

Within this theme, we will be learning about the location, weather and climate in the Arctic. We will also look at different wildlife that lives there. Additionally, we will study the Inuit people, their traditions and way of life.

We have found the Arctic Circle using an Atlas, and we have identified the countries that make up the Arctic Circle. We have also looked at some of the physical features in the Arctic Circle. In our PE lesson we had a go at making our own Inuit drum dance. We worked in small groups to choreograph our dance routines. 

Look at these fabulous Arctic animals that children made as part of their creative challenge homework. 

 Science - Materials

We have started to investigate materials. We have learnt about the different types of materials, and found objects made of these materials. We tested different objects and materials to see which ones floated and which sank. 

We had to save the penguins trapped in the ice. What will melt the ice the fastest? We tried different methods to make the ice melt. It melted the fastest in the hot water. 

Computer Science

We have started to look at the word algorithm. 
We were human robots, and had to 'program' each other to perform tasks. Then we had the chance to explore the beebots. We gave them multi-step instructions to complete a task.  We built our own algorithms and programmed them into the beebots. We were pleased when the beebots followed our directions. 

Autumn 2 – Never Eat Shredded Wheat (geography)

Never Eat Shredded Wheat is a geography-based unit. We will be looking at directions, as well as learning about the United Kingdom and the countries that make it up.

We have been looking at points of compass, and also recapped continents and oceans. 

RE – Creation

We started to think about creation, and had the opportunity to be creative in the classroom. We created our own Creation display showing the seven days of creation. 

Science - Sound

We have been looking at sound in science. We did a big sound hunt around the school to see what different sounds we could hear. Then we did an experiment where we dropped a pin at different distances to see if it changed what we could hear. We discovered that the further away we were the quieter the sound was. 

We carried out an investigation to answer the question, 'Do bigger instruments have a higher or lower sound?' We tested different instruments. 

Forest School

We have been enjoying forest school. This week we made reindeer's out of clay and bits we found in forest school. 

Bolton Museum Trip 

We visited Bolton Museum. We had a robot workshop where we looked at different robots and had the chance to design our own. Then we went downstairs and looked at the moon. We had lots of fun! 

Christmas in Year 1 

We have been getting into the Christmas spirit. We have made reindeer baubles, and paper chains, and had a Christmas party where we danced and played pass the parcel. We also had a special visit from Father Christmas! 

Autumn 1 – Land Ahoy!

Land Ahoy! is a thematic unit, with a subject focus on science and geography. The science element is based around sound, speed and motion and begins by exploring how things move, linking with a pirate’s journey around the continents and oceans. Threaded through is the theme of behaving responsibly, with consideration for others.

In our theme lessons we have been looking at the continents and labelling them on a world map. We have also been on a treasure hunt to find the pirate treasure, which we shared equally between us. During drama we acted out the song 'When I was one...' and thought of our own actions. We have used a compass to locate North, and learnt about north, east, south and west. 

We had a pirate day. Captain Dantastic came to visit us and we learnt lots about being a pirate. We got to explore lots of pirate artefacts. We then made our own pirate maps, adding physical features and finished the day by painting some beautiful seascapes.

Maths

In maths we have been working practically to use the symbols greater than, less than and equal. We have also learnt how to use part whole models. 

PE

We have two PE lessons a week. On a Wednesday we are concentrating on our fitness and on a Friday we are working on our throwing and catching skills.

Science

Our science focus is FORCES. We started by thinking about how things move. We categorised them into wheels, wings and legs. We then looked at push and pull. We explored a range of objects and talked about how they move. Then we thought about how boats needed to move on the water, and did some tests to find out which objects floated or sunk. We made our own pirate boats, and tested to see if they floated. We talked about how they moved on the water and raced them to see which boat was the fastest. 

Rivington Walk

We had a fantastic walk at Rivington. We walked to Liverpool Castle and explored the ruins. We saw lots of signs of Autumn, and had fun collecting leaves and acorns.

Autumn One Term

We have had lots of fun in Autumn One term. We have been on a treasure hunt for pirate treasure, we have learnt about push and pull forces in science and we have had fun reading in the library.

In PE we have been looking at throwing and catching, as well as taking part in circuit training to improve our fitness.

Rivington Walk

On Monday 10th October we went on a walk to Rivington. We had lots of fun exploring the area. 

Pirate Day

To celebrate the end of our theme Land Ahoy we had a Pirate Day. Captain DanTastic came to visit us, we did lots of dance, drama, art and made our own treasure maps. 

Autumn Two Term

As part of our theme we are looking at the Arctic Circle. We started by finding the Arctic Circle using maps and globes. We discussed the different countries that are within the Arctic Circle and identified them on a map.

On Wednesday 23rd November we had our class assembly all about LOVE. 

In science we are looking at different materials. We all had an ice cube, and had to find materials that would keep it frozen the longest. We found that wrapping the ice inn tinfoil worked best, but wrapping the ice cube in cotton wool made it melt faster. We had the opportunity to explore a whole range of different materials. We discussed what the materials looked like and how they felt. We discussed the range of properties for the different materials. We used a microscope attached to our iPad's to look at the materials in a greater depth. 

Children in Need 2022

What a comfy day we had wearing our pyjamas! 

  Non-fiction Author Afternoon  

We looked at the books written by Kate Pankhurst, and discussed fantastically great women. We studied the book covers, drew our own images about what makes us fantastically great and discussed women who have changed our lives.

As part of our theme, 'Never Eat Shredded Wheat', we have been learning about the seven continents and finding them on a map. We have also been learning our compass points; north, east, south and west. We played a game outside so we could practice them. 

RE lessons

This half term we have been looking at the creation story. We had the opportunity to be creative using watercolours, playdoh, chalk or lego. It was so much fun. 

Fun in forest school

We have climbed trees, played in the mud, made story sticks and leaf crowns, explored and toasted marshmallows on a fire. 

Spring One Term

In our theme Record Breaker we found a mysterious bag in our classroom. After looking through it and using the clues, we guessed it belonged to an explorer. Then we decided to become explorers. In pairs, we made lists of things we would like to find both inside and outside of the classroom. Then we had to go and explore and see what we could find. It was lots of fun! Sir Ranulph Fiennes has the title 'The World's Greatest Explorer' as he completed a Transglobal expedition, visiting the North Pole and the South Pole! We have been learning about what made him famous, and completed a class timeline about him. 

Computer Science

In computing we have started to look at computer science, and explore the word ALGORITHM. We have had the opportunity to explore the Beebots (a programmable floor robot) and make them move in different directions. Then we got different challenge cards and mats, and had to make the Beebots move to specific places or in specific ways. 

Science

In science we are continuing to look at materials. We have been conducting a range of investigations and experiments, focusing on working scientifically. We tested a range of objects made from different materials to find out which ones floated and which one sunk. We made our own boats out of paper, and carried out an investigation to answer the question "Will a paper boat float forever?" Our next science investigation was to answer the question "Is all paper good for writing?" We tested different paper by writing on them with different writing implements. We found out that crepe paper was not good for writing on as it kept on ripping. 

Dance

As part of our PE lessons, we are looking at dance. We started off by pretending to be fireworks, and we used the ribbons.

Commando Joe in 1S

We have enjoyed our Commando Joe sessions, using teamwork and problem solving to complete a range of tasks. We have used our balancing, hopping and jumping skills.

Spring 2

We have been finishing off our topic on the Arctic Circle by looking at Inuits. We have learnt about their clothing, their houses, and what they eat. We had a go at Inuit drum dancing and Inuit throat singing. We then tried to make our own Inukshuks (a stone landmark) using rocks. In PSHE, we learnt how Inuits greet each other by rubbing noses, and then we made up our own greetings.  

Summer 1

This half term our theme is “Royal Patrons – The story of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II". We will have a history focus, comparing the lives of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and both are recognised sources of inspiration whose legacies will live on.

We looked at pictures of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. We discussed what was similar, and what was different. Then we drew our own pictures and painted them with water colours. We have also looked at toys past and present. We sorted the toys into two categories, and then had the opportunity to play with some of the toys. 

Jumbles Country Park 

We went for a walk around Jumbles reservoir. The weather stayed dry for us. We enjoyed walking and talking with our friends, and exploring the environment. 

EUREKA

We went on a fantastic school trip to Eureka science museum. We got to explore various hands on science stations, and spent time in the Soundscpae gallery and the About Me gallery. The children enjoyed pretending to be a doctor and dentist. We spent time in the living and working gallery where children got to explore the garage, the shop, the bank, the post office and the dig. They had the opportunity to dress up and role-play. They all had a fabulous time!

PE

In PE we have been working on the skill of jumping. We setup different stations around the hall, each one focusing on improving our jumping skills. 

RE

In RE we are looking the topic 'Why is Baptism special?' We have looked at the different symbols associated with baptism. We made our own baptism candles. We walked up to St. Thomas' Church and met the Rev. Trantor. He talked to us about what happens during a baptism, and then we got to have a pretend baptism with our doll. 

Summer 2

This half term our theme is “Light up the world – Here comes the sun” We will have a science focus, as well as looking at emotions and feelings through our PSHE sessions. We have the opportunity for lots of creative dance, music and art, work. 

In art we learnt about tone, and thought about how we can use different drawing implements. We worked on making light and dark tones. We also had a go at observational drawings, really focusing on the details we could see. In DT we made mechanisms. We made sun safety spinners telling us how to stay safe in the sun. 

Science 

In science we have been looking at sources of light. We have spent lots of time discussing what light and dark is, as well as identifying lots of light sources. We talked about solar power, wind power and water power. We then made our own windmills and went outside to test them in the wind. We have also investigated shadows using torches. We made shadow puppets. We drew around ourselves at different points of the day to see how our shadows changed shape. We have had lots of fun! 

Author Afternoon - Graphic Novels

For author afternoon we looked at the book 'Narwhal, unicorn of the sea!' We then designed our own storyboard for Narwhal and Jelly.