Year 1

The Year One classes are located in the main building with direct access onto the Springfield Road playground.

A canopy outside classes 5-7, together with the covered pergola area on the playground, enables the children to take part in a range of practical outdoor activities to support their classroom learning. We liaise very closely with Foundation Stage teachers to ensure a smooth transition between key stages.

Our teaching approach is cross-curricular, based around child-centred topics, starting in September with, 'It's Me, Here I Come!', all about our bodies and senses. We will explore each of the senses in turn, through stories, maths activities, investigations and exploration as well as gymnastics, dance and games.

All teaching is supported by the use of interactive whiteboards and computers in the classrooms as well timetabled sessions in the IT suite.

We have high expectations of our children, teaching challenging and stimulating lessons. The children take on the role of 'experts' to tackle problems and use of visual texts to stimulate their learning. We encourage the children to bring in things from home, related to topics. This is valuable, not only as an opportunity to develop speaking and listening skills, but as an opportunity for children to see that what they learn is related to 'real' life.

Partnership with parents is very important to us and every half term parents receive information sheets detailing the areas to be covered, ideas for supporting children at home and details of children's targets.

In the Autumn term we hold a Curriculum evening for all parents, to explain in more detail what we will be doing throughout the year.