Welcome to Year 1

This is the year your child will begin to master independence and build secure friendships.

Children are prepared for the end of year phonics screening check, therefore, reading is at the core of the curriculum. They will engage in a variety of Hinterland experiences such as a visit to an art gallery, a place of worship and a woodland walk.

A group of children in the classroom actively participating in the lesson with a young boy holding his hand up to ask or answer questions

Upcoming Events for Year 1

Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to over the coming weeks.

Parent Consultations
Wed 22nd Jan
1.30pm-5.50pm
Open Classroom
Mon 3rd Feb
8.45am-9.15am
Parental Engagement Session
Tue 4th Feb
08.45-9.10am

Phonics Screening Check

Year 1 children take part in the phonics screening check in June, to confirm all children have learned phonic decoding to an age appropriate standard.

Find out more

Curriculum

Art and Design / DT / Food and Nutrition

At KS1 and KS2 we follow a two year sequence:

2024/2025 and 2026/2027

Autumn 1 – Painting

Autumn 2 – Mechanical Systems (Sliders and Levers)

Spring 1 – Collage

Spring 2 – Food Technology

Summer 1 – Portraits, including mixed media

Summer 2 – Textiles – weaving

 

2025/2026

Autumn 1 – 3D: Clay

Autumn 2 – Food Technology

Spring 1 – Printing

Spring 2 – Mechanica | Systems (axles and wheels)

Summer 1 – Portraits, including mixed media

Summer 2 – Structures

Computing

Each year through KS1-2 we cycle through the following units at increasing depth:

  1. Productivity
  2. Programming
  3. Computational Thinking
  4. Creativity
  5. Networks
  6. Communication/collaboration
English

Learning to Read

Children in the early years who are learning to read (decode) follow the Read Write Inc, synthetic phonics program.

This enables them to work to decode a book appropriate for their phonic knowledge, to begin to develop reading stamina and fluency. At this point, children take part in our Oral Shared Reading program, so they can work on their comprehension skills using a shared text, read by an expert teacher.

Click here to see which books we read in Year One.

Geography

Children in Year 1 learn about the following subjects:

The living world

  • Biomes
  • Hot and cold climates
  • Rainforests

The economic world

  • Food, water and energy
  • The changing economic world
  • Tourism and ecotourism
  • Case study: Cambridge
History

We cover two topics a year for History in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Year 1 we look at Childhood, then Buildings and Towns.

Mathematics

Our school uses Maths Mastery to teach the subject.

In Year 1 we cover:

  • Numbers to 10
  • Addition and subtraction within 10
  • Shape and patterns
  • Numbers to 20
  • Addition and subtraction within 20
Music

Autumn 1 – Getting to know you! Singing.

Autumn 2 – Introduction to musical elements 1

Spring 1 – Introduction to musical elements 2

Spring 2 – Introduction to musical elements 3

Summer 1 – Introduction to musical elements 4

Summer 2 – Reflect, Rewind and Replay Summer concert/production

PE
  • Gymnastics
  • Dance
  • Attack/defend/shoot
  • Hit/catch/run
  • Send/return
  • Run/jump/throw
Religious and Non-religious Worldviews (RE)

We follow a three-year cycle (see below) covering the major world religions as well as  worldviews.

The programme is designed so that each previously taught religion is reviewed and comparisons are drawn between the content. Over six years, each child will have studied each identified religion/non-religion twice, studying in greater depth and making connections between religions.

Pupils are taught key substantive knowledge for each religion and worldview and each lesson is broken down into one of 3 disciplines: Theology, philosophy and Human/Social Science.

2024-2025: Christianity and Islam
2025-2026: Judaism and Humanism
2026-2027: Hinduism and Sikhism

Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE – please contact the principal if you wish to explore this as an option.

RSHE and PSHE

The Paradigm primary schools follow the Jigsaw programme.

From September 2019 we have allocated 45 minutes per week to PSHE at KS1 and KS2.

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Difference
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Healthy Me
  • Relationships
  • Changing Me
Science

Autumn 1 – Plants and Seasons

Autumn 2 – Materials and Forces

Spring 1 – Animals including Humans

Spring 2 – Plants

Summer 1 – Materials

Summer 2 – Living things and their habitats

Ukeleles in red, blue and pink adorn the walls of the music room
Children colour with an activity at the desk

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Monday 6th January

Students should not attend school on this day.

Tower Hamlets have advised the provisional date of Monday 31st March for school closures for the celebration of Eid.

First Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 6th January
End Friday, 14th February
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 17th February
End Friday, 21st February
Second Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 24th February
End Friday, 4th April

Tower Hamlets have advised the provisional date of Friday 6th June for school closures for the celebration of Eid.

First Half Term Dates
Start Tuesday, 22nd April
End Friday, 23rd May
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Tuesday, 27th May
End Friday, 30th May
Second Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 2nd June
End Thursday, 24th July

Frequently Asked Questions

When is my child taught PE?

What do I need to know about homework?

When is Book Change day?