Maples (Year 1)

Welcome to Maples Class

Class Teacher: Miss Plater

Email: hplater@bewickbridge.co.uk

Teaching Assistants: Mrs Madhok, Ms Liu and Ms Morwood

Year 1 autumn 2025.docx.pdf

Meet the teacher presentation - Year 1 25_26.pdf

English

We will be learning, writing and innovating different text types. This term we will be studying:

The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg (letter)
Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett (recount)
Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer and Barbara Taylor (non-chronologica report)

During these units we will be working hard on our handwriting and presentation and remembering all the things we need to include in our writing. We will also be developing our vocabulary and creativity!

Maths this year!

Science

In the first half term, children will identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees and identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees. In the second half term, children will observe changes across the 4 seasons and observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Knowledge:

Wild plants: A wild plant seed grows where it falls. It doesn’t need to be planted or cared for as it grows.
Garden plants: Garden plants are plants that people choose to grow in their gardens.
Weed: Weeds are wild plants that grow in places where people don’t want them.
Deciduous: A deciduous tree loses its leaves each year.
Evergreen: An evergreen tree keeps its green leaves all year round, even in the winter.
Roots: Roots take in water and nutrients from the soil and keep the plant in the ground.
Stem: The stem holds the plant up and carries the water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves and flowers.
Leaves: Leaves catch sunlight to help the plant to make its own food.
Flowers: Flowers attract insects and birds.
Petals: Petals are the colourful part of the flower.
Fruit: Fruit contains the plant’s seeds. Sometimes humans try to grow fruit without seeds because it’s easier to eat.
Seed: Seeds grow into new plants.
Bulb: Bulbs grow into new plants.
There are four seasons each year: autumn, winter, spring and summer.
In autumn, the weather begins to get colder. The leaves start to fall off the trees. The amount of daylight becomes less. The daytime is shorter and the nights are longer.
In winter, the weather is much colder. Sometimes, it is cold enough to freeze, leaving frost and ice on the ground. It sometimes snows. Many trees have bare branches as all their leaves have fallen off. The daytime is the shortest in the year and the nightime the longest.
In spring, the weather starts to get warmer. The leaves begin to grow on the trees and some trees may blossom. Plants begin to grow and you may see baby animals like lambs around. The daytime starts to get longer.
In summer, the weather gets hotter. The daytime is long and the nights are short. Summer has the longest days. The trees are full of leaves and there are a lot of flowers, bees, butterflies and other insects.

Geography

In geography the children will be learning about physical and human features. They will learn how to identify these features in nature. Later on in the half term, children will develop their fieldwork skills and learn how to draw a simple map with accompanying symbols. Finally, children will consolidate their positional and directional language to learn to describe a route.

Knowledge:

Physical features are naturally created features of the Earth.
Human features are man-made and include factories, farms, houses, offices, ports, harbours and shops.
Landmarks and monuments are features of a landscape, city or town that are easily seen and recognised from a distance. They also help someone to establish and describe a location.
A map is a picture or drawing of an area of land or sea that can show human and physical features.
A key is used to show features on a map. A map has symbols to show where things are located.
A map is a picture or drawing of an area of land or sea that can show human and physical features.
A key is used to show features on a map. A map has symbols to show where things are located.
Positional language includes behind, next to and in front of. Directional language includes left, right, straight ahead and turn.
An aerial photograph or plan perspective shows an area of land from above.

History

The topic for history is my high street. Children will develop their ability to ask and answer questions through learning about the history of their local area. Children will reflect on where they live, learn and describe key changes that have occurred in Cherry Hinton, including changes in their lifetime.

Knowledge:

Cherry Hinton High Street has not always been like it is today.
Cherry Hinton was originally two separate places called Church End and Mill End and was separated by marshy land. Then once together, it was called Hinton. With many cherry trees, it was changed to Cherry Hinton.
It originally only had a few houses.
1818 Bewick Bridge built the vicarage
1830s John Okes bought lots of land for his family which created Cherry Hinton Hall.
1832 Bewick Bridge opened the village school
1852 Railway came
Children will know Cherry Hinton High Street has changed over time in terms of the infrastructure and what used the infrastructures.

Computing

For the first part of the term, pupils will develop their understanding of a range of tools used for digital painting. They will use these tools to create their own digital paintings, while gaining inspiration from a range of artists’ work.

For the second part of the term, pupils will learn early programming concepts. They will explore using individual commands, both with other pupils and as part of a computer program. They will identify what each floor robot command does and use that knowledge to start predicting the outcome of programs. Pupils will also be introduced to the early stages of program design through the introduction of algorithms.

Knowledge Creating Media:

Different freehand tools do different things
Computers can be used to create art
A tool can be adjusted to suit my need and to know when it is appropriate to use each tool
Choices made have an impact.
There differences between painting using a computer with painting using brushes

Knowledge Programming:

Words that can be enacted
A command has a set outcome.
A program is a set of commands that a computer can run
A series of instructions can be issued before they are enacted

RE

For the first part of the term, pupils will be exploring the question ‘What is God’s job?’ They will be identifying beliefs about special relationships with God from Jewish stories and through Jewish scripture. They will also think about what some Christians, Muslims, and Hindus believe about God. Finally the children will explore some Zoroastrian beliefs about God through their creation story. In the second part of the term, the pupils will be thinking about the question ‘Why should we care for the world?’

Knowledge:

What is God's job?

To know that in some religions, followers believe in one supreme being or God who is loving.
To know that people have different ways of understanding God on Earth (incarnation).
To know that some people believe that humans have a special relationship with God.
To know that there are different names for God.
To know that there are different ways to refer to and represent God.
To know that people have different ideas about the role of God.

Why should we care for the world?

To know that some people believe that humans have a special relationship with God.
To know that creation stories provide people with possible answers as to why we are here.
To know that followers often read religious stories.
To know that some religious stories may guide people to care for animals and the planet.
To know that religious teachings often encourage gratitude for what God created (e.g. others and the planet) and a responsibility to look after it.
To know that people with similar worldviews often work together to care for the world and for others.

DT

In DT the children will be learning about Structures this Spring term, learning that structures are things made and put together. The children will be creating windmills that they will work to make suitable for windy conditions.

Knowledge:

I know that the sails or blades of a windmill are moved by the wind.
I know that windmills were used to generate power and were used for grinding flour.
I know that a structure is something built for a reason.
I know that stable structures do not topple.
I know that adding weight to the base of a structure can make it more stable.

Art

During art lessons in the first half term the children will develop their painting and printing skills as we produce work on the theme Japanese art. We will study work by both Hokusai and Yayoi Kusama before using their work to influence our painting and printing work.

In the second half term, children will develop their drawing skills using graphite, charcoal and pastel. We will be comparing art work by Elaine Allison and Eric Carle. We will then move on to develop cutting skills as we produce collages.

Knowledge:

Hokussai and Yahya Kusama are both Japanese artists. Hokusai Japanese artist (1760 - 1849) created over 30,000 paintings. Painter and printmaker Most famous work “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” Yayoi Kusama is known as the Princess of Polka Dots. She is still working today though she is 94. She creates paintings and sculptures which are mostly covered in dots.
Sakura is Japanese for cherry blossom. Cherry blossom festival in Japan in the spring
When painting we spread paint to create an image, when printing we transfer ink or paint and press to make an image
We can use careful looking to help our drawing, and use drawing to help looking.
We can use a variety of materials to make images, and that the images we make can become imaginative.
Flora are flowers and plants, fauna are animals.
Eric Carle made collages to illustrate his books. His most famous book is The Hungry Caterpillar. Elaine Allison is a botanic artist living and working in Cambridge. She creates detailed watercolour paintings of plants.

Music

In the first unit of this term - Animals - we will be listening and discussing The Flight of the Bumble Bee and Carnival of The Animals, and developing original music of our own using rhythms and textures inspired by images of animals. We will develop a class performance entitled Noah and the Animals!

After half term we will be studying Peter and the Wolf, Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphonic Fairy Tale for children. We will be exploring the instruments of the orchestra and identifying how composers use these sounds and how they can be combined to great effect.

Knowledge:

Animals

Composers use sounds to help us think of something specific, like an animal;
Composers use sounds to help tell a story;
Tempo means how fast a piece of music is;
Dynamics mean how loud or quiet a sound is.

Peter and the Wolf

Sergei Prokofiev wrote Peter and the Wolf for children in 1936;
An instrument or rhythm pattern can represent a character in a story.

In the dance unit, pupils will explore travelling actions, movement skills and balancing. They will understand why it is important to count to music and use this in their dances. Pupils will copy and repeat actions linking them together to make short dance phrases. Pupils will work individually and with a partner to create ideas in relation to the theme.

In the net and wall unit, pupils will be introduced to the basic skills required in net and wall games. Pupils will learn the importance of the ready position. They will develop throwing, catching and racket skills, learning to track and hit a ball. They will learn to play against an opponent and over a net. They will also begin to use rules and simple tactics when playing against a partner.

Knowledge:

Dance unit:

Actions: understand that actions can be sequenced to create a dance.
Dynamics: understand that I can create fast and slow actions to show an idea.
Space: understand that there are different directions and pathways within space.
Relationships: understand that when dancing with a partner it is important to be aware of each other and keep in time.
Performance: know that standing still at the start and at the end of the dance lets the audience know when I have started and when I have finished.
Strategy: know that if I use exaggerated actions it helps the audience to see them clearly.

Net and wall games

Hitting: know to use the centre of the racket for control.
Feeding: know to use an underarm throw to feed to a partner.
Rallying: know that throwing/hitting to my partner with not too much power will help them to return the ball.
Footwork: know that using a ready position will help me to move in any direction.
Tactics: know that tactics can help us to be successful when playing games.
Rules: know that rules help us to play fairly.

Reminders

PE Kits: PE lessons will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays afternoon. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed in their PE kits, this is different to Reception. We will have a mixture of indoor and outdoor PE lessons so please ensure your child's PE kit is appropriate for all weathers.

Water bottles, and reading books should be in school everyday.

Please ensure that all items (including lunch boxes, spare clothes and water bottles) are named as this will help us to know who they belong to and return them to their owners. In Year 1, children might have occasional toileting accidents, this is why we encourage you to put some spare clothes in your child’s bag.

Home Learning

We expect children to read daily. School books need to be in school each day.

Over the course of the week, we expect children to spend time learning their weekly spellings (Year 1 common exception words and red words), and learn their Key Instant Recall Facts whist working on their home learning project.

Home learning will include:

Reading x 5 per week (10 mins)
Weekly - handwriting, spellings, maths
Topic based project (1 per term)

red-words-list-matched-to-rwi-books.pdf

Reading at home

We recognise the value of a partnership between home and school to support children in the development of their reading skills. Children who read regularly for 10-15 minutes at home will gain a great deal. Please encourage your child to read at least 5 times a week.

Tips for reading with your child:

Find a quiet space and a quiet time.
Have a look at the front cover together. Ask your child to tell you what they think the book will be about (predict).
Don’t worry if your child gets a word wrong. Encourage them to read till the end of the sentence. They might self-correct, however, if they are really stuck encourage them to use ’Special Friends’, ‘Fred Talk’, ‘read the word’.
Discuss the story and encourage their storyteller voice.

Year 1 Spring Bewick Bridge KIRFs

Maths at home

These are the KIRF(Key Instant Recall Facts) for year 1 this term.

By the end of this term, children should know the following facts. The aim is for them to recall these facts instantly.

Autumn KIRFs Year 1

Maples (Year 1)

Welcome to Maples Class

English

History

Computing

RE

DT

Art

Music

Reminders

Home Learning

Reading at home

Tips for reading with your child:

Maths at home

Suggested reading list: