Design and technology – Our design and technology is embedded into our topic of toys this term as we discover how objects move, look at the various mechanisms involved and then plan, make and evaluate our own moving toy and rocket. History – Our history topic links in very well with our main theme this term – ‘toys, rhymes and games’ as we look at toys from the past. The children will have the opportunity to explore what toys were like the past and compare them with our toys today. They will experience what the toys were like as we look at some replicas first hand as well as using books and the internet as secondary sources of information. Geography – Our geography will focus on a character called Barnaby bear and his adventures around the world. We will be looking at life in different countries as well as identifying where they are on the map. We will think about (and play!) games that children traditionally play in different countries and compare them to those found in this country. Literacy - In literacy, we will continue to investigate a wide range of texts and link these into our cross-curricular topic work of ‘toys, rhymes and games’ as much as possible. The children’s speaking and listening skills will be developed both within focused literacy sessions and also across other subject areas and our day- to- day learning. This term we will look in greater detail at non-fiction books, their purposes and features. We will then use our knowledge to help us to create our own non-fiction texts about toys. We will also look at various forms of poetry and the effect they have on the reader, before having a go at writing our own poems. We will continue to hear your child read in school. This will include guided reading sessions in which children of a similar ability level study and discuss a book together in order to aid their comprehension of the text. We will also continue with our daily phonics programme. We are thrilled with the progress that the children are making and continue to encourage them to apply the skills learnt in these sessions when reading and writing independently. We really cannot emphasise enough how much hearing your child read at home can aid their development and help them to become confident, secure readers. Thank you so much for your continued support with this and with practicing their sight words/spellings and sounds with them. Please remember that the reading record is there for you to note down when you have heard your child read and any comments you may have. We will continue with our handwriting sessions in school, helping the children to form each individual letter correctly and to develop control when writing. Alongside this we also give the children plenty of opportunities to develop their fine motor skills which can help to increase control and pencil grip. Numeracy - This term in numeracy we will be recapping a lot of key number skills such as sequencing, positioning and identifying patterns as well as focusing on the calculations of addition and subtraction (including difference). We will also be learning about capacity, time and money in greater detail and looking at the concepts of odd and even numbers and position and direction. We will be learning to halve and double numbers and be able to quickly recall the answers to sums. We will be counting on 2s, 5s and 10s. We will be working on number bonds to 5, 10 and 20. Science – Our science topic in class one this term is ‘pushes and pulls’ We will look at objects in the world around us that move and investigate how they do so. After investigating which objects need pushes and pulls to make them move we will link our science with the overarching ‘toys, rhymes and games’ topic by designing and making our own moving toy and rocket. We will also enjoy taking part in various activities during science week. ICT – ICT continues to play a key role in our day to day learning and is embedded into all areas of the curriculum as much as possible. In our skills sessions, however, we will be learning about various pictograms and graphs and how these can be displayed electronically using a computer programme. PSHE – This term, in our PSHE sessions, we will very much be focusing on thinking about opinions and how they can differ between people. The children will be encouraged to share their opinions more frequently on things that really matter to them but will be taught to do so in a way that is sensitive to others. We will discuss as a class the importance of listening to others and think about how we can show other people, and their values and beliefs, respect.

Radwinter Primary School Class One Newsletter Summer Term 2014 Welcome back to a new school term! We hope that you all had a lovely Easter and are returning refreshed and not too full of chocolate! We can’t believe how quickly this year is going and that it is the summer term already. We are enjoying having such a delightful class and are looking forward to watching them continue to develop this term. Thank you for your continued support with aspects such as hearing your child read at home, we really do appreciate your time and effort. Kate Hockley, Pippa Hibbs and Barbara Moldon Art – In our artwork this term we will be carrying out some observational drawings of toys, looking carefully at how we can represent their features and patterns. We will also be looking at colour, naming the primary colours and investigating how they can be mixed to create new colours. The children will have the opportunity to learn about collaging and develop their own skills. Reading/Homework - Daily reading for all of Class 1, phonic key rings and tricky words. Year 1 – spellings looked at each Wednesday. Please practise in a fun way at home. Any other homework is returned into school on a Wednesday. R.E. – Our R.E. sessions this term will give us the opportunity to look at times that are important to us both personally and as a school. This will lead us into looking in greater detail at our collective worship (assembly) times in school and what they mean to each of us. We will also be looking at the church (both the building and body of people) and the part it plays in the Christian faith. We will also look at a variety of religious festivals and celebrations. P.E. – The children continue to have two main P.E. sessions a week this term as well as lots of extra physical activities in our day to day learning. Our lessons will cover a variety of areas of the dance curriculum as we learn a special ‘toys dance’ and focus on moving appropriately to music and working with a partner. We will also be learning a number of skills to help us when playing games (e.g. throwing, catching and kicking balls) and will learn some important tactics to help with our understanding of how the games are played. French – The children will continue to have French lessons once a week as well as using simple phrases in the everyday classroom. They will be focusing on greetings, simple French songs and games and learning about life in a French school. Music – Class one ’ s music sessions this term will focus on pitch and duration of sounds and will introduce the children to simple scores. They will have access to a wide range of instruments as well as lots of opportunity to practice their singing skills.