Victory Heights Primary School 2015-2016 Nurture-Challenge -Excel

Welcome to Year 1  

Specialists PE & Swimming EAL Arabic ISB ISA Learning Enhancement Art   PE & Swimming EAL Arabic ISB ISA Learning Enhancement Art Computing Music

Timetables Swimming – Wednesday P.E – Tuesday Library – Sunday Homework – Sent on a Thursday, returned on a Tuesday. Please could you read for 10mins each day. Spelling test – From January

Timetable

The rocket and how it works… The rocket is an extension of the behaviour chart used in Foundation Stage. The children begin each day on the middle of the chart starting on green. The children move up the rocket for good behaviour/work/manners. The children move down the rocket when they do not follow our golden rules. For each colour above green, children can earn points for their house.

Topics The objectives covered in Year 1 are taken from Chris Quigley and the New National Curriculum. This is a skills based curriculum which results in ‘child led learning’. Our Topics this year are: Oliver Jeffers Back in time Polar Express Imagine World of work Out of this world

Writing At the end of Year 1 children are expected to have achieved a level 1a.

Example of Level 1a writing: Below is an example of a Level 1A piece of writing. By the end of Year 1 we aim for all children to reach a Level 1A or above. We have annotated and explained some of the features that have helped to reach the level. We hope that you find this example useful. Example of Level 1a writing: Most letters are formed correctly. Phonic knowledge has been used independently to spell unknown words. There is evidence of a simple story structure; beginning, middle and ending. At least 60% of high frequency words are spelt correctly. Finger spaces between words are consistent throughout the piece of writing. The writer demonstrates an awareness of full-stops. The learning objective was to retell a familiar story showing an understanding of basic story structure; beginning, middle and ending. A story map was produced highlighting the key events in pictures and this was used to support the writing of the story.

Maths We follow the new National Curriculum. By the end of Year 1 children should be able to e.g: Count read and write numbers to 100. Count in 2,5 and 10’s Add and subtract two digit numbers to 20. Recognise and name half and a quarter of a shape or a quantity. Mathletics

Arabic & Islamic Who will be teaching me Arabic and Islamic this year? Fadia Daas-Blue/Abir Tayfour-Red/Jouman Haloush-Yellow/ Salam Abdul-Green/Magda Abdulraheem-Orange/ Amal Al mekawy AA / Arooj Nisar & Muhamed Hussan. AA,AB,ISA&ISB information has been sent to parents via the Welcome letter. We expect each student to spend 20 minutes weekly working on Arabic & Islamic homework. The AA,AB,ISA&ISB outcome will be sent as soon as possible.

Supporting learning and how we work… We encourage the children to work collaboratively through small group work and house events. Children will be challenged through activities that require them to apply their knowledge in real life situations e.g. The weekly Big Solve. During the first half term children will be streamed for phonics to help better support their individual needs. Children who require Learning Enhancement or have English as an Additional Language, will be identified within the first half term.

Engaging students through effective questioning   Our focus this year at VHPS with regard to improving student learning is questioning techniques. Blooms taxonomy of questions is a widely-accepted framework that many teachers use to guide their students through the learning process. Though not necessarily sequential, the hierarchy of bloom’s taxonomy is often depicted as a pyramid, with simple knowledge-based recall questions at the base. Questions higher on the pyramid are more complex and demand higher cognitive skills from the children. For the teachers to interpret however you want to so that you are conveying the same message) Many questions at the lower levels of bloom’s taxonomy – particularly knowledge and comprehension – are closed-ended questions. Higher order reasoning, such as synthesis and evaluation, is developed through the use of open-ended questions. Asking an open-ended question is a way to elicit discussion, brainstorm solutions to a problem, or create opportunities for thinking outside the box. The highest-order open-ended questions engage students in dynamic thinking and learning, where they must synthesize information, analyze ideas, and draw their own conclusions, preparing them for their future, where few issues are black-and-white. Our students today need to become critical thinkers, find their own voice, and be recognized for having opinions that matter.

Collaborative Learning Activity

Communication School Communicator is being fazed out- info on Mobile App and website Reports and assessments (number per year - x2 reports and x4 assessments) Parent helpers - readers Parent skills - topics Class rep

Nurture – Challenge - Excel ‘Parents as partners’