Year 1 & 2

Welcome to Key Stage One.

Our main theme this Summer term is “School Days”.

The children will be enjoying a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts based around our theme.

Literacy

The children have settled wonderfully in to their new half term, beginning our main topic of 'School Days'. 

During this topic we will be exploring a variety of genres in both reading and writing, as well as sharing books by David Walliams, our focus author of the term.

Numeracy

This term the children will continue to learn about number, including exploration of place value, number lines, part-part- whole models, addition, subtraction and patterns and sequences within numbers. We will also investigate shape and measurements. 

The children will enjoy deepening their mathematical knowledge and understanding through the use of concrete apparatus, as well as using pictorial and abstract methods. 

Science/Forest School

Our focus topics in Science this term are 'Animals Parts' and 'Plant Plants'. This project teaches children about animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. They identify and describe their common structures, diets, and how animals should be cared for. 

Music

The children thoroughly enjoy their weekly music lessons with Jenny.
This term the children will be learning and performing songs linked to our theme of 'School Days'.

They will be developing knowledge of different types of instruments and the genres of music that they can be found in, listening to a variety of Rock, Classical, Folk, Jazz and Pop music and will continue to develop their singing skills through classroom singing of appropriate songs.

The children will also develop composition, team work and collaboration skills needed and develop beat keeping skills through all the above activities as well as fun musical games, rhythms, chants and songs.

The children are very excited to begin to learn how to play a ukulele too. 

Art and Design

The children will be having a wonderful time in Art, in our 'Street View' project. This project teaches children about art work depicting streets and buildings and focuses on the work of the American pop artist, James Rizzi. Thye create a 3D mural based on Rizzi's work. 
 

History

The children will be learning about our project 'School Days'. This project teaches the children about their own school and locality, both today and in the past. They compare schooling in the Victorian Era to their experiences today.

Geography

This term, the children will be focussing on our topic ‘School Days’. In this topic, we will be exploring maps of the local area, looking at where our school lies as well as other human and physical features, within Combs. We will make a floorplan of our school and create a plan for a school of our own design.

PE

The children continue to enjoy their twice weekly PE sessions with our sports coaches from PAS. 
This term they will be focusing on Racket, Bat and Stick control and Sending and Receiving. The children will be using different types of equipment sensibly, controlling it and using lots of different objects such as balls, bean bags and hoops to send and receive from their partner.

Computing

This term the children will be continuing to follow the Teach Computing curriculum

Year 1

Creating Media - Digital Writing: 

This project promotes the children's understanding of the various aspects of using a computer to create and change text. Learners will familiarise themselves with typing on a keyboard and begin using tools to change the look of their writing, and then they will consider the differences between using a computer and writing on paper to create text.

Programming B - Programming animations:

This unit introduces learners to on-screen programming through ScratchJr. Learners will explore the way a project looks by investigating sprites and backgrounds. They will use programming blocks to use, modify, and create programs. Learners will also be introduced to the early stages of program design through the introduction of algorithms.

Year 2

Creating Media - Digital Music:

The children will explore how music can make them think and feel. They will make patterns and use those patterns to make music with both percussion instruments and digital tools. They will also create different rhythms and tunes, using the movement of animals for inspiration. Finally, learners will share their creations and compare creating music digitally and non-digitally.

Programming B - Programming Quizzes:

This unit initially recaps on learning from the Year 1 Scratch Junior unit ‘Programming B - Programming animations’. Learners begin to understand that sequences of commands have an outcome and make predictions based on their learning. They use and modify designs to create their own quiz questions in ScratchJr and realise these designs in ScratchJr using blocks of code. Finally, learners evaluate their work and make improvements to their programming projects.

RE

This term the children will be taking part in a RE themed week.
The week will be linked to the children learning all about what makes some places sacred. This will involve exploring sacred places for the Christian and Jewish communities, identifying similarities and differences between the two. 
The week will consist of writing activities, reading, and using secondary resources such as the internet and books.

PSHE/British Values

We will be continuing to follow our PSHE scheme Jigsaw. Our topic this half term is 'Changing Me'. 

In this unit, the children are introduced to life cycles e.g. that of a frog and identify the different stages. They compare this with a human life cycle and look at simple changes from baby to adult e.g. getting taller, learning to walk etc. They discuss how they have changed so far and that people grow up at different rates. Change is discussed as a natural and normal part of getting older which can bring about happy and sad feelings. Children practise a range of skills to help manage their feelings and learn how to access help if they are worried about change, or if someone is hurting them or making them feel uncomfortable.

The British Values are incorporated throughout the children's daily routine and this is highlighted on a day to day basis, from being a nice friend, following instructions and using our manners to having responsibilities, understanding boundaries and looking after ourselves and doing what makes us happy. Although the children are regularly reflecting each value, we always have one that is a main focus and this term it is “Individual Liberty”. 
Each of the British Values are incorporated through the children’s PSHE lessons and they lay the foundations for discussion during our weekly class assemblies. Our student council meet and suggest ways of how we can filter the understanding of these values throughout school, they talk to the other children and bring their feedback back to the meetings, promoting a voice for all the children at Combs.