Year 1 & 2

Welcome to Key Stage One.

Our main theme this Spring 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 'Bright Lights, Big City'. 

During this topic we will be exploring a variety of genres in both reading and writing, as well as sharing books by Jacqueline Wilson, 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 in Science this term is 'Animals including Humans' and Plants". Although the children have a weekly Science lesson in school, Science is also interweaved throughout our weekly Forest School sessions.
The children will be looking and describing lots of different animals and plants, their habitats and their basic needs. They will be finding out why habitats are different and how they are adapted to suit the needs of the animal or plant, the different sizes of habitats and why it is important to look after them.
They will be identifying and naming a range of common plants and identifying and describing their basic structure and also investigating the best environment for a plant to grow. They will also be identifying and naming a variety of common animals, grouping carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and looking at their basic needs and circle of life.

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 Scotland, islands and the seaside.

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.

Art and Design

The children will be having a wonderful time in Art.
This term they are focusing on developing a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. Whilst developing these skills, the children will create a number of pictures and crafts including Blossom Tree paintings, themed cards, making and decorating pancakes, landscape drawings of Combs and completing work based on the primary and secondary colours and shape, researching work by the artist Piet Mondrain.

History

The children will be learning all about Changes within Living Memory.
They will be encouraged to use the IPads and to ask their grandparents about seaside holidays in the past. The children will be comparing and contrasting holidays in the past to what they are like now, their own experiences.
Specifically seaside holidays and how they have changed over time. We will also be looking at how methods of communication have changed over time from letter writing and telegraphs to emailing, texting and mobile phones.

Geography

The children do a lot of work outside in our school environment so can confidently talk about what it is like where we live and learn. They have a wonderful display of the United Kingdom in their classroom, where they can talk about and identify the four countries and their capital cities of the UK.
This term the children are focusing on Place Knowledge. They will be looking at the similarities and differences of Combs and the seaside and then comparing Katie Morag's home to a warm part of Africa, where Handa lives. A book the children have previously read and are familiar with.

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 following the Teach Computing curriculum to learn how to use

Year 1

IModel - This unit of work provides the pupils with an opportunity to explore how computers model work and how they can be used to represent real or imaginary environments, situations and scenarios.

IProgram – This unit works to introduce children to algorithms and simple programming. It uses the context of programming physical and virtual toys to perform specific actions.

Year 2

IDo – In this unit pupils will learn about email. They explore how email is transmitted and understand that email can be used to communicate over distances.

IProgram – This unit introduces the children to a visual programming language – Scratch. Using the context of art and drawing, the children will be engaged in creatively developing simple animations

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 and how and why do we celebrate sacred times. We will also be learning all about the Easter story.
The week will consist of drama, crafts, writing activities, reading, role play and using secondary resources such as the internet and books.

PSHE/British Values

The main areas that the children are learning in PSHE this term are “Changes" and

"Being me”.

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 “Rule of Law”. 
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.