Welcome to Year 1/2

 

Learning in Year 1/2 

Autumn Term

This is us (including Gruesome Germs)

In Autumn 1, the children will learn through a vehicle called ‘This is Us’.  They begin by developing their understanding of belonging and their place in our local community. They will also look at people who help us in our community, in particular nurses, doctors and hospitals. This leads to our Autumn 2 vehicle, Gruesome Germs, where the children study significant individuals in history such as Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and the impact they had on medical care. They will learn about changes in modern day medicine and will use this knowledge to compare modern day medicine to that used during the time of Florence Nightingale. This learning will be supported with a careers link visit from a nurse who will teach the children basic first aid skills including CPR, how to bandage wounds, how to make a 999 call and make a sling. There will be a focus on DT and sewing, and the children will design, make, test and evaluate their own first aid pouch.

 

Spring Term

In Spring 1, children will study the Vehicle ‘London’s Burning’. Through History lessons and a visit from Partake Theatre, they will learn how the fire started, what happened during the event and how London was changed afterwards. They will compare past and present London, develop their historical understanding, and learn how firefighting today differs from life in 1666. The children will look at those careers involved in the fire service and will meet members of the local fire crew to discuss the job that they do and the pathways into this role. As part of this vehicle, pupils will also create cityscape artwork inspired by the work of Stephen Wiltshire.

In Spring 2, children will explore the curriculum vehicle Save Our Oceans, which focuses on conservation, pollution, and how we can care for our world. Through a wide range of texts, children will learn about recycling and reducing waste, and explore the damage pollution can cause to animal habitats. They will study the world’s oceans and the impact of pollution, including a non-European geographical study of Australia and the effects of plastic pollution on the Great Barrier Reef. As part of this vehicle, children will work with a local conservation group to take part in litter-picking in a local conservation area, helping them to understand the importance of being good citizens and how their actions can contribute to positive global change.

Summer Term

Finally, in the summer term, children will learn through the curriculum vehicle Let’s Get Growing. Through this vehicle, children will learn about how plants grow and where our food comes from. They will explore different areas of the world where farming is the main source of food and how landscapes can impact this. Children will grow a variety of plants, herbs, and vegetables, learning how to care for them throughout the term. They will also study the artist Nora Heysen, producing still life paintings using vegetables to develop their observational and artistic skills. Learning from this vehicle will culminate in a Design and Technology unit in which children design, make, and evaluate healthy pizzas.

 

English (Writing, Reading and Phonics)

In Key Stage 1, Phonics is taught daily in groups to provide children with strong foundations in the early reading skills they need to succeed. In our school, we use the Monster Phonics scheme.

Year 1

In Year 1, children will continue to build on their knowledge of phonics from EYFS. They will continue to learn new sounds, learn tricky words, spelling rules and how to sound out and blend to aid them with their reading and writing. At the end of Year 1, the children will complete a Phonics Screening Check. For more information about Monster Phonics, please visit our Phonics page. 

Year 2

In Year 2, the children will continue to work on the phonics they started in Year 1, aiming to read words by sight without having to sound them out. They will learn further spelling patterns and rules, and begin to apply those in their writing. They will look at the possessive apostrophe, homophones, and near-homophones and suffixes. For more information about Monster Phonics progression, please visit our Phonics page.

 

English

In their English sessions, children will use quality texts to develop their understanding of writing and will produce written outcomes based on these.

In Key Stage 1, the focus is on transcriptional fluency, helping children to write accurately and confidently. Through oracy, dictation, and exposure to immersive vocabulary, pupils develop strong speaking, listening, and writing skills that support their early literacy development.

There is a focus on handwriting with children encouraged to form their letters correctly, maintain consistent size, and ensure they are positioned accurately.

We encourage the children to explore a wider range of texts and stories. For more information on our English curriculum, visit our Curriculum page. 

Maths

In Key Stage 1, Maths sessions are taught daily in groups with plenty of hands-on activities.

Year 1

Year 1 children will count with objects and explore shapes and pattern. As they become confident at using numbers over 20, they will begin to explore more problem-based maths including, adding and subtracting. Number bonds will also be reinforced. They will learn to count forwards, backwards, in 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s, and they will double and halve. 

Year 1 children will also have opportunities to deepen their understanding of these new concepts by solving problems.

If you want to see how Year 1 at Sutton Road are taught to apply different calculation techniques in maths, click here to view video support guides. 

Year 2

Mathematics in Year 2 focuses on learning multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5, and 10 times tables. Children will also learn to add and subtract with two-digit and one-digit numbers.

In fractions, they will find ⅓, ¼, ½, and ¾ of a shape or a quantity of objects. They will study measures, including weight, capacity, and length, and they will learn to tell the time to five minutes. They will also study properties of 2D and 3D shapes, as well as a range of data-handling methods such as bar charts and pictograms.

Year 2 children are encouraged to use their knowledge of these new concepts to solve problems to deepen their understanding.

If you want to see how Year 2 at Sutton Road are taught to apply different calculation techniques in maths, click here to view video support guides. 

The Wider Curriculum

We teach our wider curriculum through a mix of discreet (stand-alone) sessions and those taught through the curriculum vehicle. For more information on our Curriculum Offer, please visit our Curriculum pages.

 

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