Year One | RCPA NEW

Puffins and Kittiwakes News

W/B 12th January 2026

We’ve had a fantastic week of learning in Year 1! The children have been working hard to understand numbers 17, 18, and 19, and have now moved on to number 20. They practised finding 1 more and 1 less than any number within 20, which helps build strong number sense.

In English, we explored feelings adjectives to make our sentences more effective and expressive. We also learned how to use the conjunction ‘and’ to join two sentences together. Our phonics focus was on the split digraph sounds: i-e, o-e, u-e.

In Art, the children enjoyed painting with red, blue, and yellow. First, they created a block colour background, then added different marks using one or two colours. They experimented with different tools to scratch into wet paint, creating amazing textures and patterns.

In Dance, we learned to move to the beat of 8 while dancing to represent different types of weather. The children loved expressing themselves through movement!

In Geography, we built on previous learning by creating a map of the UK, labelling the countries, and adding their capital cities.

Science was all about materials this week. We went on a material hunt around the school, making a tally of different materials we found. Great observational skills on display! In PSHE, our learning intentions were to set simple goals and to tell others about something we do well.

W/B 5th January 2026

Happy New Year and welcome back! We’ve had such a wonderful start to the term, and the children have settled back into learning brilliantly after the Christmas break.

In phonics, we explored the sounds ea, oi, and a-e. The children enjoyed practicing reading and writing words with these sounds and even tried using them in their own sentences.

In maths, we worked on making 10 in lots of different ways, counted forwards and backwards, and learned all about the numbers 11, 12, and 13. We used number lines and fun activities to help us understand these concepts.

Our English lessons were based on the story Wombat Goes Walkabout. The children loved learning about Australian animals and used adjectives to describe them and the beautiful Australian setting. We also talked about the characters and events in the story.

In geography, we discovered the countries that make up the UK and found them on a map. In science, we handled different materials and investigated what objects are made from.

PE was lots of fun! We moved to music inspired by the weather and counted in beats of eight. It was a great way to get active and creative.

It’s been a fantastic first week back, and we’re excited for all the learning ahead.

W/B 24th November 2025
This week we had lots of fun in DT making a fruit salad for our friends! We chopped, cut and peeled various delicious fruit and thought carefully about what our friend might like to eat. We then tasted each other's fruit salad and rated them on appearance and taste.

W/B 17th November

This week in Maths we have been using a number line to subtract. We have discussed which number we need to start with and how many jumps we then need to do to find the answer. We have even come up with number stories to match our subtraction number sentences using the words First, Then and Now.

W/B 10th November 2025

This week we experienced a 'train ride' in the playground. We used our senses of sight and hearing to observe our surroundings, ready for our final write in English next week!

We will be using full stops, capital letters and finger spaces to write sentences about our 'train ride' experience based on the book 'The Train Ride' by June Crebbin. In Phonics, we have been learning the split digraphs i-e, o-e and u-e. Please use the links from last week's blog (below) to practice these.

W/B 3rd November 2025

This week in Year 1 we have started learning Set 3 sounds in Phonics. The children have really impressed us with their enthusiasm, especially for the split digraph a-e which looks a little different to previous sounds we have learnt!

Please continue to use the links at the bottom of the page to practise any Set 2 sounds your child is unsure of; This is really important in making sure they keep up!

Below are the links to Set 3 sounds we will be learning:

Ea - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/X9JxF45m/3Fb7U6cN

Oi - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/Rtw6mlqV/PNwfcMmZ

A-e - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/OzBbmUTt/5tifv1Zq

I-e - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/mNnUa4C0/VebP3mG2

O-e - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/mDVf756G/uJFQ1F0p

U-e - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/sz7PaExV/eZnrCHtv

Aw - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/I3Sm3RSY/T0tL1AWk

Are - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/A9HynlJA/JA1uIMZy

Ur - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/QkQg9jCw/ZOl7hCMi

Er - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/rcCSnI3Z/l2Hl5c9D

Ow - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/aLRHqzv3/5fyUwYxz

Ai - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/v8CeR1Cq/XtePfhow

Oa - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/TanXkYJ6/jo6WQXfE

Ew - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/Ho0zgjGN/cJh8HbkZ

Ire - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/LVn9gH5M/uA7HCvVs

Ear - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/euQiMkz6/EgQBgHQX

Ure - http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/UiSPVWpV/7tuAlKwW

W/B 13th October 2025

What a brilliant week we’ve had in Year 1! The children looked fantastic for their school photos—lots of smiles and smart outfits. In phonics, we focused on the red words to, go, and me, and practiced reading sentences like “Shall we go for a swim?” and “Your mum is on the swing.” We also recapped the sounds ar, ou and air, using Fred Talk and picture cards to help us blend and read new words.

In maths, we introduced the part-whole cherry model to help us understand how numbers can be split in different ways. The children enjoyed using drawings and objects to show how a whole number can be made up of different parts. It was great to see their confidence grow as they explored numbers in new ways.

We also went on a local walk to explore the area around our school. The children used simple field sketches to record what they saw and learned to identify human and physical features in our environment. It was a lovely way to bring our geography learning to life.

In PE, we’ve been working on skipping and combination jumps using individual ropes. The children practiced turning the rope from their wrists and keeping their bodies upright. We’ve also been focusing on encouraging each other, taking our time, and not giving up when things get tricky—great resilience, Year 1!

W/B 6th October 2025

In phonics, we explored the sounds wh, kn, and ph. The children practiced Fred Talk, spotted special friends in words, and read both green and nonsense words with growing confidence. We also worked on spelling using Fred Fingers and wrote sentences like “The wheels are black” and “The knight knocks on the door.” We’ve been highlighting our focus sounds in pink to help us spot them more easily.

In maths, we consolidated our understanding of number lines up to 10. Children practiced identifying numbers that are greater than, less than, 1 more, and 1 less. We used dice games, fingers, and problem-solving questions to deepen our understanding. Some children even created their own number lines outside using chalk—great teamwork and creativity!

Handwriting lessons focused on capital letters F, G, H, I, J, and later K–O. We experimented with water-soluble pens and mark-making, adding water to explore texture and flow. The children are becoming more confident in their letter formation.

In Geography, we learned about human and physical features. We asked, “Where is my school?” and identified features like rivers, forests, hills, shops, houses, and offices. We now know that human features are man-made, while physical features exist naturally.

PE was full of movement and coordination! We practiced combination jumps and dribbling a ball with our feet. The children learned to bend their knees, keep their heads up, and use different parts of their feet. We also focused on teamwork and perseverance—well done, everyone!

In PSHE, we discussed choices and consequences. We sang songs, shared ideas, and talked about how our actions affect others. Children wrote their thoughts on whiteboards, which we’ve added to our floor book.

Keep up the fantastic work, Year 1

W/B 29th September 2025

It has been another great week across Year 1. Children have been well settled in their routines and there has been lots of progress made. It has been lovely to see how much children have enjoyed lots of new learning!

This week, we explored the sounds ir, ou, and oy through Fred Talk, word spotting, and phonics sentences. Children practiced spelling with Fred Fingers and read both green and nonsense words.

In maths, we compared and ordered numbers using number tracks, cubes, and objects, reinforcing greater than, less than, and equal to. Handwriting focused on forming letters x, z, v, and w, and we used them in words like fox and zip.

In PE, we practiced jumping, hopping, and skipping, focusing on balance and coordination. Geography activities helped us learn how to give directions using left and right, and in science, we explored sounds and ordered them by volume. We also enjoyed storybook reading groups, IT, music, and a joyful Harvest Celebration Assembly.

To finish the week, we revisited everything we’ve learned, especially our phonics and number work. The children showed great focus and teamwork throughout—well done everyone

W/B 22nd September 2025

What a fantastic week we've had in Year 1! The classrooms have been buzzing with excitement, creativity, and curiosity as we explored new sounds, built our writing muscles, and even met a real-life author!

This week, we’ve been diving into the sounds ar, or, and air. The children have been spotting these sounds in words, using Fred Talk to decode them, and writing sentences with our red words like your, said, be, and you. We’ve been using Fred Fingers to help us spell.

On Wednesday, we had a magical visit from a children’s author! The children joined a draw-along session, asked brilliant questions, and created their own illustrations. It was a truly inspiring experience that brought books to life. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen!

In art, the children began exploring patterns and shapes. We’re collecting shells for next week’s creative project—thank you in advance to anyone who can help!

This week’s focus in maths was on comparing amounts and numbers using fewer, more, and same. We used cubes to build different amounts and practiced using stem sentences to explain our thinking. On Friday, we took our learning outside with giant chalk crocodile symbols to compare numbers—who knew maths could be so active?

In Geography, we mapped our route to school and labelled key features. In Science, we explored different smells—some lovely, some not so lovely! The children were fascinated and had lots of giggles.