Welcome to Year One

Our teachers in Year One are Mrs Trickey and Ms Chow. We ensure the children experience a smooth transition from the Foundation stage into Key Stage One. The Year One curriculum builds upon the learning experiences the children have had in the reception class. The curriculum is taught through topics ranging from ‘Food for thought’ to ‘The Zoo’. The emphasis is to engage the children in learning which enthuses and motivates them to find out more. We believe that first- hand experience is an essential part of learning.  We pride ourselves on our supportive and nurturing environment and with ‘Philosophy for Children’ running as a thread throughout the curriculum, the children feel confident to ask questions and challenge ideas.

The children in Year One benefit, along with the rest of the school, from exciting school trips, visitors to the school who share their expertise and outdoor learning in the local woods and tree house. Another highlight are our ‘Spectacular Days’ which celebrate our current topic with the children taking part in a range of cross curricular activities.

Numeracy

Numeracy is taught every day at St Marys. The emphasis is on developing the children’s fluency in maths skills through practise and then applying these skills in order to solve problems. We believe that the use of concrete apparatus and pictures is essential to the children developing a strong ‘number sense’. Number sense refers to a child’s ability to understand what numbers mean and is essential in their mathematical development. Language and symbols are also an important part of the curriculum, as together with pictures and concrete experience they are integral to a child’s understanding of maths.

Learning is shared through whole class teaching, group activities and class discussions. Learning is also explored through open ended tasks and investigations. It is then reflected upon in terms of what the children’s next steps in their learning might be.

We are keen to set ‘open ended’ challenges for the children, in order to help them take their learning on themselves and apply their mathematical knowledge, ensuring mastery and depth as well as breadth of learning.

Children are both challenged and supported in class depending on specific and individual needs.