Hello everyone,

It was wonderful to welcome the children back after the Easter break and to hear all about their adventures. They were especially excited to see the return of the swimming pool in the Key Stage 2 playground! All of the children had the opportunity to swim this week and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

In English, we began a new unit based on the lovely story Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. The children were intrigued by a ‘lost’ penguin that appeared in Year 1 and came up with some fantastic questions about it. They also created excellent lists of adjectives to describe how the penguin might be feeling.

In Phonics, the children have been revising Phase 5 sounds and tricky words, continuing to build their confidence and fluency.

In Maths, we started a new topic on multiplication and division. The children practised counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, and explored how to recognise and make equal groups. They particularly enjoyed using counters to help them understand these concepts.

In History, we introduced our new topic on famous queens. This week, the children learned about the life of Queen Elizabeth II and showed great interest in her story.

It has been a fantastic first week back, and the children have worked incredibly hard. Well done, Year 1!

Next Week

Maths – The children will be learning to add equal groups, create arrays, make doubles, and form equal groups through grouping and sharing.

English – The children will explore the use of past tense verbs to retell a story. They will also write a letter of advice to the boy in the story and create a set of instructions on how to help someone who is lost.

Art – As part of their new topic, ‘Sculpture and 3D: Paper Play’, the children will explore making tube towers.

History – The children will learn about the life of Queen Victoria.

Science – The children will identify and name common plants during a nature walk around the school.

PSHE – The children will draw and label a picture of their family.

RE – The children will learn about sacred books and why they are special.

Spellings for next Friday’s test:

Group 1: day, play, tray, stay, sea, bead, read, heap

Tricky words: one, two

Group 2: day, play, tray, stay

Tricky word: you

Reminder

Quiz Night Saturday 9th May

Get your thinking caps ready for our PTA Quiz Night on Saturday 9th May 2026! It promises to be a fantastic evening of fun, laughter and a little bit of healthy rivalry. It would be brilliant to see as many of you there as possible—whether you're in it to win it or just in it for the laughs!

Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend.

The Year 1 Team