Welcome to the Year 1 Class Page.

Welcome to the Year 1 Class Page. This page will give you the core information for the year.

Hello and welcome to Year 1.

My name is Miss Hodgkins and I work in Year 1 alongside Mrs Foster, I take care of Year 1 at the start of the week on Monday's and Tuesday's and Mrs Foster teaches Year 1 at the end of the week.

I have experience of working in a number of different years in primary school, incuding Year 2, Year 3 and Early Years and also worked in the inclusion department in a high school.

Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family, going on adventures with my boys and I also enjoy travelling and exploring new and exciting places.

In Year 1, I believe lessons should be engaging and exciting in an environment where children enjoy their learning, a place where children thrive and become independent learners, preparing them for their journey throughout primary school.

Hello, my name is Mrs Foster. I teach in Year 1 on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Mrs Fretwell, Mrs Barry and Mrs Nicklin are our Teaching Assistants.

I have worked at Our Lady's for 10 years. I have taught in Year 3 as a class teacher and Key Stage 2 as a PPA teacher. I am a member of the Senior Leadership Team with my main responsibility being the RE leader across the school. I focus on the Religion Curriculum throughout the school and the Sacramental Programme. Providing the children time to develop their spiritual understanding of God, the Bible and the World, is something I feel passionate about.

I am a mum to two young boys and we love to get out and about walking and finding muddy puddles to splash in or getting out the Lego and letting our imaginations run wild. I love reading and this is something I encourage both my own children and the children I teach to do. 

School day:

Start time: 8:55

Finish Time: 3:25

Weekly Routines

P.E

We have P.E every Tuesday and Thursday. We have access to both the hall and the MUGA for our P.E sessions meaning we can carry on teaching P.E regardless of the weather. Children should come to school dressed in their P.E kit for both days. It is recommended that during the winter months, children wear jogging bottoms and bring a school jumper/fleece to wear in addition.

Water Bottles

Children need to bring a labelled water bottle into school every day. The children will bring them home at the end of each day to be washed and filled, with water, ready for the next day.

Reading Books

Reading Books should be brought into school everyday. They will be checked/changed on Tuesday's and Friday’s. Please aim to read with your child every day as it will have a positive impact on your child’s progress. Reading records must be signed and dated in order for us to change books. Please note, any books not signed, will not be changed. A record of all books issued, including when changed, is kept to help us monitor reading progression.

Phonics

We follow the Floppy's Phonics scheme. The children are assessed regularly and they learn new sounds throughout the week. 

Homework

In Year One the main homework issued is reading books. 

How to help with maths and reading:

Reading

Have fun with reading.  Let your child choose what they read and enjoy it together.  Short or long, it’s time well spent.

Don’t worry about what your children are reading: recipes, cereal packets … it’s all useful!  Keep books and other reading materials close by.

Reading to children of all ages is helpful.  Ask lots of questions: who, what, where, when and why and ask them to summarise when you’ve finished.

When you see your child reading, praise them:  “I love to see you reading!”

For more tips on helping your child read, click here.

Mathematics

Maths can be a part of your everyday activities through games, stories and conversation!  You don’t need to have a separate maths lesson or activity.  Why not count plates as you lay the table or do a fun addition quiz?

Board games like Snakes and Ladders or other games with numbered spaces can be great for Maths learning.  You can even make your own!

Meals and snack times can be great to teach lots of concepts, like sharing, talking about time, counting how many carrots you have, estimating the number of beans or comparing sizes of potatoes.

Use maths words in conversation and play, talking about size (“Which is bigger?”), order (“Which is first?”), shapes and more.

Stories can be great opportunities for maths learning.  Check out mathsthroughstories or you can use books you have at home!

Use manipulatives like bricks or toys of different sizes or amounts to support learning.  Measuring, building, puzzles, sorting and patterns can be great!

When you see you child practising maths in everyday tasks, praise them!