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.

My name is Miss Phillips and I am the Year 1 Class Teacher.  I work alongside Mrs Barry, our Teaching Assistant, who supports children both in class and in small group interventions. 

I have worked at Our Lady's School for the past 13 years and love my job here!  I have many roles in school.  I am part of the Senior Leadership Team and am the Key Stage 1 and Phonics lead. I look after PSHE, PE and Diversity in school.  I am also the Mental Health Lead and a Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

I have taught in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4 and have really enjoyed supporting children through all of the different stages of their journey through Primary School. Reading is a passion of mine and I love to be transported to faraway places with a good book.  I also enjoy running and you can often find me leading the Cross Country during the cold winter months.  

School day:

Start time: 8:55

Finish Time: 3:25

Weekly Routines

P.E

We have P.E every Monday and Wednesday. 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. Please could you ensure that all uniform and PE kit is clearly labelled with your child's name.

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 Tuesdays and Fridays. Please aim to read with your child every day as it will have a positive impact on their 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 at the appropriate Phase. They also learn how to read tricky words.  Alongside this, the children take part in daily Guided Reading sessions which helps to develop their fluency and comprehension skills. 

Homework

Homework will be set on Friday each week which may include English and Maths tasks. They will also receive 10 spellings per week to learn at home. Children also have access to online learning platforms, such as White Rose One Minute Maths which will support them with their learning.

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!