Year 1 is an exciting stage in a child’s learning journey, where pupils build on the strong foundations established in Reception and begin to engage more fully with the National Curriculum.
We continue to nurture curiosity, independence and a love of learning, while supporting children to develop the confidence and stamina needed for more structured learning.
Learning remains engaging, practical and purposeful, with children gradually increasing their independence, focus and responsibility as learners.
Meet the team
- Ahlberg Class Teacher: Miss Callagher
- Murphy Class Teacher: Miss Ahmed
Our team works closely together to ensure every child feels supported, challenged and successful throughout the year.
What we learn
Year 1 is a key transition year as children move from the Early Years Foundation Stage into the National Curriculum. Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure continuity, progression and high expectations for all pupils.
Across the year, children develop their knowledge, skills and understanding through a broad and balanced curriculum with a strong emphasis on:
- Developing fluency and confidence in reading through daily phonics
- Building secure foundations in writing through engaging texts and purposeful writing opportunities
- Strengthening number sense and mathematical reasoning
- Exploring scientific ideas through practical investigation
- Developing historical and geographical understanding through enquiry-based learning
- Expressing creativity through art, music and design technology
- Developing confidence, resilience and respectful relationships through PSHE
Learning in each subject is carefully sequenced and often organised around key questions that encourage pupils to think deeply, make connections and apply their knowledge.
Children’s learning is enriched through high-quality texts, practical experiences and educational visits that bring the curriculum to life.
Reading and Phonics
Reading is central to learning in Year 1 and underpins success across the wider curriculum.
Children take part in daily Read Write Inc. phonics sessions, where they continue to develop fluency, accuracy and confidence as readers and writers. Through systematic teaching, children learn to recognise sounds, blend them to read words and segment words for spelling.
Alongside phonics, children are immersed in high-quality texts, daily reading opportunities and structured discussions that develop comprehension, vocabulary and a genuine enjoyment of reading.
We aim for every child to become a confident and fluent reader who reads both for learning and for pleasure.
Read Write Inc.
We use the Read Write Inc. programme to teach early reading and phonics. Children are taught in groups matched to their phonics stage and are regularly assessed to ensure they receive appropriate support and challenge.
This structured approach ensures strong progress in reading and writing for all pupils.
Phonics screening check
At the end of Year 1, children take part in the national Phonics Screening Check.
This short assessment allows us to measure how securely children can apply their phonics knowledge to read both real and pseudo words. We work closely with families throughout the year to ensure children feel confident, well prepared and supported.
Home learning
Children are encouraged to develop positive learning habits at home and take pride in their learning.
Year 1 pupils have access to:
- Oxford Owl
- Mathletics
- EdShed
- Code.org
Login details are provided in reading records.
Reading challenge
Children are encouraged to take part in our reading challenge, selecting books from a carefully curated year group collection. Regular reading is celebrated each term, helping to build motivation, confidence and a strong reading culture.
Trips and enrichment
Learning is strengthened through a range of visits, visitors and real-world experiences that bring the curriculum to life.
Year 1 experiences may include:
- The Paddington Experience
- East London Mosque
- River Thames and London landmarks boat trip
- London Eye
- Florence Nightingale Museum
- London Transport Museum
- Southend seaside visit
These experiences are carefully chosen to support curriculum learning, broaden horizons and build cultural capital.
A typical week
Each week, children experience a broad and balanced curriculum including:
- English
- Mathematics
- Phonics
- Science
- History and Geography
- Art and Design Technology
- Computing
- Religious Education
- Music
- Physical Education
- Personal Development (PSHE)
Learning is enriched through assemblies, enrichment opportunities, visits and whole-school experiences.
Supporting learning at home
We believe children make the strongest progress when home and school work in partnership.
Families are encouraged to:
- Read daily with their child
- Support phonics practice
- Encourage independence and responsibility
- Engage with online learning platforms
- Talk about learning and celebrate success
- Support good attendance and punctuality
Together, we help children develop confidence, resilience and a positive attitude towards learning.
