This week in Year 1, the children have been busy exploring a range of exciting topics across the curriculum. In Science, they have been investigating everyday materials, learning to identify different types and discussing their properties. The children enjoyed thinking about what materials objects are made from and why certain materials are chosen for specific purposes.

In Geography, we have been learning about cities from around the world. The children have focused on identifying human and physical features, developing their understanding of how cities are structured and what makes each one unique. As part of this topic, they have been writing sentences about Cape Town in the style of a non-chronological report. The children have worked hard to include key facts and use clear sentence structure to present their ideas.

In Maths, Year 1 have continued to build their confidence with multiplication and division. They have been learning their 2 and 10 times tables and are beginning to understand how these link to division, particularly dividing by 2. The children have been using practical resources and repeated addition to support their learning, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence grow.

In PSHE, we have been discussing road safety. The children learned about how to stay safe when crossing the road, the importance of looking both ways, and how to be aware of their surroundings when near traffic. This is an important life skill, and the children engaged thoughtfully in our discussions.

In Reception, the children have been exploring directions and maps. They have been learning how to give and follow simple directions, helping to build their early geographical skills. A highlight of the week was using Beebots, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. They had great fun programming the Beebots to move in different directions, developing their problem-solving and teamwork skills along the way.

This week we have been gathering all the information we know about Edinburgh in order to write a non-chronological report. The children enjoyed sharing facts they have learned and talking about some of the famous landmarks, history and interesting features of the city. They have been working hard to organise their ideas and think about how information can be grouped together in a report.

In maths we have been exploring the ideas of equal and unequal groups. The children used practical resources and pictures to help them understand how groups can be the same or different. We also began looking at odd and even numbers, practising recognising them and sorting numbers into the correct groups.

In RE we thought about the disciples' emotions during the Easter story. The children discussed how different people might have felt at different points in the story and talked about why those feelings might have changed. We also worked together to put the events of the Easter story into the correct order.

In Geography we have been learning about human and physical features. The children talked about the differences between things that are made by people, such as buildings and roads, and things that occur naturally in the environment like hills, rivers and forests. They enjoyed spotting examples and discussing which category they belonged to.

We also spent some time making some lovely Mother's Day cards. The children put a lot of care and effort into their work and were very excited to create something special to take home. During circle time we shared some of our favourite things and listened carefully to each other's ideas.

In PSHE we talked about medicines and how to keep ourselves safe. The children learned about the importance of only taking medicine when it is given by a trusted adult and discussed ways to stay safe and healthy.

In PE we took part in ball skills activities. The children practised throwing, catching and controlling the ball while working on coordination and teamwork.

Everyone has also been practising singing Easter songs with Mrs Butlin, and the children have really enjoyed learning the words and actions. In addition, we have been learning to sing the days of the week in Spanish, which the children have found great fun.

Reception's Reading and Drawing Club has been amazing this week. The children have been very engaged with the stories and have produced some fantastic drawings inspired by what they have read.

We topped off a very busy and productive week by enjoying some sunshine during Forest School, where the children had the chance to explore, play and learn outdoors together.

This week we enjoyed celebrating World Book Day. The children wore some fantastic costumes and had lots of fun sharing their favourite stories. We read a variety of books, talked about different characters, and took part in an activity where the children followed instructions to draw characters from the stories.

In Maths this week we have been learning about adding equal groups and exploring how this can be shown using arrays. The children practised making equal groups with objects and drawing arrays to help them understand how numbers can be organised in rows and columns. Reception have been focusing on subtracting 1 from different numbers and practising their subitising skills, where they quickly recognise how many objects there are without needing to count them.

In English we have begun writing our own non-chronological report about Edinburgh. We discussed what a non-chronological report is and looked at examples to identify the key features. The children then worked on writing their opening sentence to introduce the city. Reception have been reading and learning about The Tiger Who Came to Tea, talking about the characters, the events in the story, and sharing their ideas about what they might do if a tiger came to their house for tea.

In PSHE we talked about healthy eating and discussed which foods are good for our bodies and help us stay strong and healthy. The children sorted foods into healthy and less healthy groups and talked about why it is important to have a balanced diet.

We also enjoyed our singing assembly with Mrs Butlin, where the children practised singing a range of songs and worked on using their voices clearly and confidently.

In PE the children took part in a variety of group games that encouraged teamwork, listening, and coordination. They also explored different ways of travelling across the bench, practising their balance and control while moving safely.

In Geography we learnt about different features and important sites that can be found in cities. We discussed examples such as parks, museums, shops, and landmarks, and talked about why these places are important for people who live in or visit a city.

This week we have kicked off our learning adventure by exploring cities. The children have been very enthusiastic, and this has linked beautifully to our Literacy work on non-chronological reports. We have been learning about the key features of this type of writing and gathering facts about Edinburgh to support our report writing.

In Maths, we have started our new topic on multiplication. We began by practising counting in 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s to build a strong foundation.

In RE, we read the Easter story and discussed the events of Holy Week, labelling what happens on each day during Easter.

In Music, we sang a song about the days of the week and learned how to say the days in Spanish. We also enjoyed a fantastic singing assembly!

In Science, we have begun learning about everyday materials, exploring their properties and uses.

In Art, we started an exciting new unit focusing on a different artist called Niki de St Phalle.

Reception did a fantastic job this week in Drawing club, they watched the video for the birds and then wrote some brilliant descriptive sentences.

Well done to everyone for such a positive start to our new learning, we are looking forward to World Book Day next week!

This week has been a busy and exciting one for Year 1. In English, the children completed their own creative versions of Augustus and His Smile. They worked hard to think about character feelings and events in the story, using their imaginations to add their own ideas while developing their writing skills and confidence.

In maths, the children continued learning about tens and ones, using this knowledge to help them with addition and subtraction. They explored numbers in different ways, using practical resources to support their understanding and explain their thinking.

During PSHE, the focus was on overcoming obstacles in learning. The children discussed how learning can sometimes feel tricky and shared ideas about what to do when they find something challenging. They talked about perseverance, asking for help, and not giving up, helping them to build resilience and a positive attitude towards learning.

In science, the children planted seeds and placed them in different areas of the classroom as part of an experiment. They are beginning to understand that plants need certain conditions to grow and are looking forward to observing and recording changes over time.

On Thursday, Year 1 went on an educational visit to Looe. The children enjoyed exploring the local area and identifying both human and physical features, linking their learning to real-life experiences and developing their geographical vocabulary.

Reception have also been learning about plants this week. They completed an experiment by planting a seed in a bag with kitchen roll, allowing them to observe the early stages of plant growth closely. The children were very engaged and excited to see how their plants will change over time.

This week we have had a very exciting and busy time in class!

We were lucky to welcome a visitor from Royal Cornwall, who taught us all about farm to fork. The children were completely fascinated and did an amazing job retaining lots of the information they were told.

In English, we began to innovate the story Augustus and His Smile. The children enjoyed changing the animal, the location, and what Augustus loses, using their creativity and imagination. We also read two other stories by Catherine Rayner, which the children absolutely loved.

In Maths, we have been using tens and ones to help us with addition and subtraction, building confidence in understanding numbers.

During DT, we tasted a variety of fruits and compared their taste, sharing our opinions thoughtfully. In RE, we learned about Jesus and the lepers, focusing on how Jesus might have felt when only one person returned to say thank you.

In PSHE, we played group games and discussed the importance of challenging ourselves to try something new, learning that taking small steps and keeping on trying helps us succeed.

In PE, we continued to explore and practise different gymnastics moves, and in Music we sang using high and low voices, kept a steady beat, and learned a new song.

Finally, Reception really wowed us with their fantastic plant knowledge this week!

Well done to all the children for their enthusiasm and brilliant learning.

This week, we have continued learning about the story of Augustus and His Smile. We have been focusing on using the conjunction 'and', and the children came up with some wonderful descriptive sentences.

In Maths, we have been learning how to add and subtract 10 within 100. In PE, we took part in gymnastics, and in PSHE we learned about working collaboratively. The children worked in pairs and had to colour the same welly together.

In RE, we created our own prayer sandwiches, and in Music we learned how to sing using high and low voices. In Geography, we labelled the features of coasts.

Reception have been working hard on developing their fine motor skills and learning about spring. In Drawing Club, they have been writing some amazing sentences.

This week, we have been learning about Augustus and His Smile. We sequenced the story, role-played the events, created a story map, and wrote sentences about each part of the story using adjectives to describe the characters and settings.

In Maths, we have been learning about addition and subtraction. We practised adding within 10 and across 10, using methods such as part-whole models, number lines, and tens and ones.

In RE, we talked about special places, and in PSHE, we discussed following instructions and learning from mistakes. We even made a jam sandwich!

In PE, we undertook gymnastics, learning basic movements. In Science, we have been learning about plants. In Music, we explored singing in a high pitch and a low pitch and sang a different version of If You're Happy and You Know It.

In Reception, the children completed some independent writing about their holiday, took part in PE, learned about a new artist, and will be completing a painting. They have also been working hard on their letter formation.

We've had a truly fantastic week, filled with excitement and lots of memorable moments. One of the biggest highlights was our trip to see Aladdin at the Hall for Cornwall. The children were absolutely captivated by the performance-their faces lit up with wonder, and it was magical to see how much they enjoyed every moment of the show.

Back at school, we've been incredibly busy preparing for our nativity performance next week. The children have been working hard learning their lines, practicing their roles, and perfecting the songs. Their enthusiasm and effort have been wonderful to watch.

This afternoon, we will visit the church. They are so excited to share their songs with you, and we can't wait for you to see all their hard work come together. It's going to be a special and joyful occasion!

This Week in Reception and Year 1

We've had a wonderfully full and exciting week of learning across both Reception and Year 1, with lots of enthusiasm and brilliant effort from all the children.

In History, Year 1 have been delving into the story of the Gunpowder Plot. We spent time discussing what went wrong for Guy Fawkes and his fellow plotters, and the children really enjoyed exploring the events through both primary and secondary sources. They are beginning to understand how we know about things that happened long ago, and why different types of sources can give us different information.

In Maths, Year 1 successfully completed their unit on place value to 100. We revisited counting forwards and backwards, comparing numbers, and partitioning tens and ones. The children showed great progress and confidence. Next week, we will be moving on to an exciting new unit all about shape, where the children will explore 2D and 3D shapes, talk about their properties, and begin to sort and classify them.

Year 1 have also been working incredibly hard on their assessments this week. We are very proud of the effort, resilience, and concentration they have shown. They should all feel very proud of themselves.

In Science, the focus has been on the life cycle of a butterfly. The children learned about the four stages-egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly-and were fascinated to discover how dramatically a butterfly changes as it grows. We looked at pictures, discussed each stage, and had some lovely conversations about other animals that also change as they grow.

In English, both the children and teachers had a real treat as we began exploring performance poetry. The class watched Michael Rosen's famous poem Chocolate Cake, and they were completely mesmerised by his expression, gestures, and humour. This led to lots of laughter and brilliant discussions about how poets use their voices and actions to bring their words to life. We will continue exploring performance poetry next week as the children start to have a go at performing lines themselves.

Meanwhile, both Reception and Year 1 have been deeply involved in their nativity practice. Songs are being sung with growing confidence, lines are being learned, and the children are really starting to bring the story to life. Their hard work and enthusiasm are shining through, and it is already looking absolutely fantastic. We can't wait to share it with you!

We finished the week off dressed as elves, what a week!!