In Year 1, children begin to build the essential knowledge and skills that form the foundation for future learning across the curriculum. Through carefully planned lessons and practical experiences, children develop confidence in speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics whilst also broadening their understanding of the world around them.

A strong focus is placed on developing vocabulary so that children can confidently explain their thinking, discuss their learning and make links across different subjects and experiences.

Throughout the year, children will explore a wide range of exciting themes including traditional tales, animals, plants, significant individuals, continents and oceans, hot and cold places, materials, minibeasts and seasonal changes. They will also develop their creativity through art, music, design technology and practical learning opportunities.

Talking to your child regularly about what they are learning can make a huge difference. Asking children about new vocabulary, key themes, books they are reading or facts they have learnt helps strengthen memory, build confidence and deepen understanding. Even short conversations at home can have a powerful impact on children’s language development and learning across the curriculum.

In Year 1, children continue to develop the key skills that support all areas of learning. We aim to build confident readers, enthusiastic writers and resilient mathematicians through engaging lessons, practical experiences and lots of encouragement along the way.

We know that children make the strongest progress when school and home work together, and the support children receive at home really does make a huge difference to their confidence and success in the classroom.

Reading & Phonics

Reading is a priority at Phoenix and is at the heart of learning across the curriculum. In Year 1, children continue to build their phonics knowledge, reading fluency, comprehension and confidence through daily reading opportunities and structured phonics teaching.

At Phoenix, we follow the Read Write Inc. programme to teach phonics and early reading skills. Through this approach, children learn to recognise sounds quickly, blend words fluently and develop a genuine love of reading.

Children should:

• Read at home at least 3–4 times each week
• Bring reading books and reading records to school every day
• Practise phonics sounds and Common Exception Words regularly

During Year 1, children will also complete the national Phonics Screening Check. This is a short assessment that helps measure children’s phonics knowledge and their ability to apply sounds when reading unfamiliar words. Throughout the year, we work closely with families to help children feel happy, confident and well prepared.

Even short reading sessions at home can have a huge impact. Listening to your child read, revisiting sounds, discussing stories and celebrating progress all help children to grow in confidence and develop a lifelong love of books.

Useful websites to support reading and phonics at home:

• Oxford Owl
• Read Write Inc. Parent Support

Writing

In Year 1, children begin to apply their phonics knowledge to their writing, learning to write simple sentences with increasing independence, accuracy and creativity.

Children are encouraged to:

• Use capital letters, finger spaces and full stops correctly
• Form letters accurately using clear handwriting
• Orally rehearse sentences before writing
• Build vocabulary through reading and discussion

We love celebrating children’s ideas, imagination and growing confidence as writers.

Maths

In maths, children develop strong foundations in number fluency, reasoning and problem-solving through practical, engaging and hands-on learning experiences.

At Phoenix, we follow the White Rose Maths approach, supporting children to build confidence and deepen their understanding step by step. Children use practical resources, pictures and mathematical discussion to help them explain their thinking and make connections in their learning.

Throughout Year 1, children develop confidence with:

• Counting and place value
• Addition and subtraction
• Shape, measure and time
• Mathematical vocabulary and reasoning
• Number fluency and problem-solving skills

We encourage children to talk about maths in everyday situations at home too. Counting objects, spotting numbers in the environment, measuring ingredients, discussing time or practising number facts can all help children build confidence and develop a positive attitude towards maths.

At Phoenix, we believe learning goes beyond the classroom. In Year 1, children are given opportunities to develop confidence, independence, resilience and curiosity through a wide range of enriching experiences both in and beyond school.

Throughout the year, children will have opportunities to:

• Take part in educational visits and welcome visitors into school
• Develop confidence through oracy, storytelling and discussion
• Learn through play, exploration and practical experiences
• Explore the Phoenix values through assemblies, class learning and everyday interactions
• Build friendships, resilience and independence as they grow within Key Stage 1

Children also take part in:

• PE lessons and physical development opportunities
• Music and creative arts activities
• Thrive sessions and wellbeing support
• OPAL play opportunities
• Special themed weeks, celebrations and enrichment days

As part of our wider curriculum experiences, Year 1 hope to enjoy a range of exciting visits and activities linked to their learning throughout the year, including:

• Visits to World Museum to explore animals, continents and significant individuals such as Neil Armstrong
• Visits to Storybarn to promote a love of reading and storytelling
• Visits to Kensington Library to develop reading for pleasure and library skills
• Outdoor learning experiences through gardening projects and allotment activities
• Farm visits, including opportunities to learn about animals and caring for living things at Croxteth Hall and Country Park

These experiences help bring learning to life, broaden children’s experiences and create lasting memories alongside the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom.