Firs Primary School
Year 1 Palms and Sycamores
Welcome to Our Page!
Our teachers are:
Spectacular Sycamores
Miss Hodges and Miss Rogers
Positive Palms
Miss O’Sullivan and Miss Torrance
Our Classrooms
Look at our classrooms!
A classroom is a special room in a school where children go to learn together. It is a safe and welcoming space with tables or desks, chairs, and a teacher at the front to help guide learning.
In a classroom, children take part in different activities such as reading, writing, maths, and creative work. There will be displays on the walls to show children’s work, learning posters, and helpful information. Classrooms often have areas for different types of learning, such as a reading corner, a carpet area for group time, and spaces for practical activities.
Children are expected to follow rules, be kind to each other, and listen carefully so that everyone can learn. The classroom is a place where children can ask questions, share ideas, and develop new skills every day.
Spectacular Sycamores
Positive Palms
Class Dojo Masters
Class Dojo Masters are children who help to promote positive behaviour in the classroom. They set a good example, encourage their peers, and support the use of Class Dojo by celebrating achievements and kindness. This role helps children build confidence and responsibility while contributing to a positive learning environment.
Positive Palms
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Ethan |
Elijah |
Spectacular Sycamores
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Aderinsola |
Ikenna |
Eco-Council members
Eco-Council Members take an active role in caring for the environment within the school. They encourage others to recycle, reduce waste, and look after the school grounds. They may also take part in projects to make the school more environmentally friendly and help spread important messages about protecting our planet.
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Freya - Palms |
Remai - Sycamores |
School Council members
School Councillors represent the voices of their classmates. They share ideas, listen to others, and take part in meetings to help improve the school. This role supports children in developing communication skills, teamwork, and an understanding of how they can make a positive difference in their school community.
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Nemiah - Palms |
Victory - Sycamores |
Our Topics This Year
Autumn 1 and 2
Muck, Mess and Mixtures
This term, our topic Muck, Mess and Mixtures will take us on an exciting journey of exploration, investigation and discovery. We will learn about the life of Florence Nightingale, finding out about hospitals in the past and how she helped to improve cleanliness, hygiene and the care of patients. We will explore our five senses by using sight, sound, smell, taste and touch to investigate and describe the world around us. We will also develop our skills as artists through observational drawing, looking closely at objects and materials and recording what we notice using lines, shapes, patterns, colours and details. Throughout the topic, we will get hands-on with a range of muck, mess and mixtures, exploring different materials, making predictions, investigating what happens when things are mixed together and using our senses to describe the changes we observe. Through these experiences, we will develop our curiosity, creativity, observation and scientific thinking.
We are looking at a range of Julia Donaldson Books this half-term to support our Oracy English unit.
Memorable Experience
Our memorable experience this term will be trying a range of new foods in preparation to make our own pizzas in Design and Technology.
Spring 1
Street Detectives
In our Street Detectives topic, children will become detectives as they explore and investigate their local area. They will develop their understanding of where they live by exploring maps, identifying key landmarks and learning how to use simple maps and symbols to navigate their surroundings. Children will investigate how their local area changes through the seasons, observing changes in weather, plants, trees and the environment. They will also explore pollution, identifying different types of pollution and considering how it can affect people, animals and the environment. Through PSHE, children will learn how to keep themselves safe in their local community, including road safety, recognising safe and unsafe situations, and knowing who can help them. Throughout the topic, children will develop their observation, questioning and investigation skills as they become confident Street Detectives.
Spring 2
Near and Far
In our Near and Far topic, children will explore and compare the contrasting environments of Kenya and Derby, identifying similarities and differences in climate, landscapes, homes, schools, culture and daily life. In Art and Design, children will explore tie-dyeing, experimenting with colour, pattern and different folding techniques. In Design and Technology, they will investigate wheels and axles, exploring how they work and designing and making their own moving vehicles. In Science, children will learn about animals, including humans, exploring animal groups, habitats, diets, life cycles and the basic needs of humans and other animals. In PE, children will develop their skills in striking and fielding games, practising throwing, catching, striking, teamwork and applying these skills in simple games. Throughout the topic, children will develop their curiosity about the wider world while recognising similarities and celebrating differences between communities.
Summer 1
Enchanted Woodland
In our Enchanted Woodland topic, children will explore the wonders of woodland environments and develop their understanding of the natural world. In Science, they will investigate plants, identifying different plants and exploring what they need to grow and stay healthy. They will observe seasonal changes, noticing how trees, plants, weather and wildlife change throughout the year. Children will explore patterns in nature, looking closely at shapes, colours, textures and repeated patterns found in leaves, flowers, trees and other natural materials. In Computing and Design Technology, children will learn about moving robots, exploring how robots move and following simple instructions to make them travel in different directions. Throughout the topic, children will develop their observation, problem-solving and questioning skills as they become woodland explorers.
Summer 2
Land Ahoy!
In our Land Ahoy! topic, children will set sail on an exciting journey around the world as they explore the seven continents and five oceans, using maps and globes to locate different parts of our planet. In History, they will learn about Christopher Columbus and his voyages, exploring why he travelled and the impact of his journeys. In Design and Technology, children will investigate sliders and levers, exploring how they work before designing and creating their own moving pictures. In Computing, children will develop their understanding of algorithms, learning to create, follow and debug simple sets of instructions. Throughout the topic, children will develop their geographical knowledge, historical understanding, creativity and problem-solving skills as they become explorers of the world.
See below for any important information you need to know:
Key Dates
Autumn 1
8th September: Meet the Teachers
4th/5th Nov (TBC) Parents afternoon
TBC Parental engagement
26th Oct - 30th Oct: HALF TERM
Autumn 2
TBC: Parental engagement
27th November: INSET DAY – School closed for children
21st Dec - 1st Jan: HALF TERM
Spring 1
TBC: Parental engagement
TBC: Phonics screening Parent Meeting
15th February – 19th February: HALF TERM
Spring 2
22nd February INSET DAY – School closed for children
26th March: BANK HOLIDAY - School closed for children
29th March - 9th April: HALF TERM
Summer 1
3rd May: BANK HOLIDAY - School closed for children
31st May - 4th June : HALF TERM
Summer 2
W/C 5th June – Phonics screening check
23rd July - Last day of term
26th July: INSET DAY - School closed for children
Home Learning
Weekly Home Learning:
Throughout each half-term, we will be sending home one piece of homework a week, either linked to our English or maths learning, and you will also have the option to complete some of the topic-based activities as you can find in each tab of the half-term.
Topic Home Learning
As well as the weekly home learning, your child will also be given Topic homework. The children have to complete at least 4 activities each half-term. At the end of each half-term, we will celebrate the children’s work with a certificate and special prize.
P.E.
PE:
For Spectacular Sycamores, PE will be on a Monday.
For Positive Palms, PE will be on a Wednesday.
What to wear:
We ask the children to wear a PE kit each week. They are required to wear black shorts or tracksuit bottoms, a white PE top and black trainers. During the cooler months, the children can also bring a hoodie to wear, only for PE.
Extra Links
Collins Hub
This year we have a new phonics scheme, so we are using eBooks using the ColinsHub website - Click the heading above.
Your child will receive a log on from their teacher. Once they have logged on, you will be able to read a selection of books suitable for their reading level. These will be updated weekly with the book your child has been reading in school that week.