Start of Term Four

Welcome to Term 4 everybody!

We hope that you had lots of fun with your grown-ups during the half term holiday. 

This term our history focus will be the Victorian era. We will make comparisons between the past and the present and write facts about people from the past.  We will compare and understand the way in which rich and poor Victorian children lived and look at their experiences at school.

In literacy we will be learning to write facts about a different subject each week. We are sure that you will wow us with your newfound skill and that your grown-ups will be really impressed when they see your literacy books during our parent evening meetings! We look forward to another super term!

End of Term Three

Congratulations Year 1, you have achieved so much this term, and we are incredibly proud of your efforts.

You have worked hard to improve your cursive handwriting and we have seen the impact of this in your literacy books. Your writing is beautiful and lots of you have achieved P*.  

You have enjoyed learning about Stick Man in literacy and have wowed us with your very first Big Write.

In maths, your confidence to add and subtract has hugely grown and you are able to confidently talk about your learning, which is a fabulous skill.  You have all been trying to form your numbers correctly, making sure that they are facing the right way each time too!  We have had lots of fun in maths, using a variety of different manipulatives, which has helped to deepen our mathematical understanding.

You have all thoroughly enjoyed learning about bridges and creating your own out of a range of different materials, in DT. 

In science your knowledge about the human body has grown dramatically and you have enjoyed using your senses to taste, smell and hear.

We wish you all a very happy half term holiday with your families. Take care, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all in Term 4.

Start of Term Three

Happy New Year and welcome back to the start of Term 3! We hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas break with your families and are returning to school excited and ready to learn! In Term 3, we will explore a range of Julia Donaldson books, with the Literacy focus being on Stick Man. We will visit Forest School to make our own character, build a family tree and utilise the Year One outside area for lots of engaging linked activities. We will also explore numbers to 50, bridges, the five senses and explore our world further. Homework expectations remain the same, we ask that you read at home at least three times a week, complete your 15 minutes on Numbots and learn the spelling bee words weekly. Thank you for your continued support, roll on a super 2026! :)

End of Term Two

What an incredible term you have all had Year One, congratulations!  We are so impressed with you for using your Minster Muscles throughout the term, and for making such amazing progress in all areas.

Our Nativity was a huge success due to your enthusiasm and efforts, and it was the perfect way to start the Christmas celebrations.  We are so proud of you superstars!

You have particularly enjoyed Christmas Around the World, lots of cooking, learning about the Great Fire of London and of course when Father Christmas visited us!

We wish you and your families a very happy Christmas, have lots of fun together!

Start of Term Two

Welcome back to Term Two!

We hope that you were able to rest and enjoy precious time with your families. 

This term in Literacy we will be busy learning about Guy Fawkes, Remembrance Day, Room on the Broom and another animal in Farm School.

In Maths we will look at greater than and less than, number bonds to 10 and addition.  We will use a range of manipulatives to explore practically, helping us to develop our knowledge and understanding.

The Great Fire of London is our topic this term and together, we will discover lots of interesting facts. Your grown-ups will be so impressed when you go home and teach them what you have learnt! In Science we will be learning about the different Seasons.

Term 2 sees the start of our ‘Spelling Bees’ every Friday, so please take the time to learn these spellings, as part of your homework.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading at home, completing their Numbots homework and to the children who had engaged with ‘The Duke of Minster’.

As Christmas is fast approaching, we will also begin learning songs to sing to our grown-ups and we will begin rehearsing our fantastic Nativity.

We look forward to an exciting term with you all Year One. 

End of Term One

How time has flown this term Year One! Can you believe that you have already completed a whole term in Year One? We have all been blown away with how well you have settled, your motivation to learn and your amazing independence – thank you so much for using your Minster Muscles and for making us so proud!

This term, you have achieved so much, and we are incredibly proud of your efforts and enthusiasm. You all wowed us with your impeccable behaviour on our both of our trips, your enthusiasm towards learning and your super singing of the kindness song! Some highlights of the term include going on a double decker bus and a train, as well as our amazing car show and yummy ice cream treat.

Thank you to you, and your grown-ups for your positivity and ability to adapt to the big changes in the curriculum, you have all taken it in your stride so brilliantly!  Rest well during the holidays as we’ll be just as busy in Term Two and enjoy precious time with your families.

The Year One Team

Start of Term One

Dear families,

A very warm welcome to Year 1!

We are excited to welcome you and your children to Year 1. This year marks an important transition from the Foundation Stage to the National Curriculum, and our experienced team is dedicated to supporting your child’s development, independence, and wellbeing throughout this journey.

In Term 1, we place a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing and personal responsibility to help ease the transition. We encourage a growth mindset and celebrate progress—no matter how small—within the classroom community. A key focus this term will be developing core skills, particularly handwriting, phonics, and reading.

To ensure your child makes expected progress, your support at home is vital. We ask that you listen to your child read at least three times a week and encourage them to use Numbots for 15 minutes across the week (Monday–Friday). Spelling Bee will begin in Term 2 to allow a smooth start to the year.

Please ensure you are connected to MarvellousMe, our main platform for sharing important updates and celebrating your child’s achievements. If you are not yet signed up, please contact the school office for assistance.

We look forward to a fantastic year of learning, growth, and collaboration. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to share your child’s successes, please speak to your class adults—we’re here to help.

Kind regards,

The Year 1 Team

Mrs Pleace & Miss O’Connell – Nightingale Class
Mrs Chirnside & Mrs Jones – Dove Class
Mrs Pearn & Mrs Ashworth – Goldfinch Class
Miss Brett – Supporting across all classes