Autumn 1
Learning Overview
Key Information
P.E. Days
Class 1 has P.E. every Tuesday and Wednesday. Children should come to school wearing their correct P.E. kit on these days. Please ensure that all clothing and belongings are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Labelling Clothes
Thank you to all parents for your continued support in labelling your child’s clothing and belongings. This helps us to quickly identify items, prevents clothing from being misplaced or mistaken for another child’s, and saves valuable learning time.
Reading Books
From Thursday 17th September, reading books will be sent home with children and will be changed every Thursday thereafter. Children will keep the same book for the week to give them opportunities to reread familiar texts and develop their confidence, fluency and understanding.
Reading regularly at home is an important part of your child’s learning journey. We encourage families to:
Make time to read together regularly.
Reread books to help build confidence and fluency.
Ask questions about the story, characters and events to develop comprehension.
Talk about pictures, new words and what might happen next.
Share a range of stories and books to foster a love of reading.
Approach reading positively and with excitement, making it an enjoyable experience for your child.
English
In English, we will be exploring Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson. Through this exciting story, the children will discover that superpowers don’t always mean flying or being super strong – kindness, helpfulness and generosity can be superpowers too!
The children will develop their speaking, reading and writing skills through a range of fun activities, including creating superhero names and badges, writing advice, making wanted posters, retelling parts of the story and creating party invitations.
At the end of the unit, the children will use everything they have learned to create their own superhero story, with themselves as the superhero!
Alongside our writing, we will continue developing our phonics, sentence writing and Kinetic Letters handwriting skills.
In English, we will be exploring I Am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon. Through this lovely story, the children will think about what makes them unique and special, while exploring their own thoughts, feelings and ideas.
The children will take part in discussions, mindfulness activities and a range of reading and writing opportunities. They will build their vocabulary, practise forming and writing sentences, and eventually create their own ‘How to Think’ guide to help one of the characters manage their thoughts.
This unit will encourage the children to develop their confidence, creativity and independence as writers, while celebrating what makes each of us different.
Phonics
During Autumn 1, children will begin learning Phase 2 phonics. At our school, we follow the Red Rose Letters and Sounds programme, which provides a clear and structured progression for the teaching of phonics.
Children will be introduced to 23 letter sounds, including s, a, t, p, i, n, as well as sounds represented by two letters, such as ll, ss and ff.
Children will learn to recognise and say these sounds and use them to blend simple words for reading. They will also begin to segment words into sounds to support their early spelling and writing.
Handwriting
During Autumn 1, children will begin developing their early handwriting skills through the Kinetic Letters programme. This provides a structured and progressive approach to developing letter formation, pencil control and fluent handwriting.
Children will develop the physical foundations needed for writing, including core strength, posture and fine motor control, alongside learning how to hold and control a pencil effectively.
They will be introduced to correct letter formation through movement and will begin learning letters in families based on similar formation patterns. Children will practise forming letters accurately, with increasing control and consistency.
These early skills provide the foundations for children to develop clear, legible and increasingly automatic handwriting, allowing them to focus more effectively on the content of their writing.
Maths
During Autumn 1, children will develop their early mathematical understanding through the White Rose Maths programme.
Children will begin with Match, Sort and Compare, where they will identify similarities and differences, match objects and sort them according to different criteria.
Through Talk About Measure and Patterns, children will explore and compare size, mass and capacity, as well as recognising, continuing and creating simple patterns.
In It’s Me 1, 2, 3, children will develop a secure understanding of the numbers 1, 2 and 3. They will learn to recognise different representations, count accurately, compare quantities and explore how these numbers can be composed.
Throughout our maths learning, children will be encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary, explain their thinking and apply their knowledge in different contexts.
RE
During Autumn 1, children will explore the key questions ‘Why are we all different and special?’ and ‘Why do people of faith say thank you to God at Harvest time?’
Children will think about what makes each person unique and special, recognising similarities and differences between themselves and others. They will begin to understand that Christians believe God created and cares for everyone and will explore how this belief influences the way Christians value and care for others.
As we learn about Harvest, children will explore why Christians give thanks to God for the food and resources they have. They will learn about some of the ways Christians celebrate Harvest and consider the importance of thankfulness, giving and sharing with others.
Science
Awesome Autumn
During Autumn 1, children will explore the seasonal changes that take place during autumn. They will observe the natural environment and identify changes such as leaves changing colour and falling from trees, changes in weather and temperature, and shorter daylight hours.
Children will explore a range of autumnal plants, trees and natural materials, developing their ability to notice similarities, differences and changes in the world around them. They will also consider how seasonal changes can affect animals and their habitats.
Through observations, practical activities and discussion, children will develop their scientific vocabulary and begin to use their observations to describe, compare, sort and ask questions about the natural world.
History/ Geography
During Autumn 1, children will explore ‘All About Me and My World’, developing their understanding of themselves, their families, their school and the community around them.
In History, children will explore their own personal history and begin to develop an understanding of past and present. They will talk about important events in their lives, consider how they have changed since they were babies and explore similarities and differences between their own experiences and those of others.
In Geography, children will explore their school and local environment, identifying familiar places and features within their community. They will begin to develop early geographical skills through observations, photographs, simple maps and fieldwork, using positional and geographical vocabulary to describe the world around them.
Throughout the topic, children will develop their understanding of where they belong, how places are connected to them and how people and places can change over time.
Physical
During Autumn 1, children will complete Introduction to PE and Fundamentals, developing the basic movement skills needed to take part confidently and safely in physical activity.
Children will learn to move safely within a space, follow instructions and rules, share equipment and work alongside others. They will develop fundamental movement skills including running, jumping, balancing, changing direction and stopping with control.
Children will also develop their coordination, balance and spatial awareness through a range of individual, partner and group activities.
Throughout the half term, the focus will be on developing movement competence, confidence, cooperation and an understanding of how to participate safely in PE.
P.S.E.D
During Autumn 1, children will focus on ‘My Wellbeing’, developing their understanding of their own emotions and how these can affect their behaviour and actions.
Children will learn to recognise, name and talk about different feelings, as well as beginning to identify situations that may cause them to feel certain emotions. They will explore simple strategies for managing their feelings and regulating their behaviour, including asking for help, taking time to calm down and expressing their needs appropriately.
Children will also develop an understanding of the importance of looking after their physical and emotional wellbeing, considering how healthy routines, relationships and positive choices can help us to feel well.
Expressive
During Autumn 1, children will focus on ‘Exploring Sound’, developing their awareness of the different sounds they can hear, create and perform.
Children will explore how sounds can be made using their voices, bodies, everyday objects and musical instruments. They will investigate how sounds can be changed, comparing sounds that are loud, quiet, fast and slow, and begin to recognise simple rhythms and patterns.
Children will have opportunities to listen and respond to music, copy and create simple rhythms, sing familiar songs and use instruments with increasing control.
Creative
During Autumn 1, children will explore structures through junk modelling. They will investigate a range of recycled and everyday materials and learn how these can be combined to create different structures and models.
Children will develop practical skills such as cutting, folding, joining and attaching materials, exploring different ways to make their structures stable and secure. They will be encouraged to select their own resources and consider which materials and joining techniques are most suitable for what they want to make.