Skip to content ↓

Year 1

Welcome to Year 1

Miss James - Jasmine Class: hjames@gordon.greenwich.sch.uk

Miss Kemp - Kalmia Class: ekemp@gordon.greenwich.sch.uk

Learning at Gordon Primary School is broad with a wide range of engaging experiences that reinforce key concepts in every subject. It is balanced so that children receive a full and rich curriculum containing all subjects, and implemented well so that children remember in the long term the information and skills they have been taught. We place priority on the children’s personal, social and emotional development because we know this is key to a successful school career and life in general. Our curriculum is designed to engage and meet the needs of all children and enables them to achieve success in all subjects. 

Spring Term 2025 Learning

This term we will be working on the following topics:

English         

Our focus texts will be Everywhere Bear and Snail and the Whale. Through these texts we will draft and write by composing and rehearsing sentences orally and sequence sentences to form short narratives, developing our independence.  In narrative, we will create settings, characters and plot. We will write for different purposes, including about fictional personal experiences and fictional narratives. We will also re-read the writing to check if it makes sense.

When reading, we will begin to increase our familiarity with a range of books, explain and discuss understanding and discuss the sequence of events in them. We will answer and ask questions about what has been read.

In phonics sessions we will be introducing new Phase 5 graphemes and tricky words for reading and spelling.

Maths           

We will continue to use the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics to support our mathematical learning. We will start by recapping numbers up to 0-5 focusing on comparing numbers, representing them in different ways and finding one more and one less. Then we will be moving to recognise, compose and manipulate 2D and 3D shapes, before exploring numbers 0-10.

Later in the term we will learn about additive structures before moving on to looking at different ways of adding and subtracting numbers within 20 including adding by counting on, by making 10 and by adding ones. We will subtract by counting back, by subtracting ones and by subtracting from 10.

Science        

Our Science topic this term will be Everyday Materials. We will identify and name common materials and clarify the difference between an object and the material it is made from. We will look at the properties of liquids and compare the different types. We will then describe the properties of solids and compare the differences between solids and liquids. We will also group materials by their physical properties, using a Venn diagram. We will conduct an experiment to test materials and their properties.

History         

How have toys changed? – We will think about what our favourite toys are and about the toys that our parents and grandparents played with. We will investigate what toys were like up to 100 years ago and compare them to modern toys. We will then discover how toys and teddy bears have changed over time.

Art & Design                 

Exploring three of the formal elements of art: shape, line and colour, we will mix and paint with secondary colours; use circles to create abstract compositions and work collaboratively to create a class piece of art inspired by water.

Music            

In Music this term, Year 1 will be looking at the Recycled Orchestras of Paraguay and Sound maps. We will focus on structure and texture, creating class compositions, using recycled items as instruments and percussion instruments as well as music technology.

Computing  

  • Data and information – grouping data – We will look at labelling and grouping objects by their properties. We will then explore how to group data.  
  • Digital writing – We will explore the keyboard and learn how to add and remove text. We will also explore the toolbar and look at how to make changes to text.

Design Technology (DT)                 

We will be designing and constructing a windmill that would appeal to a mouse. We will make stable structures that will support a functioning turbine and axel and evaluate our windmill saying what is good about it and what could be better.

Physical Education (PE)                   

Sending and receiving - We will develop our sending and receiving skills, including throwing and catching, rolling, kicking, tracking and stopping a ball. We will apply our skills individually, in pairs and in small groups and begin to organise and self-manage our own activities.

Ball skills – We will explore our fundamental ball skills such as throwing and catching, rolling, hitting a target, dribbling with both hands and feet and kicking a ball. We will work independently, in pairs and small groups.

Religious Education (RE)       

We will be learning about ‘What do some people believe God looks like?’. Where we will be exploring how other people understand God on Earth; considering different representations of God and understanding why this is challenging. Then we will learn about ‘What is God’s job?’ where we will be investigating the role of God through stories and sacred texts. The children will look at the things God does and what this means to different people.

Personal, Social, Health & Economic / Relationships & Sex Education (PSHE/RSE)  

Belonging to a community – We will explore examples of rules in different situations. We will look at how we care for people, animals and other living things and how we can look after the environment.

Media literacy and digital resilience – We will discover how and why people use the internet and the benefits of using the internet and digital devices. We will explore how people find things out and communicate safely with others online.

Money and work – We will learn that everyone has different strengths, in and out of school. We will explore how different strengths and interests are needed to do different jobs and about people whose job it is to help us in the community.

General Information 

Reminders:

  • Your child should read (or be read to) for 10 minutes every day. It is also important that an adult reads to your child every day. Please talk to your child about the book and check their understanding by asking questions about events and the characters’ actions. Please also explain new or unfamiliar vocabulary. Their bookbag should come into school every day. 
  • Your child will have PE on a Monday and a Tuesday and should come to school wearing their kit.
  • Your child needs to bring in a water bottle every day.
  • Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named.
  • The weather is often cold at this time of year and the children will go out to play if there is light rain. It is important that your child has a waterproof coat, gloves, hat and a scarf.
  • We are a 'Healthy School'. Please do not put sweets or chocolate bars in your child’s packed lunch. Please do not send in sweets or other treats when it is your child’s birthday. If you want to celebrate your child’s birthday with their classmates, you could buy the class a book, send in a healthy snack such as boxes of raisins or buy stationery such as a pencil, but due to the impact on the environment, we ask you not to send in plastic toys.
  • If your child is absent from school, please contact the school office: 020 8850 5486 and leave a message detailing why your child is absent. If your child has had an upset stomach, they should return well they are well.
  • Please try to book medical appointments outside the school day and note that family holidays will not be authorised.
  • Weekly information is posted on Google Classrooms on a Friday, but please check regularly for updates.
  • If you have any questions or wish to raise a concern, please contact the class teacher in the first instance. Please use the email addresses above. 

Diary Dates

Tuesday 7th January - Maths Workshop for Parents & Carers

Tuesday 28th January - 'Everyone Belongs' Evening 5pm to 6:30pm 

Wednesday 5th February - Year 1 visit to Sea Life Centre

Friday 7th February - NSPCC Number Day

17th to 21st February - Half-term break

Thursday 6th March - World Book Day 

6th to 11th March - Book Fair 

Tuesday 11th March - Road Safety workshop

Monday 31st March - Open Evening 3:30pm-7:00pm

Wednesday 2nd April - Open Evening 3:30pm-6:00pm

Monday 7th to 21st April - Easter break

Tuesday 22nd April - Summer Term begins