Welcome to Class One!
Welcome to our Class One page.
I hope that the information included on this page is helpful and that you are able to find out everything you need to know about what happens in Class One.
In Class One we have a mix of Reception and Year 1 children. We are a happy and friendly class who have fun and are always ready to learn new things. We take pride in our work and always strive to achieve great things. Children are encourged and supported to be independent and build resilience through a well planned provision. Our experienced and creative team work with the interests of the children to provide activities and resources that support the learning alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and Key Stage 1 year 1 curriculum.
Take a look around our class page so that you can find out more about what we get up to, and access some helpful resources to support any home learning.
Here is a picture of 'us guys, and you, Mrs Bloxham' by Reuben, aged 5.
Mrs Bloxham
Class Teacher
Who is in Class One?
Mrs Bloxham is our teacher
Mrs Garside also teaches in class 1 on a Tuesday afternoon. Mr Purcell teaches music on a Wednesday afternoon.
We are supported by Mrs O'Dwyer, Mrs Hinchliffe, Mrs Davies, Mrs Clayton, Miss Dickinson and Mrs Wood.
Thursday PE is taught by Jake, a specialist coach from 5-Sport.
What do we do?
Every morning the children are taught the core subjects; Mathematics, Read Write Inc Phonics and Literacy. Science is taught on a Thursday afternoon. The Foundation Subjects, which covers History, Geography, Art and DT, P.E., Computing, Music, PSHE and RE are taught in the afternoons.
To ensure a smooth transition from Reception to Year 1, all Class 1 children have access to a carefully planned Continuous Provision, indoors and outdoors, which is designed to fit the EYFS framework and the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum. The children use the outdoors in all weathers so it is important that they have appropriate clothing for this.
PE is on a Thursday and Friday. Children should come to school in their PE kits, with suitable outdoor PE shoes - please note, for safety reasons, they should not wear hooded jumpers and earrings must be removed before coming to school. Please refer to the main website for specific PE Kit requirements.
Book Change day is on Wednesdays & Thursdays. Please return your child's book-bag on a Wednesday, containing their RWI reading book and recommended read so that we can swap them over and send home on a Thursday. There is a reading diary in the book bag for you to add your own comments for us to read at school - it can be a useful tool for home and school to communicate about ongoing reading progress. Children will read with an adult at school a minimum of once per week.
Year 1 spellings are set via 'Spelling Shed' every Friday for practice at home. Children can access these for 1 week, and are then informally tested at school every Friday morning. There may be opportunities for children to practise these at school between 8:30-8:45 before register is taken and during quiet class times. Spelling Shed offers fun ways of learning spellings through games, which we highly recommend. There will be common exception word games (words that the children will use regularly in their writing and reading), and words with specific spelling patterns, which are taught in RWI lessons.
Reception children are given opportunities to practise their sounds throughout the day - you could also do this at home by selecting 10 at a time, and flash carding. Any additional support given at home can consolidate their learning and give them an extra boost in their overall progress. Please get in touch if you would like any resources to use at home or ideas of fun ways to practise at home. We will send home phonics books, and blending to practise, regularly. We can also share online links for ideas and games.
In Class 1, we use 'Evidence Me' to provide you at home with an insight to what your child is doing in reception. Evidence Me tracks your child's progress against the EYFS Framework allowing us to monitor their development. We hope you will enjoy looking at what your child has been doing, and would welcome you to send us any of your own observations through the Evidence Me portal so that we can share their development both ways.
During Spring Term 2 starting in February, we will be exploring mini-beasts and Who Lives in 'My Garden'. We will be learning about mini-beasts and drawing and writing about what we find on our bug-hunt!
In Science we will be learning all about materials and what materials are used for specific purposes.
Please take a look at our Curriculum Newsletters below to find out more about what Reception and Year 1 will be covering in Spring Term 2.
Resources to help at home
In RWI the children will be consolidating their set 1 sounds and we will continue to send videos home for practise. They will also begin to learn set 2 sounds - videos for these will also be send home via ping. Please continue to use these videos at home to help your child with their learning and retention of the sounds.
Each week, the year 1 children will be set new Spelling Shed assignments. Spelling Shed can be accessed for free on the internet, or can be downloaded as an app on a tablet for a small fee to you provider.
Please keep an eye on your Spelling Shed account for new assignments.
Weekly reading and blending practise using the books sent home each Thursday.
www.topmarks.co.uk are an excellent website where the children can play games to support their learning. Ideas of games to play are: number ordering (reception and year 1), number bonds to 10 and 20 (year 1), shape sorting (reception), counting, matching and ordering (reception and year 1), counting in 2s, 5s and 10s (year 1). Please get in touch if you would like any more game ideas.
www.ilearn2.co.uk - this is the site that we use for our computing lessons. The children thoroughly enjoy computing, and with the activity codes given in class, this can be accessed for free at home from either a laptop or a tablet. Using a laptop will help children to improve their manipulative/fine motor skills and hand eye coordination using the mouse or the mouse pad, as well as the computing skills taught in class. Keep an eye out for the codes that will be sent following each computing lesson.
Recommended Reads
We love books in class 1! We regularly share stories with the class, and encourage the children to read for pleasure. The attached file is a list of our recommended reads - the children will borrow one per week with the aim of reading all the books on the list. Please use their Reading Diary to make comments about the recommended read each week as we value yours and your child's feedback. This will be in addition to their usual RWI reading book where appropriate. We would love to receive any recommendations that you have as we love to grow our collection of books - fiction and non-fiction!
What does my child need each day?
With our wonderful, changeable weather, please ensure that your child comes to school with a suitable coat, a jumper/fleece/cardigan and a water bottle - please note, water only. The weather is now seasonably cold so please ensure your child has a hat and gloves. All items of clothing must be named to avoid disappointment as sometimes things can get lost as we move around the different parts of school.
The children are offered a snack of fruit every day, and milk which is ordered online (please get in touch with Mrs Bamforth if you would like information on how to order milk for your child). You are welcome to send a healthy snack for your child - grapes should be cut in half, and we politely ask that you do not send any chocolate based snacks or crisps.
Please refer to our main webpage for specific school uniform items, and where these can be purchased.
What can I do to support my child?
Support and encourage children to become independent in pulling up their own zips, pulling the arms of coats in the right way and encourage them to hang up their own coats.
Encourage independent dressing.
Encourage healthy eating and trying new things.