Welcome to Chestnut - Year 1!

Autumn Term

Settling in

We are so proud of every person in Chestnut class for the way they have settled in to life in Year 1. We have ensured that the transition from Early Years into Year 1 is a smooth one, by creating an outdoor space filled with learning opportunities that link to our curriculum. The children love being able to move from the classroom to the outdoors freely, and this has already proven to be a real success.

Here are some photographs that show the children taking part in both their formal lessons, and accessing the continuous provision (learning through play).

Forest school

Chestnut class have now begun their weekly Forest School sessions! Our first visit to Forest School this week was linked to spirituality and maths.

The children used a mix of natural found objects (twigs, leaves and stones) to count groups of objects accurately, and some children took on further challenges to compare quantities.

We then took some time to be mindful and show an awareness of our surroundings. They explored the mud kitchen, built different structures and discovered wildlife living amongst the leaves.

Although the weather was drizzly and our wellies got muddy, we had a fantastic time out in the fresh air!

Topic homework

Thank you to all of the families that have supported their children to create such fantastic topic homework this term. Our role play areas have really been brought to life with the children’s creations.

Spring

Great Fire of London Day!

Year 1 had an unforgettable day stepping back in time to September 1666, when History off the Page immersed us in life on an old London street near Pudding Lane. From the moment they arrived, the children were fully engrossed in a range of hands-on activities that brought history to life.

Throughout the morning, the children tried their hand at candle making, perfume blending, sewing and weaving, and pottery making, making bread from salt dough, and visiting the doctors, where they learned about the extreme measure taken to treat illnesses like the plague. The excitement grew as news spread that the fire was approaching, and by lunchtime it was time to evacuate.

Later, the children returned to explore the aftermath, carefully examining the ashes and artefacts left behind. It was wonderful to see how engaged and enthusiastic they were throughout the day.

DT

This half term in DT we explored how toys that move are designed and made. They learned that many moving objects have parts inside called mechanisms, which help them to work by controlling unwanted movement. Chestnut class investigated wheels, testing and comparing different shapes, thicknesses and levels of smoothness, and learned how an axle allows a wheel to turn without falling off.

In groups of 3, Chestnut class designed, drew and labelled their own pull-along toy, thinking carefully about the needs of the user. They had to decide how many eyes it would have, what its mouth would be and if they wanted to add any crazy hairstyles. Finally, they made and finished their toy and evaluated it against simple design criteria, giving feedback on what worked well and what could be improved.

Forest school

Chestnut class love our weekly Forest School sessions- linking spirituality to maths! The children used a mix of natural found objects (twigs, leaves and stones) to count groups of objects accurately and create different 2D shapes. We then took some time to be mindful and show an awareness of our surroundings. They explored the mud kitchen, built different structures and discovered wildlife living amongst the leaves. Although the weather is a bit drizzly we love getting our wellies muddy and having a fantastic time out in the fresh air!