Welcome to Kittiwakes class page!
Welcome to the Kittiwakes class page!
My name is Mrs Radcliffe and I teach the Year 1 children here at Starcross Primary School. I have been teaching in this class since I joined the school 7 years ago.
We can’t believe that we have started the Summer Term already and it is set to be jam packed full of exciting and interesting things to learn.
With a lead from our History focus ‘school days’ we will be looking at how schools have changed since the Victorian times. We will compare our school now to our school then. We shall be digging into the archives of our school to look at old photographs and artefacts. We will be using time words and phrases to describe the past, present and future. We will build a time line of events since the school opened in 1837. We will discover Samuel Wilderspin – the creator of school playgrounds. We like him already!
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/readwrite.png)
Reading & Phonics
We use the Read Write Inc programme to teach our children to read. Every day, at 9:15, children move around the school into their phonics groups, where we teach them the sounds to be able to decode words. We ensure that what we teach is matched to their phonics ability, enabling children to feel confident to read the books that they take home. Children are assessed every half term to ensure that they are progressing through the phonics scheme and are ready for Year 2. This Summer Term, we shall be gearing up for the phonics screening check in June. This is an assessment to check that children have learned all the sounds to decode words at an appropriate level for their age. Children love reading alien words!
English
In English, we will be learning to write letters. We will be inspired by our ‘school days’ History topic to talk about what we really love about school and the text Whiffy Wilson, the wolf who wouldn’t go to school. Later on in the term, we will be thinking about the things we have learned throughout our History topic and be preparing to ‘write up’ some key facts. We will be sharing our knowledge and ‘speaking out loud’ to an audience as we prepare for a school assembly.
Maths
We follow White Rose Maths to teach our children to be mathematicians. This term we are discovering the world of Geometry – position and direction, place value to 100, money and time. Children will be amazed at the knowledge they already have, which will support their understanding in these areas.
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DT.png)
Design and Technology – food – chop, slice and mash.
In this project children will explore the source of food and think about whether it is plant or animal based. Children will handle a variety of foods and categorise them. As we move through the project, children will taste different shop bought sandwiches before designing and making their own. I think this will warrant a picnic. Let’s hope the sun is shining.
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/science.png)
Science
Children will start to think about animals by fine tuning their knowledge. What is an animal? Will kick this topic off. We will learn about animal characteristics so that we can categorise them. We will also be able to label body parts as well as know what types of food each animal eats.
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/swiming.jpg)
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tennis.jpg)
Arena PE
During the first half term we follow our Net and wall programme. Let’s hope that all this rain goes away and is replaced by the lovely sunshine. We really want to be able to get out in to the playground for these PE sessions. Sports Day will soon be upon us and we shall be practising some skills for the main event.
Computing
We will be exploring how to film, record sounds and music and save or upload the content.
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/7kittiwakes-.png)
Religious Education
We will be investigating the question – How do Jewish people live
Music
We use a programme called ‘Sing up.’ This term we shall following come dance with me. This lively warm-up song works well with movement and provides a good springboard into composing new lyrics and actions. The call-and-response nature of the song translates well into instrumental work, with pupils creating their own percussive responses and playing simple rhythm patterns on tuned instruments.
![](https://www.starcross-primary.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/kittiwakes-8.png)
Jigsaw (PSHE)
We are looking at the ‘changing me’ unit of work.
Golden Thread Experience
This term we are coming ‘off curriculum’ for one day, to explore a mode of transport. We are going on a boat trip from Starcross to Exmouth, to experience the trip maybe for the first time or most definitely for the first time with all of our class friends and adults. We will be having a pic-nic and ice cream at Manor Gardens too.