Summer 1

As scientists, can we find out what plants need to grow and thrive?

Science

This half terms focus topic was science. In Science, we explored how plants grow and change over time. The children learned to identify and describe the main parts of a plant, including roots, stem, leaves and flowers, and understood the role each part plays in plant survival and growth. Pupils investigated what plants need to grow well, including water, light, air and soil, and carried out observations linked to plant growth over time. Throughout the unit, children took part in a range of practical, hands-on investigations. They grew their own plants, including sunflowers, nasturtiums, half pint peas, tomatoes and cress. Pupils made regular observations and discussed what helped or hindered their plants’ development. They also explored different types of plants and used scientific vocabulary to describe similarities and differences in structure and appearance.

Children also extended their learning through outdoor exploration, where they identified and compared different types of plants in the school environment. They learned to distinguish between deciduous and evergreen trees, noticing key differences such as leaf loss and seasonal changes. Pupils also explored wildflowers, developing their ability to recognise common species and understand how they grow in different habitats.

Maths

This half term the children continued to build a secure understanding of key number and measurement concepts. They developed their knowledge of multiplication and division through practical activities, grouping objects and sharing quantities equally. The children also explored counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, using songs, number lines and practical resources to support fluency and recall. We also learnt about fractions, in particular halves and quarters. We explored capacity and weight through hands-on measuring activities, comparing and ordering different amounts using vocabulary such as full, empty, heavier and lighter. Throughout the unit, children were encouraged to explain their reasoning, solve problems and apply their learning in different contexts.

English

In English we focussed our learning on the narrative Jack and the Beanstalk. The children immersed themselves in the story through retelling, role play and sequencing events, developing a strong understanding of the narrative structure. We also created and innovated own story maps to internalise key events. Children explored and identified key grammar features throughout the unit, including conjunctions to extend their sentences, adjectives to add description, and time words such as first, next, then and finally to sequence events. They also developed their understanding of the prefix un- and began to apply it in their writing to change meanings of words accurately and confidently. As part of their innovation work, children adapted and changed key elements of the story, including characters, adjectives and the setting. They reimagined familiar characters such as Jack, his mum, the giant, the beanstalk, the castle and the golden eggs, and used these ideas to create their own versions of the story. Pupils focused on building clear sentence structure, using ambitious vocabulary, and orally rehearsing their ideas before writing. We also wrote an explanation text titled ‘How do you grow a sunflower?”. We focused on the use of time words and verbs as well as extending our sentences through the use conjunctions. We then went on to innovate our writing creating their own versions of explanation texts using different plants and adapting language features independently.

PE

In PE, children developed their physical skills through Athletics, following the Get Set 4 PE scheme. They practised fundamental movement skills including running, jumping and throwing, focusing on improving technique and control. Pupils took part in a range of activities such as relay races, jumping challenges and target throwing games. They developed their understanding of teamwork, fair play and how to improve their own performance through practice and feedback. Lessons encouraged resilience, confidence and enjoyment of physical activity, with pupils showing increasing stamina and coordination throughout the unit.

Geography

In Geography, children learned all about the United Kingdom and the seas that surround it. They named and located the four countries of the UK and their capital cities. Pupils developed their map skills through using atlases, globes and aerial photographs, building confidence in locating places and recognising key geographical features. Children explored key physical and human features within the UK and began to understand similarities and differences between places. Children explored the human and physical features of each capital city, looking at landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, St Giles’ Cathedral and Arthur’s Seat, and discussing how these features make each place unique. Children were encouraged to ask geographical questions, make observations and use geographical vocabulary accurately when describing places and features.

PSHE

In PSHE, the focus was on friendships and relationships. Children explored what makes a good friend and how to build positive and respectful relationships with others. They learned how to manage disagreements in a calm and fair way and understood the importance of kindness, listening and sharing. Pupils took part in discussions, role play and scenario-based activities to help them recognise positive and negative behaviours in friendships. They also reflected on the important people in their lives and discussed why these relationships matter, developing empathy and emotional understanding.

RE

In RE, children learned about important moments in the life of Jesus, including key events leading up to Easter. They explored stories such as The Good Samaritan and The Blind Man, discussing their meanings and the lessons they taught about kindness, compassion and forgiveness. Pupils reflected on why these stories were important to Christians and how they influenced behaviour and beliefs today. Through storytelling, discussion and creative activities, children deepened their understanding of religious stories and their significance.

Design and Technology

 In Design and Technology, children made smoothies.  Firstly, children explored different fruits and vegetables, learning how to identify and classify them correctly. They discussed the difference between fruits and vegetables and learned that fruits contain seeds.  Next, children focused on taste testing and evaluating different fruit combinations. They tried a variety of fruits and freshly squeezed juices, discussing which flavours worked well together. This helped them begin to think like designers by considering preferences and planning ideas for their own smoothie. Following this, pupils developed their practical skills in food preparation. They learned how to safely peel, chop and juice fruits such as oranges, lemons, strawberries, bananas and pineapple.  Finally, pupils evaluated their finished smoothies, discussing taste, texture and appearance, and reflected on what they would improve next time.

Computing

In Computing, children developed their understanding of coding and online safety. Pupils learned how to give simple instructions to programmable devices and created basic algorithms using clear, logical steps. Children also used technology creatively to organise information and complete simple digital tasks.

Maths

This half term, the children have been learning about place value and addition and subtraction (Year 1). They explored numbers to 10, practised counting forwards and backwards, and developed their understanding of tens and ones. The children used concrete resources to represent numbers, compare amounts using the symbols <, > and =, and order numbers correctly. In addition and subtraction, they used a variety of strategies to solve problems, including part-whole models, number lines, and practical activities.

English

In English, the children focused on developing their grammar skills, learning to identify and use nouns, verbs, and adjectives in their writing. They completed fun, hands-on activities to help them recognise how each word type adds detail and meaning to their sentences.
The children then explored their first narrative text – The Three Little Pigs. After reading and discussing the story, they planned and wrote their own innovated versions, changing characters or settings to make the stories their own. They focused carefully on using capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops to punctuate their sentences correctly, while also applying their new grammar knowledge to make their writing more interesting.

Science

In Science, the children learned all about the five senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Through a series of engaging, hands-on experiments, they explored how each sense helps us to understand and explore the world around us.
They took part in activities such as feeling trays, where they used their sense of touch to identify hidden objects, smelling different foods, and tasting a variety of items to distinguish between the different tastes (bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and umami). The children also enjoyed a popcorn experiment, using all five senses to observe how popcorn changes as it cooks — noticing how it looks, smells, sounds, feels, and tastes.

Geography

This term in Geography, the children learned all about the weather. They explored the different types of weather we experience in the UK and how the weather can change throughout the seasons. The children observed shadows and clouds, discussing how sunlight and weather patterns affect what we see. To finish the topic, they created and performed their own weather reports, using key weather vocabulary and demonstrating what they had learned in a fun and engaging way.

Design and Technology (DT)

In DT, the children created their very own moving storybook based on Humpty Dumpty. They explored different mechanisms, including sliders and levers, and used these to make parts of their storybook move. The children designed, constructed, and decorated their books, showing great creativity and pride in their finished products.

R.E.

In R.E., the children learned all about the Creation Story. They explored how Christians believe God created the world and everything in it. Through discussion and creative activities, the children reflected on what makes the world special and thought about ways they can help take care of it. They particularly enjoyed sequencing the days of creation and sharing their ideas about their favourite parts of the world.

PSHE

In PSHE, the children discussed what it means to belong to their class community and explored how everyone plays an important role in making their classroom a safe and happy place. The children shared their hopes and goals for the year ahead and talked about how to show kindness, respect, and cooperation towards others. They also created their own class charter to agree on how they will look after themselves and each other throughout the year.

P.E.

In PE, the children focused on developing their fundamental movement skills. They practised running, jumping, hopping, balancing, and changing direction safely and effectively. Through a range of games and activities, the children improved their coordination, control, and spatial awareness, while also learning to work cooperatively, take turns, and play fairly with one another.