Athletics!
This week, we have started a new P.E. topic: Athletics!
Ask your child at home which activity there favourite was! Was it sprinting, shotput, speed bounce or something else?
Here are some pictures of us in action!
History: chronology of Ancient Greece
This week, we’ve been learning about a period of Ancient Greek history and the key events during that period. We’ve learnt about the golden age, a dark age and the things that happened prior to the golden age which enabled Greece to make such impressive advances.

Wolf Brother
This week, we’ve been thoroughly enjoying our new class novel Wolf Brother!
In reading, we ‘unwrapped’ the book by analysing and discussing its front cover, title and blurb.
Our task was to comment on:
- likes and dislikes
- connections or links to what we’ve seen, heard or read before
- powerful vocabulary
- questions we had
Ask your child about their favourite part so far! What predictions do they have for the rest of the book and why?
If you want to listen to part of it together at home, check out the audio version (chapter one – part one) read by Ian McKellen.
History: presentations
What were the main differences between the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages?
Y6 know!
They were tasked with researching each age using the internet and History books.
Check out these amazing presentations:
When asked about which age they’d have preferred to have lived in, Albie said, “The Iron Age because it was quite violent when the Romans invaded and I’d like fighting.”
Daisy said, “I’d pick the Stone Age because I would have loved to have been a hunter-gather and hunted animals.”
Muhammad said, “I think I’d have picked the Bronze Age because they were quite good at farming then, it was more advanced than the Stone Age and more peaceful than the Iron Age.”
What’s been happening in Year 1 this week?
Every day, when the children arrive at school, there is always a task to complete. Today’s task was to create monsters. Using three coloured fingerprints, the class had to design creatures. As you can see from the photos below, we had some very interesting additions to our class!
For our writing lesson, the children listened to the sound of fire. They had to describe what they could hear.
I can hear the fire crackling.
I can hear a sizzling sound.
Next, we listened to the sounds during The Great Fire of London.
I can hear people shouting.
I can hear buildings falling down.
I can hear water splashing on the fire.
For their task, the class wrote sentences about The Great Fire of London. Here are a few examples.
To end the day, Mrs Burgess enjoyed a firework art lesson with the children.
Using pattern, glue and sequins the class created their own firework pictures.
A busy week so far!
The children have returned to school confidently and ready to learn! We have been really impressed with their learning attitude and behaviour.
In maths, we read a book called ‘The button box’ and the children had a great time looking through my mum’s button tin!
We discussed what the button might be from and what it was made of.
We then sorted them using different criteria.
We have read lots of books with a witch theme and the children have written recipes for potions and witch’s soup.
There was great excitement when we discovered a real spider in the classroom! The children then designed and built a ‘spider house.’
Continuous Provision in Year 1
Continuous provision forms an important part of effective practice in KS1 and well planned activities support, enrich and extend learning throughout the whole year. By giving the environment and our routines careful thought, not simply replicating Reception but refining it and moving it on, we can enable children to build on their EYFS experience.
Currently, the children are enjoying being historians. Therefore, we have linked the challenges in the areas to The Great Fire of London. Over the next few weeks we will share examples of the children accessing the learning in the areas. For now, here are some photos of our new challenges.
Maths
In class, the children have just been introduced to part-whole models. They have been placing objects into part-whole models in a variety of ways, using the terms “part” and “whole”
History, Reading and Oracy
Pudding Lane Bakery
Oracy is the ability to express yourself clearly and communicate with others effectively through spoken language. A key part of oracy is for children to think carefully about the language they’re using, and tailor it to their subject, purpose and audience. Oracy involves embracing different speaking skills, such as:
Discussion: exchanging ideas with others
Instruction: telling someone what to do, or explaining facts
Dialogue: having a conversation with someone, listening and showing an interest in what they say
Oracy isn’t, however, just about being a good talker – or talking lots. It also includes listening to others, and responding appropriately.
In order to stimulate conversations, we have added different resources in the shared areas. These are already developing the children’s curiosity and initiating oracy.
As part of history, the children are learning to sequence events. This activity involves ordering a timeline of the fire. The children are developing an awareness of time and chronology.
History! Questions and looking forward…
This week marks the start of our new History topic learning all about the Stone, Bronze and Iron age plus Ancient Egypt!
Ask your child to explain why we’re learning about these two periods of time together.
We discussed our new History vocabulary, questions for the topic and what we were excited about! Take a look…
Welcome back
We hope you had a great half term!
Here is some of the learning that will take place this half-term.
Phonics
We will continue to learn letters and sounds from Phase 2.
Set 3. g, o , c , k, ck
Set 4. ck, e, u, r
Set 5. h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss
In addition, children will learn the ‘tricky words’ the, to, into, go, no.
We will be sending flashcards and words to practise at home.
English
This half term, we will be reading stories with an Autumn theme and encouraging children to retell them. They will be encouraged and supported to use their phonic knowledge to write labels for their drawings.
To celebrate World Nursery Rhyme week starting 16 November, we will learn five nursery rhymes.
You can find information about this and activities to try at home at
Maths
We will continue to learn numbers to 10 and introduce the idea that all numbers are made of smaller numbers(composition). Children will understand that as we count, each number is one more than the number before. As we count back, each number is one less than the previous number.
Don’t forget to email us with any questions.
moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
Parent Partnership
We recognise that you are the children’s first and most enduring educators and would like to encourage you to share your unique knowledge of them.
Please take a look at this workshop presentation to see how you can share your child’s ‘wow’ moments and achievements with us.
moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org