Year 1 Class News

New school meal menu

Posted on Monday 10 February 2025 by Mrs Taylor

After February half term, we start our new menu which runs to the end of the year. It can be viewed here. Please review this with your child to help with their selection at the start of the day. We continue to offer meat free Mondays.

Like most schools in Leeds, we use Catering Leeds to provide our school meal service. Cooked meals, including a vegetarian option, are prepared daily in our kitchen and children are offered a choice of main courses and desserts. Fruit is always available. Catering Leeds provides food which meets national Food Standards criteria.

The cost of a school meal is £2.75, which should be paid in advance on the School Gateway app. We’re happy to accept payment for the week, month, half term or term. We prefer two weeks’ notice to change lunch arrangements.

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free school meals. If your child is in Year 3 to Year 6, and you are on benefits or a low income, your child may be eligible for free school meals.

Some people like to choose a mix of school dinners and packed lunch for their child – that’s absolutely fine, as long as it’s a the same pattern of school dinners and packed lunches every week. Just let office staff know which days you’d like to opt in for a school meal in the week, and which days you’d prefer to provide your child with a packed lunch.

We continue to gather feedback from children on our school meals. Shortly, we will be reviewing our vegetable choices to help to eliminate waste.

If you have any feedback. please do get in touch.

 

Living and Learning: Online Safety

Posted on Friday 07 February 2025 by Mr McGriffiths

This week we had a visit from D:Side Dave. He came to talk to us about staying safe online. The children were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share their thoughts and ideas.

The children discussed how people use the internet and devices they might have seen or used to get on the internet.

We learnt about 3 rules to help us keep safe online.

  1. Always ask an adult for permission.

The children were very clear on asking an adult before using a device connected to the internet.

2. Only talk to people you know.

Everybody knew to only talk to people online that they know in real life. We also went through some information that we would never share online like our name, school, address etc.

3. Stick to places that are just right for you.

Dave spoke to the children about sticking to websites and games that are suitable for our age. We talked about the PEGI ratings on video games and how games with a higher age rating are not suitable for us.

Help at home by discussing how to stay safe online and what your children should do if they see or hear anything that upsets or worries them.

Living and learning: online safety assembly

Posted on Thursday 06 February 2025 by Mrs Taylor

This week, Louise from West Yorkshire Police came to deliver a whole school assembly all about staying safe online.

There were lots of clear online safety messages around content, contact and conduct.

At the end of the assembly, the children reflected on what they were going to do after hearing Louise’s messages.

I am going to ask my adult to take off the chat on my Roblox settings.

I am not going to accept friend requests from people I don’t know.

I am not going to play games that have a age rating older than me as they won’t be appropriate for me.

Help at home: ask your child how content, conduct and contact are linked to online safety.

Living and Learning: Being safe

Posted on Friday 31 January 2025 by Mr McGriffiths

Being safe is a key part of our Living and Learning curriculum.

We took part in the NSPCC Speak out Stay Safe online assembly.

During the assembly, we heard about Sam and some things that were upsetting Sam.

Thankfully, Sam told a teacher about her worries. We thought about which grown-ups would be good to talk to in school and out of school (start telling other people). Brothers, sisters and friends would also be good to talk to and discuss feelings but telling a grown-up (over 18) would be the best thing to do to get help.

Our Living and Learning box, in the classroom, is another way the children can speak out and write down any worries.

We also heard about Childline – ask your child to show you the way to remember the number.

Help at home: Buddy Zone, on the Childline website, has some games and activities for the children to do.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Posted on Wednesday 29 January 2025 by Mrs Taylor

This year, our Junior Leadership Team democratically selected Yorkshire Air Ambulance  as our new school charity to support.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a lifesaving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire. Money raised keeps both of their air ambulance helicopters maintained and in the air.

This week, we welcomed representatives from Yorkshire Air Ambulance for an assembly to hear first hand about the excellent work they do and how our donations will help the charity.

Did you know it costs £21,000 per day to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance running.

It’s great to hear the children have already got ideas of how we can raise money for YAA. They are encouraged to put these ideas into our class Living and learning boxes for the Junior Leadership Team to consider.

Geography: exploring our locality

Posted on Friday 24 January 2025 by Mr McGriffiths

This morning Year 1 braved the wind and went out to explore our local area. Armed with a clipboard and a pencil, we completed a survey of what we liked and disliked about places in Moortown. We chose 5 different areas near to school and rated them for noise, litter, recycling bins, safety and plants. We recorded what we thought by drawing either a sad, happy or straight face.

Help at home by talking to your child about what they like or dislike about the local area. Is there anything they would want to improve? How?

Active travel and safety around the school gate

Posted on Wednesday 22 January 2025 by Mrs Taylor

As a happy and healthy school, and to promote safety outside school at the start and the end of the day, we encourage children to travel to school actively.
We have bike and scooter storage facilities by the Y3/4 classrooms.
Please be mindful and considerate on the approach to school where children are travelling actively on their bikes and scooters.
If you do have to drive to and from school, please use Marks & Spencer car park to park and stride.
To reinforce this important message, we have been sent this short video regarding school parking from our local PCSO.

 

Lotherton Hall trip

Posted on Friday 17 January 2025 by Mr McGriffiths

Yesterday, Year One had a fantastic trip to Lotherton Hall to learn about animals and their habitats. Guided by the educational specialists, we explored different habitats and the animals that call them home.

We compared the skulls of a herbivore and a carnivore, noticing how their teeth are perfectly suited to their diets. The children were fascinated to learn that penguins have sharp tongues to help them grip slippery fish!

Help at Home by:

  • Explore your garden or local park and talk about the animals and their habitats.
  • Read books about animals and how they survive in the wild.
  • Watch nature documentaries together

Spring term after-school clubs

Posted on Friday 17 January 2025 by Mrs Taylor

We’ve had a great first week to our after-school clubs. There are some places available on the following clubs if your child would like to join. Please refer to the letter below to show the relevant year groups.

Monday 
Story and colouring 
Lego KS2
Tuesday
Reading
Wake up Shake up – now open to Year 3
Chess
Wednesday 
Fun and Games – now open to Year 4
Drama
Puzzle club
Thursday 
Story and colouring
Dazl dance
Basketball – now open to Year 3

Living and learning: drug education

Posted on Wednesday 15 January 2025 by Mr McGriffiths

In our latest Living and Learning lessons, we’ve been learning about safety around medicines and household products.

We considered:

What are medicines?

What do they look like?

How are they used?

Why do people use them?

The children had lots to share about their experiences of taking different medicines and what they are used for.

Then, we considered safety rules at home and how to keep themselves and others safe.

Our medicines are in a high cupboard so my sister and I can’t reach them.

An adult has to give you medicine.

These things are kept in a locked cupboard in my house.

We then looked at some scenarios where we recognised the danger and suggested some ideas for what could be done to keep the people safe

The baby might drink the cleaner.

I would take the baby away.

I would tell a grown up straight away.

They are adult tablets and they should leave them alone.

They should have been somewhere where children can not get them.

Help at home: please reinforce this key safety message at home. Make sure your child is aware of possible dangers at home, such as medicines and household products, and how to seek help if they need it.