Year One Updates

Welcome to Year One

Welcome to Year One.  We are delighted to be teaching your child this academic year and to deliver an exciting and enriching curriculum that inspires them to be lifelong learners.  Our aim is to ensure that your child gets the best out of the early years in their school life.  On this page you will find general information about Year One but also ways you can help at home.  At the bottom of the page you will find learning updates and topic webs explaining what your child will be doing every half term. 

We understand that you may have questions regarding your child’s learning.  If your question is not answered in the page below, please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher or email the office at office@courthill.coastalpartnership.co.uk. 

A Typical Day in Year One

Year One PE Days

At Courthill, we believe children being active is crucial to their mental health and well-being as well as supporting their academic achievements. As a result of this, we ensure that active learning is included in all lessons. Alongside this, the children will also have two P.E lessons a week. Outdoor P.E is on a Tuesday or Wednesday (see below for more information) and we ask that children come into school wearing their school P.E kits on this day. Indoor P.E is on a Monday or Thursday. The children do not need to come into school wearing P.E kit on these days but please ensure they have hair tied back, earrings out and provide shorts for children wearing skirts/dresses on these days. On a Friday, it is Fun Fit Friday where the children will take part in additional sporting activities so on these days children can come to school wearing active wear of their choice (no jeans or dresses). 

Autumn 1 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Frogs and Crocs (indoor) 

Autumn 2 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Frogs and Crocs (indoor) 

Spring 1 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Frogs and Crocs (indoor) 

Spring 2 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Frogs and Crocs (indoor) 

Summer 1 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Frogs and Crocs (indoor) 

Summer 2 - Mondays - Turtles and Geckos (indoor)

           - Tuesdays - Turtles and Geckos (outdoor) - PE kit 

                 - Wednesdays - Frogs and Crocs (outdoor) - PE kit

                 - Thursdays - Crocs and Frogs (indoor) 

Year 1 Updates 2023-2024

Must Reads

At Courthill, we have a selection of books named our ‘Must Reads’. These are books that have been carefully considered and chosen by teaching staff and they are the books that we ensure children are exposed to and enjoy during their time at Courthill. These high-quality texts have been selected to reflect the wonderfully diverse community we have at our school, as well as take the children on a varied reading journey.  

Our list of ‘Must Reads’ have been split into each year group to ensure a progressive reading curriculum. Below you will see the books selected for Year One. By the end of Year One, all of the children will have heard and enjoyed these books in class, but they may wish to add them to their own collection at home.  Re-reading and discussing favourite books is a highly valuable part of the reading experience and something that can also be enjoyed as a family.  Happy reading! 

How can I help my child at home

Phonics

At Courthill, we understand the importance of developing early reading skills. Phonic awareness helps the development of reading by segmenting and blending sounds. Children are taught phonics daily and work through the matched reading book band levels systematically.  We follow the ‘Bug Club Reading Spine’ and grapheme teaching progression along with robust and thorough individual reading assessments to ensure reading books match the phonics that the children already know. At the end of Year One (usually the beginning of June) the children will be taking part in the statutory Phonic Screen Check. The check contains 40 words (20 real words and 20 pseudo words, also known as alien words) and is completed on a one-to-one basis with the child's class teacher. The results of this check will be reported to you at the end of the year. 

Maths