Hedgehog Class

WELCOME TO HEDGEHOG CLASS!

Hedgehog class is taught by Mrs Chapman (Monday) and Mrs Harrison (Tuesday - Friday) alongside Mrs Green and Mrs Nelson. Our class is made up of both Reception and Year 1 children. Throughout the year, our Reception children will experience a mixture of play based learning and adult-led focus tasks whilst the Year 1 children will transition from play based learning to more formal lessons by the end of the year. All children in Hedgehog class work hard at becoming more independent learners.

WHAT WILL WE BE LEARNING ABOUT?

Maths

Reception - This term our Reception children will be learning everything there is to know about numbers to 10 as well as finding out about mass, capacity, length, height and time. 

Year 1 - This term, our Y1 maths work will focus mainly on place value and numbers to 20 as well as length, height, mass and volume. Towards the end of the term, we will begin looking at addition and subtraction, then numbers to 50, and applying these to mathematical problems.

English

Reception and Year 1 will have daily phonics lessons and reading practice sessions 3 times a week. During our writing lessons we will be looking at the books 'Oi Frog’ and ‘Astro Girl’. We will be writing rhyming books and our own fact files about Space travel.

Reception children will focus on all things Space! They will learn about space travel, astronauts and using technology to naviagate the planets. Their learning will be driven by their interests with adult support along the way. 

Year 1 will have subject specific lessons which the Reception children can choose to join in with should they want to...

Science – Over the first half term our attentions will be focused on the Season of winter with us looking out for signs of Spring later in the term. We will also be looking at different materials and their properties along with why we use them to make certain things.

History – We will continue with some more History this half term where we will learn about the famous explorers Neil Armstrong and Christopher Columbus. We will be comparing their lives and travels.

Geography – After half term we will be studying the human and physical geography of a contrasting Non-European country – either Africa or Australia (yet to be decided!)

PSHE - We will first be exploring what identity, society and equality means to us and others. After half term we are focussing on what is safe to put into and onto our bodies.

PE - On Wednesdays we will be enjoying Forest Schools with Mrs McGregor and Mrs Tyrer and on Thursdays we will be practising our ball skills.

Art – We will be focussing on landscapes and in particular cityscapes.

DT – After half term we will be learning how to prepare fruit and vegetables.

RE – In RE we will be looking at what makes some places sacred to people.
 

IMPORTANT DAYS TO NOTE…

Monday – Yellow spelling books returned to school.

Tuesday – 

Wednesday – Children to return Little Wandle and Reading for Pleasure books to be changed.

                       Year 1 children to come to school in clothing for Forest School. Reception children will keep their PE kits in school and

                        get  changed at school. 

Thursday – Year 1 PE - come in PE kits. 

Friday – Spellings tested and then new given out for the following Friday. Reading books sent home.

WHAT TO BRING TO SCHOOL

Please could we make sure that all children have a water bottle in school with them on a daily basis. Book Bags should  be brought to school every day and kept on coat pegs. Children will also need a named waterproof coat everyday too as we try to get outside no matter the weather.

Reading Books need bringing back to school on the days specified above so we can ensure the correct book is chosen to take home again. Ideally, however, books should be kept in school bags at all times as we sometimes have volunteer readers who listen to the children read on an adhoc basis. 

HOMEWORK

Every Friday children will bring home some information on what they have covered in phonics that week for you to look through at home with your child. We put the most emphasis on engagement with Numbots, Reading and Spellings on a weekly basis.

READING AT HOME

All children will continue to bring home a decodable book that they have been looking at in their reading practice sessions, as well as a reading for pleasure book that they will have chosen themselves. It is important that these books come into school every day. Please ensure it is noted in reading records when children have read at home.

SPELLINGS

Year 1 will be tested on their spellings linked to their phonics lessons every Friday. A spelling list will be sent out at the start of every half term. Spelling test books will now go home on Friday for parents to check how their children did, but must be returned the following Monday.

NUMBOTS 

Numbots is aimed at both Year 1 and 2, and helps children to learn basic number facts. We practise this a little in class but encourage children to practise at home on tablets/computers too. Their passwords have been sent home on a laminated card.

MASTERING NUMBER

We are starting a new mental maths scheme which is quite similar to how we teach phonics – little and often! Mastering Number aims to increase mathematical fluency, making basic number facts automatic so brain space can be used to apply them to more complex problems. We will no longer be completing Rapid Recall Fact cards and will engage with these 10 minute sessions 4 x a week instead.

CONTACT US

Please always feel free to come and see us before or after school should you need to discuss anything.

Mrs Harrison, Mrs Chapman, Mrs Nelson and Mrs Green