Year 1 Curriculum

Year 1 Curriculum Overview – 2022-23

Each project covers all the work for half a term in history, geography, science, art and design, design technology and computing. It also has links to PE and PSHE.
Each year the teachers choose 6 projects. They choose projects that will ensure full National Curriculum coverage and also suit the interests of the children within that year group.
Each project is based around acquisition of knowledge, development of skills and the addition of cultural capital to a child’s experience of school.

• The Year 1 curriculum is enhanced by the following events
• A Christmas show
• Participation in sporting events and festivals
• An enterprise project that runs throughout the year where children create goods to sell and plan events to raise money.
• Visits and visitors linked to our project work
• OPAL experiences (outdoor play and learning)
• Forest School experiences

Bright Lights, Big City!

In the Bright Lights, Big City project, your child will take part in a royal garden party and learn about Queen Elizabeth II. They will learn about the countries that make up the United Kingdom, including their location, capital cities and some of their physical and human features. They will have the opportunity to do map work, using compasses and positional and directional language to plan routes around London. They will research the cause and impact of the Great Fire of London and look at some famous London landmarks. They will learn about other capital cities around the world, including Kuala Lumpur, and compare how they are similar and different to London.

Dinosaur Planet

Stomp, crash, roar! Watch out – there are dinosaurs about! Yes, that’s right, we’re travelling back in time to the age of the dinosaurs.

This half term, we’ll visit a museum, look closely at ancient fossils and study reptiles to understand how dinosaurs may have lived and eventually died out. We’ll learn about the great fossil hunter, Mary Anning, and follow in her footsteps, studying dinosaur teeth and bones to find out what dinosaurs liked to eat. Learning dinosaur names, creating puzzling riddles, writing fantastic fact files and creating exciting dinosaur stories are some of the other activities we’ll be involved in this half term. We’ll also use our artistic skills to make model dinosaurs and to design dinosaur landscapes.

At the end of our project, we’ll invite you to a dinosaur party to share our knowledge with you. We’ll invent some dinosaur games to play and entertain you with our wonderful dinosaur music.

Help your child prepare for their project

Dinosaurs are fascinating! Why not visit the library, choose some dinosaur books and practise reading and writing dinosaur names together? Alternatively, research amazing dinosaur facts together online. You could also make a mini Jurassic Park from cardboard boxes and craft materials to make model dinosaurs feel at home!

The Enchanted Woodland

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise!

This half term, we’ll visit a woodland, observe the wildlife, collect natural objects and take beautiful pictures of the things we see. After our woodland adventure, we’ll write about our experiences and learn all about trees. We’ll use information books to investigate woodland creatures and make mini-books of our own. Throughout the project, we will find out how to recognise different plants and animals and create detailed, observational drawings of them. The tale of Hansel and Gretel will inspire us to write our own stories with a woodland theme. We’ll build miniature dens, create woodland works of art and construct mini-woodlands from twigs, sticks, pine cones and leaves.

At the end of our project, we’ll have so much to share with you. We’ll read our stories aloud, create a woodland art gallery, plant seedlings in the school grounds and present a special, woodland-themed assembly.

Help your child prepare for their project

Woodlands are interesting places. Why not take a woodland walk and see which plants and creatures you can find? Simple spotting books or apps will help you to identify unknown species. Alternatively, visit the local library and borrow information and storybooks about woodland creatures to read together. You could also collect twigs, leaves, seed cases and flowers to make natural art together outside. Remember to take photos before the wind blows your artwork away!

Moon Zoom

The countdown has begun. Are you ready for blast off?

This half term, we’ll travel through space to learn about the Solar System. 

We’ll investigate an alien crash site, write an incident report and try to find the aliens who have landed. Where could they be? We’ll make models of the Solar System and design spaceships, space buggies and space-related toys. Books and photographs will help us to learn about the first lunar landing and the astronauts who venture into space. Floor robots will be programmed to move around an alien landscape, and we will compose space sounds and dances. We’ll also explore satellite images, investigate rockets and use ICT to communicate our ideas and present our work.

At the end of our project, we’ll share our learning in a variety of different ways. We’ll read our exciting science-fiction stories aloud, sing space-themed songs and create an exhibition of our space models. It will be out of this world!

Help your child prepare for their project

There’s so much to learn about space! Why not stay up late and look at the stars? A stargazing app could help you identify well-known constellations. You could also visit the local library and find some exciting space stories and information books to share. Alternatively, create extraordinary aliens using modelling clay or a drawing app.

Paws, Claws and Whiskers

Big cats, small rats, tiny fleas and buzzing bees!

This half term, we’re going to discover that animals come in all shapes and sizes! Meeting an animal expert will allow us to ask and answer questions, share information about the pets we have at home and write animal information booklets. We’ll study animal artwork, draw detailed animal pictures to capture their special features and make collages, sculptures and prints. Famous animal fables will make us laugh, and we will have fun reading them aloud. We’ll spot similarities and differences between animals, look at different habitats around the world and investigate camouflage. Designing a zoo is even on the agenda!

At the end of our project, we’ll share our work with you! An exhibition of our amazing artwork and performances of animal songs, with musical accompaniment, will allow you to take a walk on the wild side with us. We will also share our knowledge of animals and recite amusing rhymes that may include an animal noise or two!

Help your child prepare for their project

Animals are amazing! Why not take photos of a favourite pet together and describe their habits, likes and dislikes? You could also put bird food in the garden and visit a local park or nature reserve for a spot of bird watching. Make a note of their markings and features then use a simple spotting book or app to identify different species. Alternatively, visiting the local pet shop or petting zoo would allow you to observe a wide range of different animals.

Rio de Vida!

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to party in Rio!

This half term, we’ll dress up in bright clothes, hang out the bunting and enjoy a carnival party! Afterwards, we’ll write about our carnival experiences, compose carnival poetry, create vibrant dances and play carnival rhythms. We’ll learn to speak some Portuguese (the official language of Brazil), study maps and globes to locate Brazil and decide what it would be like to live there. As we learn more about Brazil, we’ll explore famous legends, follow recipes to make Brazilian carnival treats and scour non-fiction books for fascinating facts. Reflecting on what we have learnt about Brazilian culture, we’ll think about celebrations in different parts of the world and decide why people celeb

rate. We’ll also create colourful collages, cards and carnival bunting. Brazilian sporting excellence is paid tribute to when we take the time to practice and hone our sporting skills ready for a mini-Olympics.

At the end of our project, we’ll perform songs, lead a language class to teach Portuguese words and phrases to our family and friends and create an exhibition of our work to share with you.

Help your child prepare for their project

Celebrations are exciting for everyone. Why not look through some old photos together and talk about any celebrations taking place in the pictures? You could also plan a party and choose the decorations, food and music together. Alternatively, use a children’s atlas to discover countries around the world. Read the name of each country carefully and find out what it would be like to live there.

Computing

Long Term Overview

Year 1 Computing Overview

Sex and Relationships Education

Medway Year 1 and 2

PSHE Long Term Planning

Writing Progression

Year 1 Writing Overview and Progression

RE Curriculum

RE Curriculum Coverage Year 1