Class 3

Year 1

Year 1 is the school year where you really see children progress academically and socially. Confidence in themselves and their abilities increase and they really start to persevere with their work and become independent learners.

The children’s experiences begin to broaden and they will learn through many different subjects including, Science, History, Geography, Art, Music, PE, to name a few.

However, our main drivers are still Phonics and reading. Our new “Little Wandle” phonics scheme is not only teaching children their letters and sounds but also how to blend these sounds to begin to read fluently and with comprehension. To encourage a love of reading we have daily “BEAR” time (Be Excited About Reading), where children get to choose a book and share it with a friend or look at it independently. We also have a daily reading session, where a book is read by the teacher, and the “reading for pleasure” books that the children are allowed to bring home to share with their families. Many of the stories we read in class are based around our topics, for example: plants and trees, seasons, princes and princesses and holidays.

Each child in Year 1 will have the opportunity to experience Forest School for a block of five to six weeks. Children will go out in all weathers, apart from high winds and lightening, so please make sure they are dressed appropriately. They may also get rather muddy, so please do not send them in their best clothes.

What are we learning?

Explore what ideas, topics and vocabulary our class will be exploring each half term.

Curriculum overview Autumn 1

Meet our teachers

Welcome to Class 3. I am Class 3’s teacher Mrs Livesey and I work Tuesday to Friday, with Mrs Vousden working hard in class on a Monday. I have worked at Netherton Infant and Nursery School in many different capacities, starting as a parent helper, to SEN support and then as a classroom assistant. Working with some many amazing teachers at this school, inspired me to restudy and qualify to become a teacher myself. Luckily, I was sponsored by the school and gained my teaching qualification through the Graduate Teaching Programme. This was a year’s course and again, I was lucky enough to land myself a job in my favourite school, working in Nursery.

After teaching in the classroom for a couple of years, I got the urge to gain another qualification. I have always had a love of the outdoors and can see the benefits it has on children’s motivation, mental health and ability to socialise by team building. It was this interest that led me to train as a Level 3 Forest School practitioner. Once I qualified, I was given a huge opportunity to introduce a Forest School to our school. This has brought me so much pleasure over the years. Netherton Infant and Nursery School has a special place in my heart and has given me so many opportunities. I have never felt more at home at work than I have here.

I hope your children love the experience of Year 1 as much as I love teaching it. It really is a fantastic year!

I am Mrs Henriques and I teach class 3 on a Thursday and a Friday. Prior to coming to Netherton, I have taught mainly in key stage 2. And also maths in a high school (this is my favourite subject). I have been lucky enough to have taught across all the year groups at Netherton Infant and Nursery school over the last 3 years and have found key stage 1 is by far my favourite. I love to see the children learn and grow over the year and build up their resilience and love of learning.

At school I am the RE coordinator and love developing children’s understanding of the wider world and of different cultures and beliefs. I feel with understanding comes more kindness and acceptance of everyone’s unique differences. I spend Wednesdays across the rest of school teaching RE.

My teacher super power has to be my ability to develop lasting meaningful relationships with my pupils. When I have a class I see them all as my school babies. And love to get to know each and everyone of them.

Outside of school I live with my husband and our twins Tahlia and Ezra who are 7, as well as 3 cats and 6 chickens. I love animals, my favourite is the giraffe, if I wasn’t so busy being a teacher, I would be a giraffe keeper!

Our Big Six - books we return to over and over again

The Gruffalo

JULIA DONALDSON AND AXEL SCHEFFLER
"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?" "A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”An absolute classic, for good reason. This is a fantastic read along book we all enjoy.
The Gruffalo's Child

JULIA DONALDSON & AXEL SCHEFFLER
In the second Gruffalo book, we meet the Gruffalo’s child, whose curiosity takes her on an adventure in search of the Big Bad Mouse.
Lost and Found

OLIVER JEFFERS
What would you do if a lost penguin arrived on your doorstep? A lovely story about friendship and bravery.
The Colour Monster

ANNA LLENAS
A sensitive book which is a fun and accessible way for children to explore and talk about emotions. The little monster has mixed up feelings, and his friend, a little girl, helps him make sense of them all.
Oi Dog

CLAIRE & KES GRAY, AND JIM FIELD
An absurdly funny book about a very bossy frog. This rhyming book full of silly animals is a joy to read and always makes us laugh.
Going to the Volcano

Great fun to read aloud and join in together, this is a very silly book about two explorers on a journey to look at a volcano. What could possibly go wrong? We want to read it again and again-o.