Iqra VA Primary School

 Year 1 

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING IN AUTUMN 2

ENGLISH

This half-term we will be diving into the fabulous world of poetry. We will explore ‘The

Puffin Book of Fantastic Poems’ in order to familiarise ourselves with rhyme and rhythm. By

the end of this unit, we will have responded to, read, written and performed our own poems.

"The Lonely Beast" by Chris Judge is a heartwarming and beautifully illustrated children's book that follows the adventures of a friendly and affable monster named The Lonely Beast. This lovable creature embarks on a quest to find friends and discovers a vibrant world filled with different animals, each unique in its own way. Through its journey, The Lonely Beast teaches children important lessons about acceptance, diversity, and the value of friendship. This unit will facilitate opportunities for creative writing; where the children will create their own imaginative stories featuring unique characters and settings. The book also allows children to practice descriptive writing and the opportunity to engage in character analysis by examining the way in which the beast changes throughout the story.

PHONICS

This half term, we will be continuing our learning of Phase 5. The children will also begin to write and spell Year 1 common exception words. The children will be encouraged to independently write words and sentences using the phonic sounds they have been taught. It will be beneficial if this can be encouraged at home too.

READING

The children will have guided reading sessions every day. They will all have the opportunity to participate in 1:1 reading sessions once a week. The children will also be provided with a reading book each week, please read with them daily and leave a comment in their reading journals. Ensure your child brings their reading book and reading journal into school every day. Please make use of BugClub and Oxford Owl at home; this is an excellent tool the children can use in order to develop their phonic knowledge and reading fluency.

 MATHS

This half term Year 1 will be counting, ordering and comparing numbers to 20. We will also be exploring various subtraction methods and begin to use language to describe position and direction i.e. ‘left’, ‘right’ etc. 

SCIENCE

This half-term in Science, we will be developing our understanding of the four seasons. We

will become familiar with their scientific names and the type of weather associated with each

season. We will explore the impact of weather and temperature on seasonal change.

ART

In Year 1 Art, children explore colours and learn how they can be mixed to create new shades. They start by understanding primary colours (red, blue, and yellow) and discover how combining these can make secondary colours (green, orange, and purple). They also look at the artwork of Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky, who used bold colours and shapes in creative ways. Mondrian’s style is known for its simple, straight lines and blocks of colour, while Kandinsky’s art is full of circles and abstract shapes. These artists inspire children to experiment with colours and shapes in their own artwork.

Geography

In Year 1 geography, children begin to explore the United Kingdom by learning about its four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They discover key cities within each country, such as London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast, and learn a little about what makes each place unique. The children also discuss the UK’s climate, focusing on the types of weather we experience, like rain, sunshine, and snow, and how the climate can change with the seasons. This helps them start understanding how geography affects daily life and what makes each area special.

Arabic and Islamic Studies

Year 1 will be taught Islamic Studies by Ustadh Kasujja three times a week. The children will learn about the importance of different Islamic values, how best to apply these in everyday life, Muslim identity in addition to learning and practicing new Surahs. Arabic is taught once a week, with a focus on the Arabic alphabet and reading simple words with the correct vowels.

PE

PE is on Thursday with the PE Coach. Please ensure that your child remembers their correct PE kit every Thursday.

HOMEWORK

Homework will be set every Friday and collected on Tuesday. Homework will consist of Maths, English and Spellings. Children will also be expected to complete homework on platforms such as Google Classroom, Purple Mash, Bug Club and Oxford Owl.

Ustadha Shah

Assalamu alaykum! I am Ustadha Shah and am excited to be working in Year 1 again!

Ustadha Khellal

If there is anything else you would like to see on our class page feel free to let me know.

Jazakamullahu khairan