Love of Learning
Children’s Mental Health Week 2026
This week in Year 1, we took part in Children’s Mental Health Week, focusing on the importance of looking after our minds as well as our bodies. The children began the week with a special assembly led by the Mental Health Support Team, where they learned about understanding feelings and ways to support their own wellbeing.
Throughout the week, the children enjoyed a range of calming and confidence-building activities, including practising positive affirmations, mindfulness breathing techniques, regular movement breaks, mindful yoga to explore emotions, and relaxing colouring activities. These experiences helped the children to pause, reflect and develop strategies to feel calm and ready to learn.
We also shared the poem “Smiling is Infectious” by Spike Milligan, which encouraged thoughtful discussions about kindness, positivity and how a simple smile can make others feel good. It was a lovely week that supported the children’s emotional wellbeing and encouraged them to care for themselves and one another.
Here are some useful links that you could look at with your children at home:
Science- All about fish!
Year 1 have been learning all about fish this week! We discovered that:
- Fish have gills to help them breathe underwater.
- Fish have fins that allow them to swim.
- Fish are vertebrates, which means they have a backbone.
- Fish are covered in scales.
- Fish are cold-blooded.
- Fish lay lots of eggs and live in water..
We also explored an interesting fact that not all creatures with the word ‘fish’ in their name are actually fish at all! Starfish, jellyfish, cuttlefish, shellfish and crayfish are not vertebrates and do not have a backbone, so they are not real fish—even though they live in water. The children asked brilliant questions and showed great curiosity during this learning
Why don’t you ask them which creature fits into our puzzle and why?
Or maybe visit this website to find out more:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/marine/fish-including-sharks-skates-and-rays
Art comparison
Today, the children have been comparing the work of Joseph Else and Eva Rothschild. We looked at what was the same and what was different, focusing on: how big their sculptures are, the feel of them, and how detailed they were. We also looked at the colour: specifically, how light or dark their sculptures were.
Animals: Amphibians
Today, in science, the children have been learning all about amphibians. We learnt that:
- Amphibians are all vertebrates – this means an animal with a backbone.
- Amphibians can live on land and in water.
- Amphibians have smooth, moist skin with no fur or feathers.
- Amphibians lay eggs in water.
- Amphibians are born in water and have gills.
- They change as they grow, they develop lungs, this is called metamorphosis.
- Amphibians are cold-blooded, so they need warmth from their surroundings.
Why don’t you ask your child which animal can complete the puzzle:
Or maybe visit this website to find out more:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/amphibians
All about Poo!
The children had a fun, hands-on investigation of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Excitedly putting on rubber gloves, they worked as scientists to examine pretend “poo” and discover what each “animal” had been eating, helping them classify it correctly. This showed them how different animals eat different foods. The activity sparked curiosity, lively discussion, and careful observation.
Let's learn about Judaism
A special visitor came into Year 1 to talk about the key beliefs in Judaism. The children learnt that Jewish people believe in one kind and loving God, worship in a synagogue, and celebrate Shabbat as a special time to rest and spend time with family. They also learnt about the Torah, the holy book, and Hanukkah, a festival where families light a menorah and celebrate together.
Phonics is the key to all learning
Phonics is an essential part of learning to read in Year 1. It helps children understand the relationship between letters and sounds, giving them the tools to decode new words and build confidence in their reading. Strong phonics skills also support writing and spelling as children progress through school. Here are some links that parents might find useful to watch with the children at home:
F2
https://youtube.com/shorts/RvfrgrA1SQM?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/8n2JbDVLlB8?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/KlHuga2med0?feature=share
Year 1
https://youtube.com/shorts/eQmowkLjavc?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/3GQkqPTy1e0?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/YT1T3GIOiSA?feature=share
Writing topic- Coming to England
Today the children arrived to find a very exciting surprise– a postcard from Floella and a mysterious suitcase full of clues! Inside the suitcase were exotic fruits, photographs of London and a toy lizard along with other interesting objects.
The children became detectives and used the clues to think carefully and share their ideas. They talked about where Floella might be from, where she was visiting, how she travelled to England and what her journey may have been like. They asked questions, made predictions and explained their thinking. This lesson introduced our class text, Coming to England by Floella Benjamin.
Here is a link to the story for the children to watch at home:
Let's learn about London
This week in Year 1, we have started learning about London. We began reading our new story Katie in London by James Mayhew. We talked about London being the capital city of England and looked at famous landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. The children enjoyed watching a fun tour of London with Blippi and explored famous landmarks through a 360° virtual tour. They were excited to spot places Katie visits in the story and share what they already know. The children are also welcome to continue exploring London at home using these resources. We are looking forward to learning more about London as our story continues.
Blippi Explores London On A Double-Decker Bus! | Educational Videos for Kids
Festive Fun
We are incredibly proud of the Year 1 children for their fantastic performances in the nativity. They showed great confidence, teamwork and enthusiasm, bringing the story to life for everyone watching. 1G performed a fabulous line dance that cheered everyone up and filled the room with joy. 1CG amazed us with their wonderful townspeople dance, showing great Christmas spirit and spreading happiness to all. 🎄✨
The children also enjoyed learning about Christingle and why Christians celebrate it. They learned how each part of the Christingle has a special meaning and why it is important to Christians. The children made their own Christingles with care and pride. They also attended a Christingle service, showing respect and curiosity as they learned more about this special celebration.
Writing – let's jump into our new narrative!
This week, Year 1 explored the beautiful wordless picture book Journey by Aaron Becker. The children drew their own magical doorways leading into imaginary lands and described what they could see, hear, and feel to their small groups. They then had lots of fun ‘jumping into’ the pictures from the book, inspired by the chalk drawing scene from Mary Poppins. Through this, the children used their imaginations to bring the story to life and share creative ideas with their friends. They loved building their oracy skills and confidently describing the wonderful worlds they had imagined.
R.E. Parables
This week, Year 1 extended their learning about parables by exploring the story of The Ten Lepers. The children learnt how Jesus showed kindness by healing ten men who were very unwell and how only one returned to say thank you. They discussed what this story teaches Christians about gratitude, kindness, and remembering to show thanks for the good things in our lives. The children shared examples of times when they have shown kindness to others or said thank you for help they have received. Together, they thought about how being thankful can make people feel happy and cared for. To finish, the children enjoyed acting out the parable, bringing the story to life and showing their understanding in a fun and meaningful way.
Design and Technology- let's explore toy cars
Very exciting news today as Year 1 received a letter from Smyths Toys Superstore, asking them to design a toy car suitable for a 5-6-year-old. They were given a design brief, which explained that it must not use electricity to move!
We then explored a range of vehicles, testing out how they moved and what materials they were made out of. We then started to gather our findings.
Writing-Lost in the Toy Museum
In year 1, we have continued to explore the story of 'Lost in the Toy Museum' and have been busy identifying what a noun is and finding different ones in our story. We have continued to work on our capital letters and full stops and have been working hard at writing sentences to recreate our very own version of the story ready to share with the F2 children soon!
Science- Materials
In science, we have been exploring different materials and their properties. We have been thinking about what an object is, what different materials there are and the best uses for them based on their properties. We had ago at sorting some objects depending on the material they were made from before carrying out an experiment of our own to help Bunting choose the best material for his umbrella. We've also learnt a great song to help us with our science. Ask your child to give you a tune!
TOYS TOYS TOYS!!
Year 1 spent an exciting afternoon in the hall exploring a variety of toys and games from the past. The children had great fun trying activities such as bean bag toss, skipping with ropes, hula-hooping, a target toss game, cup and ball, and even ten-pin bowling. They noticed how these toys and games were different from the ones they play with today and talked about what had stayed the same. The children are now excited to find out more about toys in the past and are looking forward to comparing them with the toys they play with now. This special afternoon has helped them to begin thinking about their new topic and will support them in answering our enquiry question: “Are all changes for the better?”
Year 1 has had a great start to the year. The children have settled in really well, and we are very excited about the year ahead.