ELM CLASS - YEAR 1 & 2
Elm Class is our Key Stage One class, which is home to children in year 1 and 2. The class is taught by Mrs Bilal and a member of the support staff. The class is a safe, warm, welcoming learning environment for all children to develop their acedemic, social and emotional skills. Teaching mixes the demands of the National Curriculum with meaningful learning through practical activities.
In terms 1 and 2, continuous provision in the afternoons supports our Year 1 children with their transition from the Early Years curriculum, from Reception to Year 1. This enables the children to learn through a range of curriculum based activities promoting pupil choice and agency.
Creative curriculum Planning
The class use a range of high quality texts which are linked to the wider curriculum. For example, they complete in-depth study of a historical text in English to deepen their understanding of the history unit they are learning about. Where possible art and DT are also linked to the history and geography ensuring the children are being fully emersed into the learning. We also provide curriculum workshop enrichment opportunities which have included history, art, PE, geography as well as providing a wide variety of sport enrichment: stall ball, golf, cricket, some examples are below.
Maths Development and Key Instant Recall Facts
In term 1, the Year 1 children learn Place Value within 10. This includes using Reckenreks and 10s frames to support the learning of number bonds to support visual recall of the bonds. Year 2, children are learning number bonds within 20 and partitioning numbers within 100. The children are taught to use different models to support their mathematical development. We use White Rose Maths Scheme which teaches children to move through stages of maths concepts and skills: Fluency-Practical application 'make it' using maths manipulatives; 'draw it' drawing manipulatives to show their understanding; 'Explain it'- mathematical reasoning and explaining their understanding; mastery challenge where they are demonstrating a greater understanding of the mathematical concept. For the year 1 and 2, maths coverage see below:
What are KIRFs?
As part of the daily maths, lesson children practise Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs): To develop your child’s fluency and mental maths skills, we teach KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) throughout school. KIRFS are a way of helping your child to learn by heart, key facts and information which they need to have instant recall of to support their mathematical devlopment.
KIRFs are designed to support the development of mental maths skills that underpin much of the maths work in our school. They are particularly useful when calculating, adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. They contain number facts such as number bonds and times tables that need constant practise and rehearsal, so children can recall them quickly and accurately.