CLASS 1 – EARLY YEARS/KEY STAGE 1
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PE and weekly Forest School sessions are taught every Wednesday and PE is also taught on Fridays so children should come to school dressed in their PE kit on those days. Weekly swimming sessions for Class 1 take place in Terms 5 and 6. All children are welcome to use our breakfast/after-school clubs and these can be booked via Parent Pay.
Our Phonics Scheme
We use Unlocking Letters and Sounds which was validated by the DfE in December 2021. We begin teaching phonics in the first few weeks of term 1 in Reception and children make rapid progress in their reading journey. Children begin to learn the main sounds heard in the English Language and how they can be represented, as well as learning ‘Common Exception’ words for Phases 2, 3 and 4. They use these sounds to read and write simple words, captions and sentences. Children leave Reception being able to apply the phonemes taught within Phase 2, 3 and 4.
Actions, Images and Handwriting – Phase 2
In Year 1 through Phase 5a, b and c, they learn any alternative spellings and pronunciations for the graphemes and additional Common Exception Words. By the end of Year 1 children will have mastered using phonics to decode and blend when reading and segment when spelling. In Year 1 all children are screened using the national Phonics Screening Check.
In Year 2, phonics continues to be revisited to ensure mastery of the phonetic code and any child who does not meet age related expectations will continue to receive support to close identified gaps.
Unlocking Letters and Sounds Summary of Progression
To ensure no child is left behind at any point in the progression, children are regularly assessed and supported to keep up through bespoke 1-1 interventions. These include GPC recognition and blending and segmenting interventions. The lowest attaining 20% of pupils are closely monitored to ensure these interventions have an impact.
Reading Scheme
At Hillesley Primary School we promote a ‘phonics first’ approach and in both our guided reading sessions at school and in the books children take home, texts are very closely matched to a child’s current phonics knowledge so that every child can experience real success in their reading.
In these crucial early stages of reading we primarily use decodable reading books which ensure complete fidelity to the Unlocking Letters and Sounds progression we follow. Once children progress beyond decodable texts, they move onto our book scheme so that they can continue to progress in their decoding, fluency and comprehension skills to become avid, expert readers.
This Terms Learning
Welcome to our EYFS and KS1 curriculum overview for Autumn Term 1! This term, the children will explore a wide range of exciting topics, including traditional stories, animals and their habitats, toys from the past and present, and the work of artist Yayoi Kusama. Alongside their classroom learning, the children will enjoy PE, music, weekly Forest School sessions, outdoor learning and preparations for our Harvest Festival. This page provides an overview of the learning and experiences taking place throughout the term, along with ways families can support their children’s learning at home.
