Class Blog for Class 1

Welcome to Class 1

Class 1 is taught by Mr Ottewell-Taylor Monday-Wednesday and Mrs Flashman on Thursday and Friday. We are supported by Angela on Mondays and Mrs Vinson Tuesday-Friday.

This year, Class 1 is a mixed age class of Reception and Year 1. Year 1 children are taught between Class 1 and Class 2.

We can be best contacted at pick-up or drop-off time, alternatively we can be contacted via email at tottewell-taylor@harrowbarrowprimary.co.uk or aflashman@harrowbarrowprimary.co.uk

Week ending 25/4/2025

**KS1 Weekly Blog – Splashing into Summer!**

What a fantastic week we’ve had in KS1! Our week began with a splash as we had our **very first swimming session**! The children were amazing – full of enthusiasm, confidence, and smiles. It was wonderful to see everyone giving it their best, whether it was their first time in the pool or they were already little fish! We’re so proud of how well they listened, followed instructions, and supported one another. We can’t wait to see how their skills grow over the coming weeks.

In English, we’ve been diving into the world of fiction and non-fiction. The children have loved exploring different types of books, spotting the differences between made-up stories and real-life facts. We’ve been asking some brilliant questions and sorting texts into categories – future librarians and authors in the making!

Over into Science, we put on our explorer hats and went on a mini beast hunt! We investigated **microhabitats** around the school grounds, carefully looking under logs, leaves, and stones to discover where different creatures like to live. The children were so curious and respectful of nature – it was a joy to see.

**Forest Friends Club – Our First Adventure!** This week marked the exciting start of our **Forest Friends Club**, and what an amazing first session we had! The children began by exploring the forest area, getting to know their surroundings and spotting all sorts of natural treasures. There was so much excitement as we ventured through the trees, listened to birdsong, and discovered hidden corners of our woodland space. One of our favourite activities was making clay minibeasts and woodland animals. Using natural materials like twigs, leaves, and stones, the children got wonderfully creative and sculpted everything from snails and spiders to owls and foxes – their imaginations truly came to life! We also had a brilliant time with den building, working together to create secret shelters using branches, logs, and lots of teamwork. The mud kitchen was busy too, bubbling with muddy potions and messy creations, while the dinosaur small world setup inspired some fantastic storytelling and role play. It was a joyful, muddy, and magical start to Forest Friends – we can’t wait for our next session! Well done to all of KS1 for another week of fantastic learning and fun!

Notices:

**Please note PE is now on a Monday and children need to come into school in their PE kits on this day

Celebration awards:

Well done to Darcie for getting the safe award this week due to her dedication and focus in our first swimming session. Darcie overcame initial fears and took everything else in her stride!

Well done to Luna for getting the respectful award for being such a kind and caring friend.

Well done to Fin for getting the ready award for being such a superstar in RWInc and joining in with every task with enthusiasm.

Week ending 28th March

Investigations

The children had a fantastic time conducting a science experiment where they used various materials to build a boat, all in an effort to help Paddington Bear return to Peru! The task involved investigating the principles of sinking and floating, as the children explored how different materials affected the boat's ability to stay afloat. They tested items like aluminium foil, paper, and plastic, carefully observing how each material interacted with water. Through trial and error, the children learned about buoyancy and discovered the perfect combination of materials to create a boat that would safely carry Paddington Bear on his journey back home. It was an exciting and educational hands-on experience that combined creativity with scientific investigation!

Reception Literacy

In Reception, the children have been practicing their phonics skills by writing dictated sentences all about Paddington Bear. They carefully listened to each word, using their phonics knowledge to sound out and spell the words correctly. As they wrote, they focused on forming their letters with lovely handwriting, ensuring each one was neat and clear. The sentences told exciting stories about Paddington’s adventures, and the children took great pride in their work. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to apply their phonics learning while also developing their fine motor skills and love for writing. The results were impressive, with each child showing great progress in both their handwriting and understanding of phonics!

This beautiful piece is by Elin in Class One.

Mastering number

This week in maths, we are reviewing our subitising skills. We have also introduced how we use rekenreks during maths inputs to support our learning. This is an important skill which will be used throughout Year 1. We practise using the rekenreks on the green table as we record our number bonds to 10. On the yellow table, we select a number representation from the basket and then fill our 10 frame with that number of Easter pasta shapes. On the red table, we use tweezers and Pom poms to fill in the Easter eggs. We subjtise the quantities of 1-6. On the blue table, we use Easter stamps to make our own subitising cards which we then use to test out our friends subitising skills.

Celebrations:

Well done to Ivy for getting the respectful praise award for excellent manners and being a great role model to others.
Well done to Ysella for the getting the ready away for fantastic effort in RWInc and all areas of learning.
Well done to Ava for getting the safe praise away for making better choice and joining in fantastically with her reading.

A busy week ...

Thank you to all of our wonderful parents who provided gorgeous books and outfits to help us celebrate World Book Day. We had a brilliant time exploring our own and each other’s favourite books and even had the chance to choose a teacher from across the school and listen to them read their favourite book!

Year 1 started their Design and Technology project this week. Over the coming term we will be designing and making our own Paddington finger puppets. This week, the children experimented with different ways to join fabric, including gluing, stapling and safety pinning. None of these methods proved effective so we will look forward to using a running stitch to sew fabric together over the next few weeks.

Throughout the school, we now continue our sketchbook use throughout the year (not just during Art sessions). On Monday, Year 1 divided their sketchbooks into smaller (less intimidating) sections which will be drawn into during our sketchbook activities this term. Reception children made their own mini concertina sketchbooks for the same purpose. We have since had two ‘spiral’ themed drawing activities where children have been inspired by spirals in nature and have used ink to explore their own spirals onto their divided sketchbooks.

Reception children have continued to write daily sentences about Paddington bear this week, please see a fantastic example above!

It has been another super busy week in Class 1. Mr Ottewell-Taylor has been very happy to be back in class after last week’s First Aid training!

Week ending 7th March

Buddy reading

Reading with a buddy partner at school plays a vital role in enhancing literacy skills and fostering a love for reading. This collaborative approach encourages the children to engage in discussions about the text, ask questions, and share insights, which deepens their understanding and comprehension. As they take turns reading aloud, they develop fluency and confidence in their reading abilities while benefiting from the support and encouragement of their partner. Additionally, this practice promotes social skills such as communication, empathy, and teamwork, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment. Overall, reading with a buddy not only enriches the educational experience but also cultivates lasting friendships and a shared passion for literature and to top it off this week we had some sunshine to read in too!

Gymnastics!

In our gymnastics lesson, we began with a fun warm-up to get everyone energised, incorporating simple stretches and movements that engaged their whole bodies. Next, we introduced basic balances, encouraging the children to experiment with different poses like the star and the flamingo, focusing on how to maintain stability. After demonstrating proper techniques, the students took turns practicing on mats, cheering each other on as they attempted to hold their balances for longer periods. We then incorporated a mini obstacle course that included balance beams, where they could apply their skills in a playful way. To wrap up, we gathered for a cool-down session, reflecting on what they learned and celebrating their progress. The enthusiasm and teamwork displayed throughout the lesson made it a joyful and enriching experience for everyone.

Composition

In our Early Years math work on composition, children explore the idea of combining and breaking apart numbers to understand how they form larger values. Through hands-on activities, such as using counters, blocks, or interactive games, students learn to visualise and manipulate quantities. They practice creating different combinations of numbers, which helps them grasp the concept of addition and subtraction in a tangible way. This foundational skill supports their number sense, enabling them to recognise patterns and relationships between numbers. The children used sentence stems to help embed their learning - 7 is made from 5 and 2, 5 and 2 make 7. Additionally, engaging in collaborative tasks encourages communication and problem-solving, allowing children to share their thinking and learn from one another. Overall, the focus on composition in early math lays the groundwork for more complex mathematical concepts in the future.

Paddington Bear!

In literacy this week we continued our learning around Paddington Bear. Today we began our work on instruction writing, we worked with a buddy and gave each other instructions on how to draw/colour their picture. The children will then be moving on to writing instructions of their own on how to make a sandwich - we may even test our instructions out!

Key reminders: Don’t forget to book your child for the swimming slots starting April 24th
Box trip - Wednesday 2nd April

Praise awards:
Respectful - Koa for always being kind and respectful to his friends.
Ready - Jane for being ready in every lesson and always trying her best!
Safe - Roma for demonstrating her fantastic gymnastics skills and helping her friends.

Week ending 13th February

In Class 1, students embarked on an exciting journey into the world of science and computing, delving into the concepts of materials and programming. In science, the focus was on understanding different materials and their properties. Students explored various everyday objects, learning how to categorize them as soft or hard, flexible or rigid, and shiny or dull. Through hands-on activities, they investigated the properties of materials like wood, metal, fabric, and plastic, discovering how materials are used based on their characteristics. Simple experiments, such as testing the strength of materials by bending or stretching, helped them gain a practical understanding of how materials behave in real-life situations. This session we started our science experiment and investigation into which materials would be best for Button’s to build his house out of. In computing, Class 1 students were introduced to basic programming concepts. Using simple coding tools, they learned how to give commands to make characters or objects move on a screen. By dragging and dropping code blocks, they grasped the fundamentals of sequencing, loops, and debugging. This hands-on approach allowed them to explore the logic behind programming in an engaging and interactive way. We explored another new resource called Bluebots. The children used the Ipads and the bluebot to give instructions and to debug if anything went wrong. Combining science and computing, Class 1 students gained a deeper understanding of the world around them and developed important skills that will support their future learning in both subjects.

Art Printing:

In art this week we used printing foam to make incisive prints. The children produced some beautiful effects and pieces. This is Isabella’s wonderful piece.

Continuous provision:

The children have been busy learners this week exploring all of the busy learning time activities which had a link to Valentines day! We made playdough valentines chocolates, valentines day cards, petrol station role play on our bikes and our teachers role play.

A very well done to:
Ava for getting the respectful award for making better behaviour choices and engaging in her learning.
Jimmy for getting the ready award for spending so much time on his art work and producing a beautiful piece.
Jane for getting the safe award for always being a fantastic role model and a kind friend.

Notices: Information has gone about our school trip to the Box - please make sure the permission slips are filled in and returned. Many thanks.

More printmaking!

We have had another few busy weeks in Art in Class 1! Continuing on our Simple Printmaking pathway, we have used plasticine to make printing plates. The children chose objects from around the classroom and pressed them into their plasticine to create an impression. They then placed their plates face down into ink pads, applied A LOT of pressure using rollers to ensure the ink was evenly distributed and then finally printed with their plate into their sketchbooks or large sheets of paper. Prior to this session, the children had prepared their paper using Brusho washes to create stunning effects! We’re sure you will agree that the finished prints onto such vibrant paper looked really spectacular! We also used small mount board squares and printing foam to make our own additive print plates. We cut a variety of shapes out of foam and glued them onto the board and then used rollers (in the same manner as last week) to print them onto sugar paper. We didn’t wash our rollers or plates between changing colours leading to a lovely array of colours being produced. When our prints were dry, we cut them out and arranged them carefully against a striking black backdrop. Next week is sadly the last week of our Simple Printmaking pathway, we have thoroughly enjoyed it (me included!) and look forward to our next pathway, ‘Playful Making’ in the summer term.

Week end 31.1.2025

We have had another busy week of learning!

Class 1 were very excited to explore our new resource Indie. We spent the afternoon coding and programming Indie to follow instructions. The children used coloured squares to instruct the robot to complete different outputs.

Our main aims were:

To learn to follow instructions and debug them when things go wrong.

To learn that an algorithm refers to a set of instructions given in a specific order.

Outdoor learning

We also enjoyed some outdoor learning in the sunshine. In science we are exploring materials so we went on a material hunt around the school to see what properties we could find. We then came back and completed our findings onto a table. We then discussed about what the children know about the different materials from previous lessons and what is the difference between materials and objects? Why are some materials used to make certain objects? - Why can we not make roof out of cardboard? - Why is a chocolate teapot not practical? - What if we made our coats out of wood? There were some lovely conversations and vocabulary used around all the different materials.

Mousehole cat

In literacy this week the children are really taking off with their writing. We have began writing the story of Mousehole cat and making it our own. The children have been including various punctuation and some fantastic similes. Next week we will be finalising our stories then editing with our purples to prepare ready for our neat copies!

Simple Printmaking

This half term, Class 1 have started their first unit as part of our new Art programme, Access Art.

We have enjoyed getting stuck right into various forms of simple printmaking.

Last week, we experimented with hand printing. We considered and discussed how much paint we needed to make our prints as effective as possible and how firmly we had to press. When these prints were dry, we used seed catalogues as inspiration to overlay our prints with drawings of flowers. Once we were happy with our pencil drawings, we went over them with ink.

We then overlayed this further with chalk. We filled in the areas around our drawings, leaving the flowers bare of chalk so that our handprints remained vibrant. We mixed the chalks with our fingers to create a smooth misty finish around our flowers. We liked that we could still see our faint handprints through the chalk.

This week, we experimented with wax rubbings. We explored our learning environment to find exciting textures to print onto thin paper using coloured wax crayons. There was a lot of trial and error involved here, working out how firmly we had to press and which colours showed up best on the paper. We made vast collections of rubbings and then cut out our favourite bits to collage into our sketchbooks or onto large sheets of card. When we were happy with our collages we used Brusho to create a watercolour wash over the rubbings. We enjoyed seeing how the wax resisted the paint. Finally, we experimented with different Brusho effects such as sprinkling over the wet paint to create firework like shapes over our prints.

We are sure you will agree that both of our explorations into printmaking so far have created stunning effects!

Over the coming weeks, we will be experimenting with plasticine printing, additive printing and incised printing using print foam . We can’t wait to see what we create!