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Turrets and Tiaras - Castles

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Learn more about castles and why they were built in this BBC Bitesize KS1 History guide.

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Castles and Knights: The Features of a Castle

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Castles and Knights: The Features of a Castle. This KS1 History animation covers the basic features of a castle - including moat, drawbridge, battlements, towers, thick walls etc. BBC Teach. sees the characters exploring the features of a castle.

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We visit the library once a week to enjoy a story as a class. The children take home reading for pleasure books from our class library. We change these books every Friday so please can you make sure your child brings their book back on a Thursday.

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National Year of Reading - Book Missions 2026

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February's Book Mission is to...

'tell someone about a book you love'

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We have been learning about famous explorers.

Captain Robert Scott wanted to be the first person to reach the South Pole. Find out if he was...

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FATIMA: Who shall we look up today?

OLLIE: What about an explorer who went to the South Pole?

FATIMA: Okay, sounds good. Holo-Lab, can we meet an explorer who went to the South Pole?

HOLO-LAB: Searching. Searching... Found. An explorer who went to the South Pole, Robert Falcon Scott.

FATIMA: Hi, Mr Scott, I'm Fatima.

OLLIE: And I'm Ollie.

ROBERT SCOTT: How do you do, Fatima? How do you do, Ollie? I'm Robert Falcon Scott. I set out in 1911 to be the first person to reach the South Pole. I knew that Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, also wanted to get their first. The race was on.

FATIMA: That sounds exciting.

ROBERT SCOTT: And dangerous.

OLLIE: What happened?

ROBERT SCOTT: We left Cardiff on a ship called the Terranova, in June 1910, with everything I needed for the expedition. We had problems right away. It was so incredibly cold; the equipment we brought with us wouldn't work and the ponies couldn't cope either.

OLLIE: What did you do?

ROBERT SCOTT: We struggled on, the dogs pulling our sledges through awful weather and across difficult terrain. By the middle of winter, it was too cold even for the dogs so they turned back, leaving only five of us: myself, Wilson, Oates, Bowers and Evans, to make the final push to the South Pole.

FATIMA: Wow! So there were only five of you, alone on all that ice?

OLLIE: And you had no way to call anyone? No radio, nothing?

ROBERT SCOTT: That's right, we had no way to communicate at all and had no choice but to continue on the trek south. Finally, on the 17th January 1912, we arrived at the South Pole.

FATIMA: So you were the first to get there!

ROBERT SCOTT: Well, no. We saw the Norwegian flag flying and realised that Amundsen had beaten us. He had already arrived there on the 14th December.

OLLIE: Oh no!

ROBERT SCOTT: Indeed. Now we faced the 800 mile journey back, knowing that we hadn't been the first to get to the pole.

FATIMA: That must've been terrible for you.

ROBERT SCOTT: Quite. It got even worse. The temperature suddenly dropped to -40°C. That's 45 degrees colder than the average winter temperate in the UK. Despite our insulting clothes made of canvas, wool and reindeer fur, the weather had become so extreme that it was hard to move. This slow progress also meant we didn't have enough food.

FATIMA: What happened?

ROBERT SCOTT: We lost Evans in mid-February. By March, Oates was very badly frostbitten and could not move very fast. Fearful he was holding us up, he bravely sacrificed himself in the hope we would survive.

OATES: I'm just going outside. I may be some time.

ROBERT SCOTT: Our expedition ended on the 29th March 1912. We were just twenty kilometres from a supply depot. I left a letter for my wife.

OLLIE: What did you say to her?

ROBERT SCOTT: I told my wife that I loved her and had no regrets about my journey. How it is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. And although we didn't make it back, we had the spirit to try. We took risks. Luck didn't come our way but we were determined to do our best. That's the most important thing. Go out there and follow your dreams. I wish you all the very best of luck with whatever you choose to do in life.

OLLIE: Wow! What an amazing person!

FATIMA: I want to be a brave explorer.

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What was the Race to the South Pole? - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about Captain Robert Falcon Scott and the race to the South Pole in this BBC Bitesize KS1 primary history guide.

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Learn about mammals with this Year 1 Bitesize Science Guide.

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Learn about birds with this Year 1 Bitesize Science guide.

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What are fish? KS1 Science curriculum - BBC Bitesize

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Learn all about fish with these interactive learning resources for KS1 Science students aged 5-7 from BBC Bitesize.

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We have been learning about objects and the materials they are made from.

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Learn about objects and materials with this Year 1 Bitesize Science guide.

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In Maths this term we will be learning about:

Number – Place Value:

• Count, read and write numbers from 0-50.

• Represent number using objects and pictures, using the

language of comparison (equal to, more than, less than)

Developing calculation skills:

• Adding and subtracting within 20

• Growing understanding of number bonds to 20

• Reading, writing & interpreting statements including + - =

• Solving one step problems and missing number problems

Units of Measure:

• Measure and begin to record lengths, weights and heights

• Use the language long/short; short/ tall; heavy/light; mass/weigh

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We have been enjoying reading the following Talk Through Stories books

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We have been enjoying reading the following Talk Through Stories books

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Rhinocorn Rules by Matt Carr

Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers

Slow Sampson by Bethany Christou

The Scarecrow's Wedding by Julia Donaldson

Billy's Bucket by Kes Gray

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The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

The Invisible by Tom Percival

How to Be a Viking by Cressida Cowell

The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

Cottonwool Colin by Jeanne Willis

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What is the UK?

The UK stands for the United Kingdom.

It is called this because it is made up of four smaller countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

England, Scotland and Wales are located on the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are on the island of Ireland.

Which island do you live on?

The UK is surrounded by water:

The English Channel (between England and France)

The Irish Sea (between England and Wales and Northern Ireland and Ireland)

The North Sea (between Great Britain, Norway and Denmark).

When you visit the seaside, you might swim in one of these seas!

What are the capital cities in the UK?

Each of the four countries of the UK has its own capital city.

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland.

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales.

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.

London is the capital city of England.

When we visit the capital cities, we see different landmarks in each one. Have a look at the photos.

What buildings can you see?

Have you noticed that all of the capitals are near water?

Watch: Find out more about the UK

Learn about the countries in the United Kingdom in this video from BBC Teach.

Video Transcript Video Transcript

Hi there, I'm Earth.

Come and take a look at one of my favourite places, the United Kingdom.

It's made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is England, the biggest country in the United Kingdom.

Its capital city is London.

This is the Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels.

The north of England has many mountains and lakes, like Windermere, the largest lake in England.

Up here is Scotland. It has lots of lakes. They call them lochs.

The most famous is Loch Ness. Legend says it's home to the Loch Ness monster.

The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh, with its famous castle.

Wales's capital city is Cardiff.

Here's Cardiff railway station. It was built to handle all the trains coming in and out of the city.

And this is Snowdon, Wales's highest mountain.

Beautiful, if I do say so myself!

Across the Irish Sea is Northern Ireland.

Its capital city is Belfast.

This is the Titanic Museum, which tells the story of the famous ship.

And this is the Giant's Causeway.

Legend says it was built by a giant who wanted a shortcut between Northern Ireland and Scotland, but really it was formed when the lava from a volcano cooled and formed these columns.

With so many amazing places, I bet you can see why the United Kingdom is so special to me.

What is it like in the UK?

The UK is in the Northern Hemisphere and we have four seasons.

Spring is when the temperature increases and things start to grow again after the cold days of winter.

After spring comes summer. This is usually the warmest season. It is when crops grow and we expect the sunniest weather.

Then comes autumn and the temperature starts to cool down again. Plants and trees shed their leaves.

Winter is the coldest, darkest time of the year. Crops grow more slowly because of the low temperatures.

Activity 1: Countries in the UK

Start activity

JavaScript is required to view this activity.

Activity 2: UK capital cities

Start activity

JavaScript is required to view this activity.

Activity 3: Quiz - The UK

Find out more by working through a topic

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Which countries are part of the UK and what are their capitals? Find out more with Bitesize KS1 Geography.

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Who has senses and how are they used? Learn about the five senses and how they help us explore the world around us in this BBC Bitesize KS1 Science guide.

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What are the seasons? – KS1 Science curriculum - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about the seasons with these interactive learning resources for KS1 Science students aged 5-7 from BBC Bitesize.

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This is the Little Wandle Parent information from the session in September. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Mrs Geach, Phonics and Reading Lead.

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Little Wandle Parent Information PowerPoint September 2025

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Our FUDGE day is on Wednesday 11th February 2026.

We will be linking all the activities to our learning on Turrets and Tiaras.

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This is an overview of the Year 1 reading journey.

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The children will be continuing Outdoor Learning sessions in Year 1.  Their session will take place on a Monday and we ask that on this day you send your children into school with Outdoor Learning kit to change into.

wellies or suitable outdoor shoes in a named plastic bag

jogging bottoms (to protect their legs)

waterproof trousers (if you have them)

waterproof coat – an old one is best

long sleeved light jacket (summer)

hats, gloves, scarf (winter)

sun cream applied if weather is hot

PLEASE NAME ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING

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If you have any questions please email your teacher through the office email account: office@astonclinton.bucks.sch.uk

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Our overall aim by the end of Y1 is for pupils to form all letters legibly with consistency in size using the correct ascenders and descenders.

We revisit the pre cursive (non joined) letter formation the children were taught in Reception in our daily handwriting lessons. We will be using the Little Wandle Handwriting Scheme.

We introduce the letters in families (see attached information below) starting with Curly Letters, Long Letters, Bouncy Letters and Zig Zag Letters.

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Little Wandle Phonics Reading Book

Please read and celebrate books this book with your child as often as possible, encouraging them to talk about what they have read.

They will be able to read their Little Wandle phonics book with ease as they will have read it in school. Therefore, this is their chance to show you what a confident reader they are and just how well they are able to read with their story telling voice. Please can we ask that you write a comment in your child’s reading record to let us know how they got on.

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We expect the children to demonstrate our school values.  We model our values and teach the children to follow the 4 R's: Aspire - be ready to learn; Care - be respectful; Succeed - regulate and repair.  In Year 1, we build on the learning undertaken in Reception and continue to explore and develop these values in order to help the children achieve their potential and be safe and happy in their learning.

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This is the PowerPoint that we use to teach the letter formation using the Little Wandle rhymes.

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Please visit this website for lots of useful information regarding Little Wandle Phonics.

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Supporting your child with reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:

A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.

A sharing book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading practice book
This book has been carefully matched to your child's current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don't worry that it's too easy - your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise - celebrate their success! If they can't read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Sharing book
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn't expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

Back to top

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The resources on this page will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. There are also some useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel...

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These are some of the phrases we use in class to support reading and spelling during our phonics lessons.

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A Book Bag
(no rucksacks/backpacks please)
Water bottle
This should be brought filled with water and will be sent home each day

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1 Minute Maths - a good app to use at home

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1 Minute Maths - a good app to use at home

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Write your own Storybook

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Create your own storybook online. Make writing and publishing a book more fun with our picture book making tool!

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Learning to count is fun with this range of free educational games for Key Stage 1 children. Start with the simple counting games and progress to numbers up to 100. There are also matching and sequencing numbers activities.

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Free, interactive, learning to count games for 5 to 7 year olds involve numbers from 1 to 100.

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Our classes PE day is on a Wednesday.

PE Kit

Please remember that children are expected to wear:

ACS jumper or cardigan

A plain white polo t-shirt

Plain navy tracksuit bottoms, leggings or shorts

Black Trainers for outdoor PE

Also, as the weather becomes cooler children will need a warm tracksuit, as we do go out in all weathers.

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Build your number bonds using Lego bricks!

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Maths at Home

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This section provides some ideas for how you can raise awareness and share mathematics using everyday experiences and resources found around your home. It includes ideas for supporting your children's learning in all areas of mathematics: geometry, measurement, statistics, algebra and number.

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This section provides some ideas for how you can raise awareness and share mathematics using everyday experiences and resources found around your home. It includes ideas for supporting your children's learning in all areas of mathematics: geometry, measurement, statistics, algebra and number.

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Numberblocks is a fantastic series that teaches counting and early maths skills in a fun and visually attractive way. Really engaging for children with ASD

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numberblocks "numberblocks full episodes" "numberblocks episodes" cbeebies "learn to count" "learn maths" "maths for kids" "learning cartoons for kids" "cart...

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We are the Numberblocks! Little blocks with big ideas, having a ton of number fun. Learn how to add, subtract and count the fun and educational way! For more, download the official Numberblocks apps; https://www.learningblocks.tv/numberblocks/apps Visit the Numberblocks on; Twitter: @numberblocks Facebook: facebook.com/numberblocks/ Instagram: @numberblocks © 2022 Alphablocks Ltd.

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PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, Economic education) and RE are taught continually each week across the year.

Our PSHE Jigsaw friend in Year One is Jigsaw Jack and we also have Jerry Cat, who the children will recognise from Reception.  Our PSHE topic for Autumn 2 is 'Celebrating Differences'.

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This is our Little Wandle grapheme mat.  The children are currently learning Phase 5 sounds and are using this mat to support their learning.  If you are unsure of a sound, please look at the grapheme mat for help.

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Hit the Button- Number Bonds to 10 and 20

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Hit the Button- Number Bonds to 10 and 20

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Please play this game to practise number bonds to 10 and 20

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QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Hit the Button is an interactive maths game with quick fire questions on number bonds, times tables, doubling and halving, multiples, division facts and square numbers. The games, which are against the clock, challenge and develop mental maths skills. An untimed, practise mode is available in our Hit the Button app along with lots more extra features.

The activities can be matched to appropriate mathematical ability. Regular use of Hit the Button can help students to sharpen their recall of vital number facts in a fun way and learning multiplication tables need not be boring.

AGE

6-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Times Tables Division Number Bonds Doubles Halves Square Numbers

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Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds

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Quick fire questions on number bonds, doubles, halves, times tables, division facts and square numbers against the clock. Superb!

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Reinforce Times Tables

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QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Coconut Multiples is a tablet-friendly maths game which can reinforce your knowledge of times tables by helping you to recognise the multiples from each table. They can select either multiples up to either the 12 or 10 times table. Multiples can then be worked on either as individual times tables or mixed.

AGE

6-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Number Multiplication Division

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Coconut Multiples - Reinforce Times Tables

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Coconut Multiples is a fun maths game to help 6-11 year olds recognise multiples from either the 10 or 12 times tables.

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This is a list of the words the children are expected to be able to read and spell by the end of Year One.

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This is a list of words the children are excepted to read by the end of Reception. They will also begin to learn how to spell them.

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The Skeleton Dance + More | Dance Songs for Kids | Super Simple Songs

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If you are looking for ideas of what books to read, then please have a look at the attached ist. there are some fantastic books, which we are sure you will enjoy.

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Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

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Browse our library of free children’s eBooks to read with your child including Oxford Reading Tree adventures with Biff, Chip and Kipper.

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Please monitor your child's activity on YouTube

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From the team behind the YouTube series SciShow comes SciShow Kids! Join host Jessi, her robot rat friend Squeaks, and all their friends at the Fort as they explain fun, complex science concepts for young, curious minds. Whether conducting experiments, researching new questions, or talking with experts, there’s always something new to discover with SciShow Kids, no matter what your age! SciShow Kids is streaming on Peacock and Roku! Just search for SciShow Kids to watch a special selection of our favorite compilations. New episodes of SciShow Kids will continue to be posted on YouTube. SciShow Kids is ideal for early-elementary learners, Grades 1-3, and most episodes are structured around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) curriculum.

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What super progress your children are making. They are working hard to apply all their new learning.

Well done Year One!

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https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/spookySpellings/index.html

You can have fun reading and spelling Common Exception Words.  Click Year 1 and click on a book to choose a set of words.

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Spooky Spellings

Practise spelling common exception words.

(Ages 5 and up)

Children in school learn to spell some word through the use of phonics. Some common words are 'tricky' and children need to learn them by heart.

This game uses the words listed in the UK National Curriculum as being 'Common Exception Words' i.e. tricky words.
Choose a year group, then choose bird box to select your word list. Arrange the letters in the correct order to spell each word. The bats will take the letters away when you get it right.

iOS iPad App:
If you'd like a similar game but want to add your own words, why not have a look at this App... Please note, LCWC is paid, not free.

Build on the learning with
these games:

This game is © copyright 2018, J.Barrett, ictgames.com All Rights Reserved.

Made using the and libraries.

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(Ages 5 and up) Children in school learn to spell some word through the use of phonics. Some common words are 'tricky' and children need to learn them by heart. This game uses the words listed in the UK National Curriculum as being 'Common Exception Words' i.e. tricky words.

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Please watch the video to listen to how we articulate the phonemes in class.

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Our aim is to positively praise children who are following our school values. Every classroom has a recognition board where we share each other's successes.
We recognise this in a variety of ways:

Eye contact and a smile

A dojo point

Stickers

Recognition certificates

Post it notes with a message

Best seat in the house

Hot chocolate!

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Please can we ask that the children bring back their reading books every Thursday as they will be given a new individual decodable reading book (which is matched to their phonic knowledge) on a Friday.

We encourage you to listen to your child read the text at least three times (1st read to decode, 2nd read for fluency and 3rd read to answer questions about the book) as we do with the guided reading books in class.  Please do let us know how your child is getting on with their reading at home.

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Paddington

Miss Jackson

Miss Norie

Supertato

Mrs Geach

Mr Sowden

Mrs Skerritt

Mrs Saunders

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Enjoy practising your maths skills.

You will find your login on the back page of your child's reading contact book.

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Motivational maths practice for schools and families.

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We will be going to Science Oxford in the summer term.

We are currently organising this so will update you as soon as we have our booking confirmed.

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Here is a list of books and authors we recommend and hope the children will enjoy. Please feel free to choose any from the list. If you do, we would love to hear your child's thoughts about it!

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Learn how describe materials and their properties with this Year 1 Bitesize Science guide.

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What are the seasons and how does the environment around you change? Find out more in this Bitesize Primary KS1 Science guide.