The Core Subjects

There are three core subjects. These are:

• English

• Mathematics

• Science

Key Stage 1 focuses on developing the children’s capability and confidence in spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary. We continue to focus on supporting a love of reading by offering a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, which ensures the development of fluency. We focus on helping the children learn that writing has purpose and on supporting them as they practise the skills they have acquired and apply them to different genres, including narratives, explanations, descriptions, comparisons, summaries and evaluations. Our environments continue to be places that are rich in language where children can rehearse new vocabulary through their play and be supported in developing confidence in explaining, hypothesising, speculating and describing.

Phonics

In Key Stage 1, our children continue to participate in and progress through adult-led phonics sessions inspired by the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. They begin to focus even more on spelling and writing in order to apply these skills independently. We aim for all children to have completed all the sounds covered by the RWI programme by the end of Year 1 and to consolidate their understanding in Year 2. We liaise closely with the teachers in Key Stage 2 to ensure support is given to those who require further or additional support with phonics when they enter Year 3.

All of the sounds from the RWI programme can be found below:

SET ONE SOUNDS

SET TWO SOUNDS

SET THREE SOUNDS

The children also learn all of the spelling rules not covered by the RWI programme that are documented in the Key Stage 1 English curriculum. In addition, they learn specific spellings.

By the end of Year 1, we aspire for the children to be able to read and know how to spell the following words: a do to today of says was put pull push full are were is his has your they ask friend school house be he we she me no go so by my our here there where love come some one once

By the end of Year 2, we aspire for the children to be able to read and know how to spell the following words: door floor poor because find kind mind behind child children wild climb most only both old cold gold hold told every everybody even great break steak pretty beautiful after fast last past farther class grass pass plant path bath hour move prove improve sure sugar eye could should would who whole any many clothes busy people water again half money

Mr Mrs parents

The children also learn a variety of grammar and punctuation, which supports the ongoing development of their reading and writing.