Many of the children who enter our Year 1 will have spent time in our Nursery, Pre-Reception and Reception classes and will have had experience with all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum. They will be happy, enthusiastic, excited and ready to learn more.

An important part of the EYFS Curriculum is Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED). This means the children will understand the very high expectations at RBIS regarding behaviour. They will have experienced ways of resolving conflict, dealing with different emotions…as well as knowing how to confidently make lasting friendships!

So, in Year 1, RBIS children will work and play together happily and cooperatively, sharing and taking turns…respecting themselves and others. They will be ready to take on responsibilities and experience using leadership skills. 

RBIS children are taught the importance of having ‘listening ears’ and ‘looking eyes’, so when they come to Year 1 they are able to focus and make the most of their learning experiences. 

They will have the confidence to communicate their ideas, each at their own level…and be able to ask for help when they need it. 

When the children enter Year 1, they will be expected to have the ability to link several letters with their sound. This skill is called ‘Phonics’. They will have had plenty of reading experiences and perhaps they will be able to recognize some simple words. 

We do NOT sing the ‘ABC Song’! This song confuses the children as it teaches the letter names, not the letter sounds. 

They will also enjoy playing math games, counting and sorting objects. In Year 1 the children will be ready to start adding, subtracting, measuring and solving simple problems. 

The children will begin to broaden their horizons by studying the additional subjects offered within the National Curriculum of England and Wales, including Science, History, Geography and Computer skills. 

In short, a Year 1 child will have an enquiring mind and an energetic love of learning. They will be confident and ready for a challenge. They will be developing their experiences and skills in a wide curriculum that they will be happy to discover includes their own special interests and abilities.

Why not come and talk to our Year 1 specialist teacher Mr. Phil Tomkins.