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Ladybirds Class
Hello and welcome to our special page for year one class, known as the 'Ladybirds' class!
Due to the snow, school will be closed today (January 9th 2026). Please click the link below to access the snow day work:
We want your child to be happy and to enjoy learning so if you have any questions or concerns please come and see us! Don't hesitate to get in touch with any question no matter how big or small. Email me at Ladybirds@coppice.derbyshire.sch.uk.
All year we will be working towards meeting the end of year expectations for year one.
Meet the Staff
Mr D'Souza - Year One class teacher
Mrs S Fowkes - Teaching Assistant (all day, every day)
Mrs Z Hussain - Teaching Assistant (every morning)
Mrs Jephson is the Key Stage One Co-ordinator who will be popping in lots to check we are having lots of fun whilst we learn.
Mr D'Souza will have one day out of class on a Tuesday every two weeks for PPA and this will usually be covered by Mr J Moreton.
General Information
In a morning the gates will be open between 8.35am and 8.40am. Please say goodbye to your children on the playground and they will enter the classroom via the door which faces the playground. Parents are not allowed to accompany them from the playground.
Learning Information
Our topic this term is ‘Happily Ever After’. An overview (knowledge organiser) of this half term’s topic can be found by clicking here.
As a key stage, we like to inform parents about the types of things we will be covering in each topic in a little more detail. To access our parents' medium term plan overview please click here.
This half term we will continue to learn through a broad and balanced curriculum. Click here to see our Spring 1 weekly timetable. PE this half term is on a Tuesday and a Friday. Please wear your PE uniform on these days and make sure that earrings are removed.
Homework is set at the start of a half term and is due in the last week of half term. Click here to see this half term’s homework.
Topic Overview
This half term’s topic ‘Happily Ever After’ is heavily focussed on geography and history. By the end of the unit the ‘sticky knowledge’ we want our children to remember is:
I know who the King of England is.
I can name three past King’s and Queen’s.
I can identify three features of castles.
Below is a brief summary of what we will be learning each week.
Week 1: Question
Who is the King of England and where does he live?
We will begin our topic by coming to school dressed as a King, Queen, Prince or Princess and discuss whether they are dressed as a real King or Queen or a fictional one. Do we know of any real King and Queens? We will have lots of discussions around the questions ‘What do we know about them? What is their job?’
Then we will learn all about King Charles III. When did he become the King? Why did he become the King? Where does he live? Does he always live in the same place or does he live in a few places?
This week, the children will use an atlas to locate the four countries of the UK, label them on a map and locate where King Charles III has residences.
Week 2: Question Why did monarchs build castles?
This week we will think about why Kings and Queens live in castles and not ordinary houses. What is special about castles? How did the castles protect and defend them?
This week we will learn about different parts of a castle and what the job of each part is,
The children will then have the opportunity to use a range of media including Lego and Duplo to make castles.
Week 3: Question
Who were the Kings and Queens of the past?
This week we will be thinking about how we find out about the past.
We will be learning about the monarchs of the past and find out about all of Queen Elizabeth’s past including all the castles she lived at.
This week we will be creating timelines to show occurrences from Queen Elizabeth’s life.
Week 4: Question
Who was Queen Victoria, and where did she live?
This week we will be focussing on using historical sources to understand more about the past.
We will be looking at Queen Victoria and thinking about the chronology of her, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles and other monarchs. Yet again, we will be exploring this on a timeline!
We will then become history detectives and start fact finding ourselves!
Week 5: Question
Who was the first Queen Elizabeth?
This week we will be focussing on another monarch, Elizabeth I. We will be adding her to our timeline of monarchs and start to using our prior knowledge to find similarities and differences between monarchs.
How are Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria similar? Different?
Week 6: Question
Why do we remember King William I?
Another week and another monarch! This week is focussing on King William I. We will think about when he was King and how long he reigned for.
Our big question this week is why do we remember him. We will learn about him being the first King of England, him winning the battle of Hastings in 1066, him being known as William the Conqueror and that he built lots of castles for defence.
We will then spend time exploring some photographic sources of evidence and consider what they teach us about the past and William I using our detective skills.
This term's topic information and IMPORTANT vocabulary
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Art / DT |
This half term we will be focussing on sculpture. We will look at famous artists’, crafter makers’ and designers’ work and describe them including their similarities and differences. We will then try and use their work to inspire our own. We will explore a range of materials to make different sculptures. We will continue to reflect on our work and develop and share ideas throughout the lessons. Of course, our final pieces of work will be on display for you to see! |
Sculpture, shape, form, mould, roll, squeeze. |
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Science |
This half term our science topic is ‘everyday materials’. We will be thinking about the different materials things can be made from. We will be distinguishing the difference between an object and the material it is made from. We will be thinking about the properties of materials and learning some new vocabulary including waterproof, flexible and transparent. We will be sorting materials by their properties and then be using our knowledge of this to pick materials to use in different experiments such as which material would be good to mend a hole in an umbrella? Why? |
Object, material, properties, natural, man made, wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, rock, hard, soft, stretchy, stiff, shiny, dull, rough, smooth, bendy, not bendy, flexible, waterproof, absorbent, transparent, opaque, |
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PSHCE |
This half term is ‘Difference and Diversity’. Attached to this letter is our knowledge organiser which tells you in lots of detail what we will be learning about and how you can support your child at home. |
Difference, diversity, respect, opinions, similarities, groups, unique. |
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Computing |
This half term we will be completing the ‘animated stories’ unit from Purple Mash. Children will be learning the difference between an e-book and a traditional book, how to add animations to pages, how to add music to pages, how to add voices and sound effects to pages, how to add backgrounds to pages and how to copy and paste pages. We can’t wait to share these with you! |
algorithms, instructions, forwards, backwards, left, right, direction, undo, debug, sort. |
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RE |
This half term we will be exploring the key question ‘Who is Jewish and what do they believe?’ This unit will allow us to explore Judaism. By the end of the unit we will know that a mezuzah in the home reminds Jewish people of God, that a Shabbat is a special day of the week for Jewish people and we will know how Jewish people celebrate Shabbat. |
kippah, Jewish, belief, The Torah, payer shawl, Star of David, Hanukkah, rabbi, prayer, Elijah’s cup, synagogue, seder plate, Shabbat, mezuzah. |
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PE |
This half term your child will have PE with a sports coach on a Tuesday for Gymnastics and PE on a Friday with myself which will be dance. |
place stretch push pull hop skip step spring crawl still slowly tall long wide narrow up down forwards high low elbows bottom back around through extension roll copy pathway along jump land balance tension curved straight zig-zag shape over hang grip Travel, stillness direction space beginning middle end feelings body parts levels directions pathways speed rhythm |
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Music |
This half term we will be continuing with our music scheme of work ’Kapow’. This half term’s unit is called ‘Fairy tales’ This unit uses fairy tales to introduce children to the concept of sound patterns (rhythms). They explore clapping along to repeated words and phrases, creating rhythmic patterns to tell a familiar fairytale. |
Repetition, patterns, rhythms, clapping, beats, fast and slow. |
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Geography |
This half term’s topic ‘Happily Ever After’ is heavily focussed on geography and history. |
Countries, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Edinburgh, London, Cardiff, Belfast, North, South, East, West, direction, capital cities, castle, landmark, features, key |
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History |
This half term’s topic ‘Happily Ever After’ is heavily focussed on geography and history. |
Elizabeth I, past, change, throne, monarch, turret, drawbridge, moat, lance, dungeon, sword, knight, ramparts, portcullis, tower, shield. |
Literacy
In Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPAG) this half term we will be focussing on
Tenses – past and present
In Whole Class Reading we will be focussing on texts linked to our literacy lessons.
Fluency reading
Discuss and clarifying the meanings of new words.
Echo reading.
Extending reading.
Answering comprehension questions by retrieving the answer from the text.
Choral reading
Close reading
In Literacy we will be exploring lots of genres and be given a wide variety of writing opportunities.
Week 1 – Cinderella – sequencing and retelling a story
Week 2 – Cinderella – writing letters in character
Week 3 – The Gingerbread Man – using talk for writing to retell a traditional story
Week 4 – Making gingerbread men – instruction writing
Week 5 – Snow White – writing character descriptions
Week 6 – Snow White – retelling the story and innovating part of the story ourselves!
Phonics
We will teach phonics to the whole class together and will run same day intervention sessions for children requiring further consolidation to help them to keep up.
Below we will attach parent information sheets which will explain the learning for each week in phonics so you can support your child at home.
Spring 1 week 1 parent information sheet
Spring 1 week 2 parent information sheet
Spring 1 week 3 parent information sheet
Spring 1 week 4 parent information sheet
Spring 1 week 5 parent information sheet
Reading
In school we will listen to your child read their reading book at least once every week, please make sure that it is in school every day. Please support your child with reading by listening to them read regularly at home. Just a couple of pages every day makes a huge difference to their confidence. Remember to record on the Go read app or Boom reader website every time you hear your child read. Reading is the most important piece of homework you can do with your child at this age as reading is the key that unlocks all other areas of learning. To be successful writers, children first have to be confident and successful readers so your support is invaluable.
Helping with Literacy at Home
You can help your child at home by:
- Practising common exception words - reading and spelling. Click here to view year one common exception words.
- Talk about what they are learning in class that week.
- Encourage your child to read out any writing they complete at home to check it makes sense.
- Read with your child at least 3 times a week.
Reading
In school we will listen to your child read their reading book at least once every week, please make sure that it is in school every day. Please support your child with reading by listening to them read regularly at home. Just a couple of pages every day makes a huge difference to their confidence. Remember to record on the Go read app or Boom reader website every time you hear your child read. Reading is the most important piece of homework you can do with your child at this age as reading is the key that unlocks all other areas of learning. To be successful writers, children first have to be confident and successful readers so your support is invaluable.
Numeracy
I
Counting to and from 20
Understanding the value of 10 (including number bonds to 10)
Understanding 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 (partitioning in to tens and ones, and using our number bond knowledge)
Working out 1 more than a given number
Working our 1 less than a given number
Using the number line to 20
Estimating on a number line to 20
Comparing numbers to 20
Ordering numbers to 20
Adding by counting on within numbers to 20
Adding ones using number bonds
Finding and making number bonds to 20
Working out doubles
Working out near doubles
Subtracting ones using number bonds
Subtracting by counting back
Subtracting by finding the difference
Working out related facts (addition and subtraction fact families)
Solving missing number bonds (addition and subtraction)
Recognising half an object or shape
Finding half an object or shape
Recognising half of a quantity
Finding half of a quantity
Unitising linked to money
Recognising coins
Recognising notes
Counting coins
In addition to these objectives covered in maths lessons we will also have daily counting stick practise focussing on our chanting of the 2s, 5s and 10s times tables.
Helping with maths at Home
Talking about the learning they have done in class.
Practise counting to 20 forwards and backwards
Practising counting in 2's, 5's and 10's
Practise recalling addition, subtraction and number facts to 10 and then to 20.
Encouraging your child to count - add money, count out objects, calculate how many will be left, estimate how many there are etc
Our Coppice CARE Values
C stands for: cooperation, committed and considerate
A stands for: accepting, aspirational and achieving
R stands for: respectful, responsible and resilience
E stands for: excellent, empathetic and enthusiastic
Each week we have a new value – 12 in total. The children will have an assembly Monday morning about how to show and give respect to others both in school and at home! We will be expecting this to be demonstrated to all members of our Coppice community. It is important that even when we move onto a new value, the old one isn’t lost.
Each week Mrs Seaton will send out a Newsletter that will reflect the value we are working on so that it can also be supported at home. We look forward to seeing our children bright and early ready to embrace the new weekly challenges!
Important Diary Dates
Monday 5th January 2026 – first day of the spring 1 term
Friday 13th February 2026 – Last day of this half term
Friday 23rd January 2026 – Warwick Castle trip