Welcome to Kingfishers!

We have had a wonderful start to the school year and we look forward to a fantastic year ahead.

Kingfishers is a mixed Year 1 and 2 class taught by Ms Bryan, Mrs Juxon and Mrs Green.

In our class, the children have lessons for English, Mathematics, phonics, reading and spelling in the mornings and Science and foundation subjects are taught in the afternoon.

The year ahead

Our day is structured differently to Early Years, as we have set lessons. Some of these are outside, some are at tables, sometimes they will be working in teams, sometimes they’ll be working on their own. We aim to vary their lessons as much as possible. Initially, we give them lots of breaks to ease them in as gently as we can. Please don’t be worried if your child comes home tired in the first few weeks – it’s very normal and we see it happen every year. They soon settle in to a different routine and way of learning.

Below, is a timetable outlining the topics that we’re covering over the year. We launch our topics in different ways, we go on trips to extend and consolidate learning, and we celebrate the children’s achievements at the end of a unit.

All of our long-term plans are on the subject pages on our website. Our new termly programmes of study will be sent via email to all parents and is shared on our website. 

Florence Nightingale workshop (in school) – Wednesday 26^th November

Tamworth Castle visit – Spring 2 (TBC)

Year 2 Basecamp sleepover at St Leonard’s – Summer 1 (TBC)

Planetarium workshop (in school) – Summer 2 (TBC)

PE

Our P.E. lessons are every Monday and Wednesday. The children need to come to school dressed in correct, labelled P.E. kits. Please make sure your child comes to school in navy blue/black shorts or jogging bottoms a white t-shirt, a navy/black hoody, (this should be plain without logos) white or black socks and pumps/trainers. Hair should be tied back, and jewellery removed please.

Reading

Your child will bring home a reading diary and two reading books for them to read each week. One of these books will be from the school library that they have chosen themselves and is a book to share with a parent and the other will be a phonic related text that children should be able to read with 90% accuracy. In Kingfishers, their phonic reading book is linked to their guided reading sessions in school so the children will be familiar with the texts they take home. On Fridays, the children’s phonic reading book will be changed We read with the children every week in guided reading, but we also aim to read with them individually as often as we can. For this reason, we ask that their books are in their bags every day. Kingfishers are welcome to visit the library on Mondays and Fridays to change their library books.

Reading at home is essential for progress in the subject. At school, we teach the children the skills to read independently, but they need as much practise as possible to do this at home. Ideally, we’d like them to be reading every day, but we ask that you read at least three times a week and record this in their reading diaries. If we see three comments in their reading diaries over the week, the children each get a dojo.

Spelling test

Each Tuesday, we do a spelling test in class. It is absolutely nothing to worry about at all and no pressure is put on the children. It is simply a way to encourage the children to learn the basic spellings that they’ll need for their writing. The children bring home a spelling sheet and we will highlight the list that they’re starting on. Once they are able to spell all of the words, we will award a spelling Dojo to let you know that you can move on to learning the next set. The children will also bring home their spelling books so that you can see which of the spellings they may need to work on for the following week.

Times tables test Year 2 only

Each Thursday, the children will have a times tables test, which again, is absolutely nothing to worry about. All of the children start with the 10 x table and once they know all of the multiplication and division facts, they receive a certificate and we’ll let you know which table to start practising next. The children need to learn the multiplication fact, but they also need to know the related division fact too. E.g. 2 x 10 = 20, but also 20 ÷ 10 = 2. They have a whole year to learn the 2, 5 and 10 x tables them, so please don’t worry if it takes a few months to pass the first one!

Snacks and water bottles

Please provide your child with a water bottle each day that is labelled with their name. We do have fruit available every breaktime for children to select. Alternatively, snacks can be ordered from the school kitchen.

Ways you can help at home

• Support your child to read at home daily

• Have a look at the topics we’re learning about in school – we love having books and related artefacts brought in from home if you have them!

• Practice their weekly spellings with them.

• Year 1 – Numbots. This is an online maths game that really helps children to develop their mental maths. The children will have a login stuck inside their reading diaries.

• Year 2 -Timetables Rockstars. By the end of Year 2, the children need to know their 2, 5 and 10 x tables. Again, inside their reading diaries is a login for you to access this site to start practising.

• We are often asked how we teach calculations in school. If you do want to consolidate any learning at home, all of the methods we use are on our Calculations Policy. These are on the school website at: https://www.st-leonards-wigginton.staffs.sch.uk/maths/

• If you would like to see what the children are expected to do for their age, please visit the school website and visit the different subject pages. Each subject has a progression grid where you’ll be able to see the skills that are expected for each year group. Here is the link to the curriculum tab on the website: https://www.st-leonards-wigginton.staffs.sch.uk/curriculum/

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Phonics screening check

The phonics screening check is a national reading test taken in June of Year 1. Children are asked to read 40 words, 20 real words and 20 alien words – these are phonetical words using all of the phonics taught across Reception and Year 1. The screening check pass mark is usually 32/40.

Last year 100% of our pupils achieved the standard.

Dojo

We love to share what the children have been learning about in class, so please keep an eye on Class Dojo as well as our page on the website. The children will be awarded ‘dojos’ when we spot excellent behaviour or learning, so watch out for those too.

Questions and queries

If you need to contact me, please see me at home time on the door or send me an email office@st-leonards-wigginton.staffs.sch.uk  all messages will be responded to within two days. If the matter is urgent, please telephone the school office on 01827213995.