Science – Material Detectives

This week in Science, Year 1 have been learning all about materials and what everyday objects are made from. We became material detectives and explored our school, inside and out, to see what we could discover.

The children worked brilliantly as they searched for objects made of wood, plastic, metal, glass, fabric, and rock. They were excited to spot wooden doors, metal railings, plastic chairs, glass windows, cosy fabric cushions and even rock paving slabs outside.

As we continue to develop our Working Scientifically skills, the children focused on making observations, noticing not just the material but also its texture, use and why it might’ve been chosen. Their curiosity and attention to detail were fantastic to see.

Help at home
Invite your child to look around your home and choose an object of each material (wood, plastic, metal, glass, fabric, rock). Ask them to describe the material and why they think it’s suitable for that object.

RE – Waiting for Christmas

In our RE lesson this week, we’ve been learning about why waiting and preparing for Christmas is such an important part of the Christian faith.

We began by exploring the Nativity story. The children thought carefully about which characters had to wait for something special to happen. They spotted lots of examples:

• Mary waiting for baby Jesus to arrive
• Mary and Joseph waiting to find somewhere safe to stay in Bethlehem
• The Wise Men waiting and travelling a very long way to meet the new baby king

It helped us understand that waiting has always been a big part of the Christmas story.

We then learned that Christians have a special time of waiting and getting ready before Christmas called Advent. The children shared their own experiences of advent calendars and what it feels like to open a door each day. We looked at different Advent traditions such as advent candles and advent wreaths and discussed how these help Christians count down to Christmas in a thoughtful and meaningful way.

For many Christians, Christmas is not only about presents, decorations or delicious food. It is a time to remember and celebrate the Christian belief that Jesus came to earth as both God and human. Because of this, Christians aren’t just waiting for Christmas Day – they are waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We looked closely at the Advent wreath and talked about what each candle can represent:

• Hope
• Peace
• Love
• Joy
• Jesus – the white candle in the middle, lit on Christmas Day

The children learned that each Sunday during Advent, a new candle is lit, and the final candle is lit on Christmas Day itself.

Help at home by asking  your child what they are currently waiting or hoping for – maybe a birthday, a visit, or a special event. Talk about how waiting can feel exciting, difficult or joyful.

PE – Year 1 Take Flight!

This week in PE, Year 1 have been developing their gymnastics skills by exploring different types of jumps. The children have been fantastic at listening carefully, moving safely and giving their best effort.

We focused on a range of basic jumps, including:

• Straight jump – keeping the body tall like a pencil with arms stretched overhead.

• Star jump – jumping out wide with arms and legs spread, then landing back together.

• Tuck jump – lifting knees towards the tummy while keeping the back straight.

• Half-turn jump – making a small controlled turn in the air and landing softly facing the opposite direction.

The children practised taking off with two feet, landing with bent knees and keeping their arms out for balance. They also learned how to sequence their movements with control and confidence.

Staying Safe in Gymnastics

Safety is always our top priority. We reminded the children to:

• Look for clear space before they jump.

• Use two-footed take-offs and landings.

• Keep knees bent when landing.

• Move carefully on and around the apparatus.

• Listen closely to instructions and wait for their turn.

Everyone did brilliantly at following our safety rules.

Help at home by trying some soft landings at home: Lay down a folded blanket or cushion and encourage your child to practise bending their knees to land softly.

Topic – Trip to The Hepworth

Last Friday, Year 1 had a fantastic time on our school trip to The Hepworth Gallery. The children were excited to explore the gallery and loved looking closely at all the different sculptures. They noticed shapes, textures and materials, and asked some brilliant questions along the way.

We took part in a workshop where we carefully arranged corrugated card, bubble wrap and string to create interesting textures before printing onto a torn paper background inspired by the work of Barbara Hepworth. The children created some bold, imaginative designs and had a lot of fun.

The children were enthusiastic and focused and their artwork looked amazing. Every child represented our school wonderfully with brilliant behaviour, curiosity and creativity.

Help at home by encouraging your child to explore textures around the home. Try rubbing a crayon over different surfaces to see what patterns appear.

Living and Learning – Anti-bullying week

Power for Good

This year’s Anti-Bullying Week theme is “Power for Good”. We all have a power inside us:

• to choose to be kind
• to speak up
• to help others feel safe
• to include someone
• to STOP bullying

We explored what kindness, supporting others, speaking up and including friends looks like in our happy and healthy classroom and playground. Here are some of the children’s ideas:

• saying nice things
• giving someone a smile so they feel happy
• letting someone go first sometimes
• telling an adult if someone gets hurt
• helping a friend if they’re stuck
• sitting with someone so they have a friend
• telling the truth, even when it’s tricky

Our School’s Definition and Solution for Bullying

Here at St James’ Primary School, we use the acronym STOP to help us remember the definition and solution to bullying.

Bullying is something that happens several times on purpose.

What can we do? Start telling other people (trusted adults) so help can happen.

What is Odd Socks Day?

On Monday, we celebrated Odd Socks Day. On this day, children and adults wear odd socks to send a meaningful message:

• It shows we are all unique and different.
• It helps us celebrate our differences.
• It helps us think about how we can include others and be kind.

We used our odd socks as a talking point to look at how we are each one-of-a-kind, how we treat each other kindly and how we can use our kind behaviour to help friends.

Help at home

• Remind your child of our school’s STOP definition of bullying. What’s the difference between bullying and a fall out between friends?
• Encourage your child to speak up if they see someone being unkind or if they feel sad or left out.
• Celebrate kindness: How your child used their power for good this week?
• Visit our staying safe page with your child.
• Download the Anti-bullying Alliance’s Parent and Carer pack

Me and My Money Week

Me and My Money Week

This week, we’ve been learning all about money.

The children have developed a deeper understanding of what money is, where it comes from and how we can use it wisely.

Before beginning our learning, we considered two big questions to understand what we already know.

What is money?

Money is something you spend on stuff. – Mia

Money is something you have to buy things. – Eli

Money can you make you rich and once you have enough you can buy something. – Joey

Money is something you can get from working. You can give it to poor people. – Ella D

It helps us to buy a house stuff that we need. – Scarlett

Where does money come from?

the bank

Money comes from a machine in the wall.

money factory

The bank gets it from the Prime Minister.

Understanding the Importance of Money

We began by talking about why money is such an important part of people’s lives. The children shared their own experiences of using money, from buying treats to saving up for something special. Together, we explored the difference between things we need (like food and clothes) and things we might want (like toys or sweet).

This helped us think carefully about how people make different choices about how they spend and save their money. The children showed great curiosity and maturity in recognising that everyone’s spending decisions can be different and that’s okay!

Keeping Money Safe

We then looked at the different places people can keep their money safely. We discussed the benefits of using a bank compared to a money box and we talked about why some places are safer than others. The children enjoyed sorting pictures and deciding which options would be best for saving their coins.

We also explored where money can come from. Money can be:

• given
• earned
• found
• borrowed

Comparing and Choosing

To put our learning into practice, we compared the cost of some everyday products. The children were amazed to see how prices can vary and enjoyed talking about which items they thought were worth more or less. This led to some great conversations about making choices and getting good value for money.

Staying Safe Online

We also linked our money topic to online awareness. The children learned how to spot adverts online and understand that some adverts might try to persuade us to click on them. We discussed how clicking on adverts can sometimes take us away from the page we were looking at and why it’s important to always check with an adult before clicking on anything new.

The Smile Shop

In our reading lessons, we linked our learning to our theme of money through the story The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura. Before reading, we made predictions about what might happen and afterwards we created an emotions graph to show how the main character’s feelings changed throughout the story.

Through our discussions, we discovered that some of the most valuable things in life can’t be bought with money. The children reflected thoughtfully on the message that you don’t always need money to make you happy and that sharing a smile can be just as rewarding as spending money.

Reflecting on Our Learning

Our Year 1 children have developed a fantastic understanding of money and how to make sensible choices about saving and spending. They also showed great awareness of how to stay safe online – a skill that will help them both now and in the future.

It’s been a fun, practical and thoughtful week in Year 1, full of discussions, teamwork and real-life learning!

Help at Home

Here are a few ideas for ways you can support your child’s learning at home:

Talk about needs and wants
When shopping, talk about which items are things you need (like food) and which are things you want (like treats or toys). This helps children make thoughtful spending choices.

Talk about saving
Encourage your child to save up for something special. You could use a money box or jar and count how much has been saved each week.

Compare prices together
Next time you’re shopping (in store or online), look at two similar items and compare the prices. Talk about why one might cost more than the other.

Share stories about money and kindness
Share some stories that show how happiness and kindness can’t always be bought. Talk about what makes your child happy without spending money.

Stay safe online
Explore websites or games together and look for adverts. Talk about how to spot them and what to do if something pops up unexpectedly. Remind your child to always check with an adult before clicking on anything new.

Do you have a child due to start primary school in 2026?

A video and FAQ’s are available for more support and guidance with applications.

Autumn 1 – Half Term in Review

What a fantastic first half term we’ve had in Year 1! The children have settled brilliantly into their new routines and shown great enthusiasm for learning. Here’s a look back at some of the wonderful things we’ve been up to:

Maths

We’ve been busy developing our number sense – counting all the way to 100, comparing quantities and exploring part–whole relationships. The children have enjoyed using practical resources to understand how numbers to 5 can be made in different ways.

Help at home: Encourage your child to spot numbers around you (door numbers, buses, clocks!) and practise quick recall of number bonds to 5.

English

We’ve loved sharing some brilliant stories: Flat Stanley, The Enchanted Wood, and Hermelin the Mouse Detective. The children have been predicting what might happen next, discussing their favourite parts and beginning to write simple sentences. We’ve also been working hard on pencil control and letter formation.

Help at home: Read together daily – talk about the characters, setting and what might happen next.

Phonics

We’ve learned four new sounds this half term: ay, oy, ou and ea. The children are becoming more confident at spotting these sounds in words and using them in their writing.

Help at home: Try spotting these new sounds in books or on signs!

Science

Our topic on The Senses has been full of excitement and discovery. The children have enjoyed hands-on investigations, testing their sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch and thinking like real scientists!

Help at home: Try a fun senses scavenger hunt! Ask your child to find things they can see, hear, smell, taste and touch around the house or garden. Talk about which senses they used and what they discovered.

Topic

We’ve been geographers, learning all about where we live. The children have explored maps, looked at local landmarks and even conducted fieldwork to find out how people travel to school.

Help at home: Go on a short walk around your local area – notice signs, buildings and different types of transport.

RE

In RE, we’ve been thinking about belonging – what it means to belong to a family, a class, or a community and how we can help others feel included.

Living and Learning

We’ve explored our rights and responsibilities, how to treat others fairly, and what democracy means in our classroom.

PE

This half term we’ve focused on football skills, practising dribbling, passing and, most importantly, working as a team. The children have shown great sportsmanship and energy every week.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to all our parents and carers for your continued support at home – it makes such a difference.

We wish you all a happy, healthy and restful break. We’re looking forward to an exciting and busy Autumn 2!

Training day – Arty Ideas

We thought you’d enjoy hearing a little about what went on during our recent teacher training day! Part of the day was dedicated to developing our art knowledge and skills with our resident art teacher, Mrs Boulton.

Teachers got hands-on with paints, pastels and even soap! There was plenty of colour, laughter, and even a bit of friendly competition as we experimented with new techniques and ideas for upcoming art lessons.

The rest of the day focussed on other important areas too, including maths and inclusion. It was a full, productive day – and we left feeling ready and excited for the next half-term!

Living and Learning – Democratic Decisions

Taking Part in Democratic Decisions

This week, we’ve been learning all about democracy, one of the British Values that helps make our country a fair and kind place to live.

Democracy means that everyone has a say in making decisions. Instead of one person deciding everything, people get to share their ideas and vote for what they think is best. It’s a way of making sure everyone’s voice is heard!

We talked about why democracy is important – it helps us to:

• Make fair choices that include everyone’s opinions

• Learn to listen to different ideas

• Respect the decisions of the group, even if it’s not what we voted for

What Makes a Good Leader?

We also thought carefully about what it means to be a good leader. A good leader is someone who:

• listens to others
• shares ideas kindly
• helps everyone work together
• makes good and fair choices
• sets a good example
• always tries to do the right thing, even when it’s tricky
• has good thinking skills

Most importantly, a good leader makes sure everyone feels included, respected and valued.

Our Junior Leadership Team Elections

This week, we held elections for our Junior Leadership Team.
We had 15 wonderful candidates who courageous put themselves forward.. Each child prepared and delivered a thoughtful speech, explaining what would make them a good leader and how they would help our school community.

We were so proud of how respectful and kind everyone was during the voting process. When the results were announced, the children showed amazing character – they celebrated their friends’ success and congratulated each other warmly.

It was a brilliant example of democracy in action right here at St James’ CE Primary!

Our new Junior Leadership Team will soon begin sharing ideas from the class and helping to make our school an even happier and healthier place to achieve and believe. We’re excited to see the positive changes they’ll bring.

Help at home by:

• Talking about choices: Let your child help decide small things like what to have for dinner or which game to play.
• Holding a family vote: If you can’t agree on a film or an activity, have everyone vote and go with the majority!
• Encouraging listening: Remind children that everyone’s opinion matters – even if we don’t all agree.

We’re so proud of Year 1 for showing maturity, respect and kindness this week. They are growing into thoughtful British citizens who know how to make fair choices together.