Year 1/2: Potter
Welcome to Potter Class
We look forward to welcoming you back.
We hope you had a fantastic break, and everybody is raring to go for the new term!
Year 1 and 2: Potter Class
Our class is named after English writer, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist Helen Beatrix Potter. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was her first commercially published work in 1902. Her books, including The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck and The Tale of Tom Kitten, have sold more than 250 million copies. An entrepreneur, Potter was a pioneer of character merchandising. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, making him the oldest licenced character. She left 4,000 acres of land and 15 farms to the National Trust when she died in 1943.
Meet the team
Class teacher – Ms Warren
Class teaching assistant – Miss Sykes
1-1 teaching assistant – Mrs Jones
1-1 teaching assistant – Mrs Jones
Here we will keep you updated on what is happening both in school and within our class. However, if you have any questions about anything, please feel free to catch up with us at the beginning or end of the school day.
Key information
Book changing and Numbots
Pupils will have the opportunity to change their books twice a week, on a Monday and a Thursday. We encourage pupils to read every night and to read the Phonics Read Write Inc books 3 times before they change them to consolidate their knowledge of the sounds and to build fluency and expression. Once your child has finished the Read Write Inc scheme, they will be assessed on their reading fluency, expression and comprehension and when ready, will move on to 'banded books'.
Your continued support at home with reading and Numbots practise will help your child progress and further develop their confidence in reading and number knowledge. If you have misplaced your child's Numbots password, please see Ms Warren for a new copy.
Reading for pleasure at home
Reading at home is an excellent opportunity to help inspire and build a love of reading. If you would like some help on which books would be great for your child to read, please see the recommended reading lists below.
Books for Year 1 children aged 5-6 | School Reading List
Books for Year 2 children aged 6-7 | School Reading List
Books for bedtime to read to children | School Reading List
Gloucestershire's Year of Reading
Autumn 2
Important dates
Monday 2nd November: Children return to school
Monday 2nd November: KS1 Amaze Day
Wednesday 4th November: Halloween Disco.
Wednesday 11th November: Remembrance Day. We will learn about the significance of Remembrance Day and explore ways in which we remember and honour those who have served.
WC 30th November: Last week of clubs.
12th/13th November: Christmas Bauble Workshop
Friday 13th November: Non-school uniform day for Type 1 diabetes.
Friday 4th December: Christmas panto.
Monday 7th December: Festive open afternoon 2-3 pm.
Thursday 10th December: Christmas Jumper Day
Monday 14th December: KS1 dress rehearsal 1:30 pm
Wednesday 16th December: KS1 Performance 1:30 pm
Important Class Information
PE Days: Wednesday Children need to bring their PE kit into school where they will get changed. On PE days, if your child has their ears pierced, please could they be removed. If this is not possible, please provide tape so they can be covered to prevent injury. If children are taking their PE kits home to wash on Fridays, please can you make sure they are back in school on Mondays. With the changing weather, children can wear jogging bottoms on top of their shorts so that they do not get cold.
Outdoor Learning: Children need to bring in wellington boots and a suitable coat depending on the weather. We will also be taking the children to the woods once a week to enjoy some outside learning. Our outside learning session will be on Tuesdays.
Please can children bring in a coat (on chilly days) and a pair of wellies for this session to prevent their school shoes getting dirty.
Break time snack: If your child wishes to bring their own snack in for break time, please ensure it is a healthy choice.
Additional Information
Children are able to access and drink water throughout the day. It is important that children bring a refillable water bottle daily. Please ensure that all school uniform is clearly labelled so that we can easily return misplaced items to their owner. If children could also bring in a coat as we often enjoy the outside, whatever the weather.
If your child has an inhaler, please could you make sure that it is clearly named and in date. Their inhaler needs to be in school so that it can be accessed at all times. If your child requires any other medication, please could you make us AND the office staff aware. For any medication, a medical form is required to be filled in. You can get this from the school office.
English
Learning to read is a life-long skill and a key thing your child will learn at our school. Everything else depends upon this skill, and so, at Bourton we put as much energy into ensuring that every single child not only learns to read but learns to love reading!
Phonics is the key to unlocking reading and writing, and it is why we have chosen to use the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics and writing scheme at our school. Children have daily RWI lessons, which includes an English lesson (made up of reading and writing) and a Phonics session (made up of sounds, words and spelling). Children are assessed termly to identify their progress. Learning to read is a life-long skill and the most important thing your child will learn; we encourage you to embrace your child's journey with phonics, and have included Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3 sounds below:
Video links you may find helpful when practising phonics at home with your child:
How Read Write Inc. Phonics works - a parent/carer’s guide
How to help your child to learn the Read Write Inc. Phonics sounds
Read Write Inc. sound blending tutorial using phonics flashcards
Those who have completed the RWI scheme and have moved to the literacy group will be using high-quality texts to support both their reading and writing. In this group we focus on building confidence and reading fluency. Children are also taught the skills needed to become confident writers.
As always, there will be daily reading and handwriting practise throughout the term.
Listening to your child read Partnership with Families handout 2023
Parent phonics and handwritingFAQs
Reading to your child ten_top_tips
Maths
Potter Class will be developing their understanding of addition and subtraction using practical resources, pictures and number sentences to solve problems. Year 1 will focus on addition and subtraction within 20, solving missing-number problems and adding three one-digit numbers.
Year 2 will build on these skills by adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, using mental strategies, partitioning and number lines. They will also explore number bonds, the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction, and estimating to check whether their answers are reasonable. Across both year groups, we will encourage the children to explain their mathematical thinking, use key vocabulary and develop confidence and independence when solving problems.
Topic
Our Next Topic: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things.
Our next topic in Potter Class is Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things. We will be learning about two inspirational women, Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks, discovering how they helped to change the world and why they are remembered today.
History
In History, the children will learn about significant people from the past and develop their understanding of chronology by placing key figures and events in the correct order. We will discover important facts about Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks, exploring their achievements and why they are remembered today. The children will compare these inspirational women with Bourton Betty, identifying similarities and differences between life in the past and life today.
Design and Technology
In DT, we will investigate simple mechanisms and explore how they work to be able to make them. We will be making sliders, using a ruler to measure and glue/tape to join.
Religious Education (RE)
In RE, we will explore the Christian belief that Jesus is the Son of God and learn about his life and teachings. We will discover why Jesus is known as the Friend of the Friendless and consider how his teachings encourage forgiveness, peace and kindness. The children will also learn how Christians share the ‘Good News’ with others and reflect on how we can demonstrate kindness and forgiveness in our own lives.
We are looking forward to an exciting topic full of inspiring people, thoughtful discussions and creative learning opportunities. We can’t wait to see the children develop their historical understanding and discover how people from the past have helped shape the world we live in today!
Science
Throughout the year we will be learning about the changes of the seasons and the weather associated with each season.
PSHCE
We will be having weekly myHappymind sessions. myHappymind is all based around helping children to understand how their brain works and to support them in developing positive skills and habits to be their very best selves!
To further embed this learning, myHappymind has developed a Parent App. These resources can be accessed online on your computer, or through an app on your phone. The Parent App will support you as a parent in understanding what your child is learning, activities for you to do together at home, and also a Kids Zone featuring myHappymind Games plus much more!
To access these materials just go to https://myhappymind.org/parent-resources or scan the QR code to create your free account.
