Welcome to Chestnut 1! 

We are really looking forward to the year ahead, we have lots of fun things planned. We have a fantastic new outside learning environment that will support the transition between Reception and Year 1 even more, as well as providing the children with new stimulating and engaging activities. We hope you like it! 

Miss Alington - class teacher

Miss Whaley - trainee teacher (Mon-Thurs)

Mrs Allcock - teaching assistant 

Mrs Warrington - teaching assistant 

At Cookham Rise, topics are taught on a two year rolling program of themes. Our topic this term is Down on the Farm. Year 1 and 2 collaborate together to supply an enriched learning environment where children can access new information, build upon prior knowledge and develop as learners. Literacy, maths, science, music, PE, computing, life skills and RE are taught separately.

We follow the Read Write Inc. phonics and literacy scheme which is taught for an hour every day. This scheme covers phonics, reading, writing, grammar and comprehension skills. Roughly every week, your child will be allocated a RWI e-book on the Oxford Owl website (login details found in yellow reading record). This is the book they have enjoyed working on throughout that week. Please use this as a mini celebration as they will be very fluent and confident reading and talking about this book. 

PE will be taught twice a week in addition to being active on our daily mile run (PE days TBC).

Useful information:

- children will wash their hands at the outside sink by Year 2 where a teaching assistant will be standing, and then I will be welcoming them in at our outside classroom door

- please make sure all uniform is clearly named

- please make sure appropriate clothing is brought into school e.g. waterproof coat (ideally with hood!), sunhat etc. 

- water bottles will stay in school all week and will be sent home on Friday's for a wash

- reading at home is expected to happen daily and we change books during the school day. Please use the yellow reading record to comment on your child's super reading and where you got to/if you need a new book. Please do not feel like you need to read a whole book in one evening, a couple of pages a night is fine. We aim to listen to the children read every day in school and will check the yellow reading record for any notes. 

- we will be visiting the library once a week (day TBC)

- Seesaw will be used to share your child's special work and fun days in school. Please comment, like and enjoy looking at what we get up to in Year 1!

We are so excited for the year ahead, we hope you are too! 

Down on the Farm topic web