Hedgehogs Class newsletter Term 1 2026/2027

Welcome back!

We hope you all had a lovely summer and are ready for a fantastic Autumn Term. This year brings some exciting changes, as I join the school as the new teacher for Reception and Year 1. I am looking forward to getting to know each child and helping them to achieve their very best. Many of you will already know Mrs Bristow, who is returning to support teaching and learning in the classroom. We have lots of exciting topics planned and cannot wait to get started!

 

Seesaw

We are excited to introduce Seesaw, our new online learning platform. We will use Seesaw to share photos and updates from school, and you can upload pictures of activities and achievements from home for your child to share with their teachers and friends. You should all have received a QR code to access your child's learning platform. If you are having any difficulties accessing Seesaw, please speak to myself, Miss Baker, and I will be happy to help.

 

Class Hedgehog: Isaac

Our class hedgehog, Isaac, will be coming home with a different child each week. Inside his bag, you will find a story, some colouring pencils and a diary. You or your child can write about what they have been up to with Isaac, draw pictures, and share their adventures with the class. You are also welcome to upload photos of your child with Isaac on Seesaw, which we can enjoy sharing together in school.

Curriculum overview:  Enquiry title: What is an Artist?

As Authors we will be learning to verbally compose and write simple sentences about ourselves and our families. Reception children will be focusing on using the new sounds they have learnt in phonics to write simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Year 1 children will be learning what makes a perfect sentence, including using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops correctly. We will then write about our local walk, describing the signs of autumn that we observe in our environment.

As Mathematicians Reception will be will be building strong foundations in mathematics through the Mastering Number programme. Children will practise counting, recognising and comparing quantities, exploring patterns, and developing confidence with numbers through songs, games and practical activities. We will also learn about shapes, space, measures and positional language as we investigate the world around us.

Year 1 will be developing our understanding of place value within 10 by counting, recognising numerals, comparing quantities, ordering numbers, and finding one more and one less.

As Scientists we will be investigating what changes around us by observing seasonal changes and noticing how our local area changes from summer into autumn.

As Artists, we will be exploring our enquiry question, "What do artists do?” We will learn about Yayoi Kusama and her famous dot artwork, exploring how she uses colour and pattern in her creations. We will also enjoy reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, which will inspire us to be creative and confident in our own artistic abilities. We will investigate primary and secondary colours and experiment with different ways of creating dots using a range of materials. We will then use these skills to create our own colourful, dot-inspired artwork.

As Musicians we will be exploring the Charanga unit My Musical Heartbeat. We will learn to find and keep a steady beat, sing and rap together, listen and respond to different styles of music, and develop our confidence in performing. We will also begin to use simple musical vocabulary such as pulse, rhythm, pitch and beat.

In PSHE this term we will be Philosophers and exploring Being Me in My World, thinking about who we are, how we fit into our class and school community, and how we can work together respectfully.

In Re this term, we will be exploring the question, "Why is the word God so important to Christians?" They will learn about what Christians believe about God, discover the story of Creation, and explore how Christians show their love for God through prayer, worship, and caring for others. The children will be encouraged to share their own ideas and wonder about the world around them.

 

 

Reading:

We are excited to be launching our new phonics programme, Little Wandle. Through this programme, your child will receive a reading book each week that is carefully matched to their current phonics knowledge and the sounds they have been learning in school. This book is for your child to read to you, helping them to develop fluency, confidence and a love of reading.

You will regularly receive videos on Seesaw showing the sounds your child has learnt that week, along with phonics cards to practise at home. These resources will help you support your child's phonics learning and reading journey, ensuring that school and home work together to build strong foundations for success. For children in Year 1, these activities will also help prepare them for the Phonics Screening Check in June, building confidence and fluency with their phonics knowledge.

 

Each week, your child will bring home a book of their choice from our Lending Library to share and enjoy with you at home. We will then come together for a class circle time, where children will have the opportunity to talk about their book, share their thoughts and recommendations with their friends, return their book to the library, and choose a new one to take home. This is a wonderful way to develop a love of reading and build confidence in speaking and listening.

Please ensure that all reading books and library books are returned in your child's reading folder so that we can reallocate them to other children and continue to keep our reading resources available for everyone.

PE day this term:

Thursday afternoon

As Athletes in PE, we will be learning fundamental movement skills, including running, jumping, balancing, hopping, skipping and changing direction safely. We will develop our coordination, control and confidence through a range of fun games and activities, helping us to build strong foundations for future sporting skills.

Diary dates this term:

Meet the Teacher- Monday 21st September 4.00-.4.30

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the Reception and Year 1 team, find out more about the year ahead, and learn about our curriculum, routines and expectations. We look forward to seeing you there!

Reception Phonics Workshop
Further details will be shared soon. This workshop will provide an opportunity for Reception families to learn more about our new Little Wandle phonics programme and discover ways to support phonics and early reading at home.

 

Family Reading- Every week!

This Friday, 25th September, we will be launching our Weekly Family Reading sessions.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to come into school in the morning and share a reading session with your child.

Time: 8:45am to 9:00am      We look forward to welcoming you and enjoying reading together.

Please remember:           

As part of our curriculum, the children will be accessing the outdoor learning area in all weather conditions throughout the year. Please ensure that your child has a pair of named wellies and a named waterproof suit (wet suit/all-in-one) that can be kept in school. This will enable them to enjoy outdoor learning, exploration and play whatever the weather, helping us to make the most of our wonderful learning environment.