Year 1 & 2

This stage in your child’s primary school journey supports the important transition from the play-based environment of Reception into more structured, formal learning. In both Year 1 and Year 2, children are encouraged to build on their early experiences and develop greater independence, stamina and focus during lessons. The curriculum becomes more academic, with children taking part in a wider range of subjects and developing key skills in reading, writing and maths.

Please click HERE for more information on what will be taught throughout the year.

Throughout the year, children in both Year 1 and Year 2 will take part in ongoing assessments in reading, writing and maths to help us monitor their progress and identify next steps in learning. Each term, we hold informal assessment weeks to support our teacher judgements.

In Year 1, children will take part in the statutory Phonics Screening Check, which usually takes place in early June. This is carried out 1:1 with the class teacher. Further information will be shared with parents during our annual phonics meeting.

Children in Year 2 will complete optional assessments in reading, writing and maths, similar to other year groups across the school. These assessments help us build a picture of each child’s progress and inform end-of-year teacher judgements.

Please note: While the statutory SATs are completed in Year 6 and reported to the government, optional SATs are used from Years 1 to 5 to support teacher assessment. In addition, statutory assessments include the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1 and the Multiplication Tables Check in Year 4.

Homework plays an important role in supporting your child’s learning and helping them to meet the expectations of the National Curriculum. Children will need a quiet space, free from distractions, where they can complete their homework calmly and independently.

In Key Stage 1, daily homework will usually take around 10–20 minutes and will focus mainly on English or Hebrew reading and a weekly spelling test. As the year progresses, children will begin to receive weekly literacy or maths tasks in addition to their daily reading and spellings.

In Year 2, children will also receive a piece of maths, English or topic homework each week. From the Spring term, this will increase to two pieces per week to help prepare them for the expectations of Key Stage 2.

We encourage children to attempt homework independently, but if they are struggling, please feel free to support them. If you do help, it’s helpful to leave a short note in their homework diary so the teacher is aware of any difficulties.

If you have any concerns or questions about homework, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

At BWJPS, we believe that developing a love of reading is key to children’s success across the curriculum. In our Year 1 and 2 class, reading for pleasure is a daily priority. Each day, we set aside time to enjoy books together and encourage children to explore a wide variety of texts – from storybooks and non-fiction to poetry and traditional tales.

This dedicated reading time helps to foster a lifelong love of books and supports the development of vocabulary, imagination and comprehension skills.

• Pencil case – must fit in trays
• Pencils at least 3 (Staedtler Norris are best)
• Rubbers
• Ruler (not flexi)
• Glue sticks

In a separate pencil case:

• Colouring pencils
• Rainy day colouring/activity book

Many of these things need replacing frequently throughout the year!

Mrs Whittam