2023 Summer Term (Year 1) - Upper School - St Thomas of Canterbury Junior School

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2023 Summer Term (Year 1) - Upper School

Curriculum
Curriculum Advice for Parents


Welcome back to the Summer Term! We hope that the information below will give you helpful details of planned work for this term.

Please assist your child in exploring and discussing these areas throughout the term. As always, for general expectations regarding school and home learning please continue to refer to your child’s homework diary as well as Google Classroom. You will also find weekly updates for your child’s class posted on Marvellous Me.

We encourage all children to read to somebody at home each day. Children should aim to read a range of genres during the school year; please refer to and discuss our reading tree scheme with your child to support with this. Your child also has access to Spelling Frame and Times Table Rockstars to rehearse their spellings and time tables at home.

Thank you for your continued support.
Examples of areas we plan to cover

Art & Design
This term, we will be studying Pop Art with a focus on the artist ‘Andy Warhol’. We will be studying his art work and using this to inspire and influence our own art work. This unit will also link with our History topic of ‘The Changing Power of the Monarchy.’

D&T
The children will learn how to write their own design criteria. They will design products with the user in mind thinking about aesthetics and functionality. Annotated designs will be used to communicate ideas as well as step-by-step plans. Children will learn how to make a paper template and how to sew a running stitch, backstitch, whipstitch and blanket stitch. When their product is complete, children will write a detailed evaluation.

Computing
This term, the children will be exploring the world of vlogging and blogging as well as online gaming. We will be learning about the negative impact of ‘trolling’ and how we can create a supportive atmosphere online. We will then be moving onto photo editing and data collection/representation on Microsoft Excel.

Games
During athletics lessons, the classes will combine running, jumping and throwing skills to achieve their greatest possible speed, distance or accuracy. After the half term break, the children will have lessons in tag rugby. They will apply principles such as defending, attacking, throwing, catching, running and dodging. They will learn how to self-manage games and will develop their understanding of the importance of fair play.

Geography
The children will learn about the tourism industry and the different types of holidays people like to go on, from adventure holidays to eco-tourism. They will find out about how the industry and the influx of holiday-goers can change an area, both for its benefit and its detriment.

History
We will continue with our topic: ‘The Changing Power of the Monarchy.’ The children will learn what happened to the monarchy from the reigns of Charles II to Charles III The children will then carry out their own research project to decide 'Who was Britain's greatest monarch?'  

Music
This term in music, we will be learning a traditional piece of Guinean/Ivory Coast djembe drumming. We will learn a variety of West African drumming techniques, learn to play syncopated patterns and an ostinato, improvise a solo and sing unaccompanied. We will need to work on playing effectively as a whole class ensemble.

P.E.
During the course of the Summer Term, the children will aim to improve their fitness ability by taking part in a range of challenges to develop speed, stamina, strength, coordination, balance and agility. They will record their progress and apply whole child objectives to meet their personal targets.

P.S.H.E.
This term, the children will be learning about, Mental Health, Relationships and Changes to their lives; as we prepare them to transition into new year groups and classes. We will also be completing sessions explaining puberty and for Year 6 only conception to birth as part of our RSE teaching.

R.E.
To start the term, we will be exploring the theology big questions 'Was Jesus the Messiah? What difference does the resurrection make for Christians?' This will be followed by a philosophy unit around the big questions 'What does it mean to be human? Is being happy the greatest purpose in life?'

Science
Our Science topic this term is ‘Forces.’ We will understand, explain and test: gravity, pushes/pulls, friction, levers and pulleys. We will use instruments such as Newton meters, rulers and data loggers to make precise measurements. We will also find out about physicists, such as Isaac Newton, to further our understanding. Later on in the term, we will look at how living things are adapted to their environment and how they have changed over time.

Spanish
This term, we will be exploring the names of wild   animals through the storybook ‘Caminando por la jungla’ (Walking through the   jungle).  We will then look at how to   express different emotions and preferences to add more detail to our   conversations when introducing ourselves and getting to know people.

You may like to talk to your child about these topics. The prospectus (which details how the different subjects are taught) is available for download by clicking here.


In addition, you may also wish to:


: research ideas at the local library and help your child to develop his/her library skills;

: search the internet for relevant websites and activities;

: watch relevant television programmes that may support their work, or visit a museum or place of interest;

: simply talk to your child about what they are learning!

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