Wonder Zone Yr 1&2
Mrs Claire O’Brien
Class Teacher
Mrs Lucy Probert
Wonder Zone 2 Year Rolling Programme
Welcome to Wonder Zone! Our Year 1/2 class is where children hone the skills of independent learning and explore the curriculum through a creative and energetic approach. Learning is driven by the enthusiasm of both staff and pupils, with quality talk promoting inquiry and reflection. It is recognised and celebrated that everyone is individual and time is taken to listen to each other with thought and compassion. Children are happy to acknowledge their mistakes as an essential and valuable part of their learning process, and the supportive and inclusive environment means that children become empowered, confident learners who care confident to take risks. Every term a new topic is introduced where all of the foundation subjects link together and high quality texts are chosen to support learning. Engaging, practical activites are planned and delivered that excite the children and encourage them to learn more. Every term a new topic is introduced where all of the foundation subjects link together and high quality texts are chosen to support learning. Engaging, practical activities are planned and delivered that excite the children and encourage them to learn more.
The adults in the class encourage rich conversations and facilitate the learning through the use of the 5 B’s – Brain, Bits & Bobs, Book, Buddy and Big. The classroom is organised, colourful and a place where their work is celebrated. The children are encouraged to become curious learners who are always keen to explore the next steps in their learning journey by feeling confident to ask for equipment, models and vocabulary and to use the learning environment around them to support their understanding .
In English we implement the highly successful Read Write Inc approach to teach phonics and our Year 2 pupils who have completed RWI participate in group reading sessions with a VIPER’s focus. We use Spelling Shed as an additional resource to support and consolidate spelling patterns for both the Year 1 and 2 children. English lessons are based around high quality, age appropriate texts chosen by the class teachers with the aim to engage and excite the children and link in with our class topic. Through these texts, we continue to focus on punctuation and grammar with the aim of being really aware of the way in which sentences are crafted and words changed. We encourage the use of story language and exciting vocabulary in order to promote and develop the children’s ideas, imagination and for them to develop a love of writing.
In maths, we drive number knowledge through learning about place value, number patterns, times table facts and practicing the calculation of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using the White Rose Mixed Age Planning. Mastering Number is also taught to develop and consolidate automaticity. To further support the children’s maths, all of the children in Wonder Zone are signed up to Maths Whizz, Times Table Rockstars and Numbots.
Maths Whizz – Online Maths Tutor For 5-13yr Olds | Mathematics Tutor | Whizz Education
Times Tables Rockstars: https://ttrockstars.com/login
Numbots: https://play.numbots.com/#/intro
AUTUMN TERM 2024
This term Wonder Zone will begin the Autumn Term learning about Cornwall and the local area in which they live. The children will begin with a history focus where they will learn about the significance of Henry Trengrouse and how he became a significant individual in Cornish History. They will learn about his inventions that have helped save numerous lives at sea. To support this unit and other areas of the curriculum, the children will be using the texts ‘Soggy the Bear, ‘The Mermaid of Zennor, ‘The Mousehole Cat’ and ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch. In Geography, the children will learn all about the local town of Helston, its features and significance in the local area. RE will also look at the significance of religion in Cornwall where they will identify local churches, Truro Cathedral, they will learn about the importance of St Piran in Cornwall and become aware of religious symbols in Cornwall from the past. Science will link to humans including animals where the children will learn about lifecycles of humans and animals and the importance of taking keeping healthy.