1 of 18

Welcome to Year 1

Channing Welcome Evening for Parents

Wednesday 11 September 2024

2 of 18

Year 1 Staff

Form Teachers Miss Alfaro and Miss McHard

Teaching Assistants Miss Sarkar, Mrs Lemos and Miss Crossdale

Art & DT Mr Fellows

Science Mrs Miller (1M)

Computing Mr Janes (1A) and Mrs Eliad (1M)

History/ Geography Mrs Eliad (1M)

Spanish Miss Jimenez

Librarian Ms Jupp

Music Ms Munro

Drama Mrs Lynch

PE Miss Bolton and Mrs Castle

RE Mrs Eliad (1A and 1M)

Forest School Mr Rich (1A and 1M)

3 of 18

Timetables

Found on pupil Firefly pages and on SchoolBase.

4 of 18

Curriculum Newsletters

Curriculum Newsletters are produced each term and shared on your daughter’s year group Firefly page.

These detail the topics of study in each year group and are discussed with the girls at the beginning of each term.

The Autumn Term Curriculum Newsletter for Year 1 will be available to view in Monday’s Bulletin.

5 of 18

Book Bags

Your daughter has been provided with a book bag to carry her reading book and Reading Record.

Please ensure that you read with your daughter every day for 10-15 minutes. Short, sharp bursts are the best way for children to learn. You can check for general reading advice in your daughter’s Reading Record. More ideas for fun home reading activities can be found on the Library page on Firefly as well as a recommended reading list.

Your daughter will be given a Reading Record, which we ask you to use daily to let us know that she has read at home, and to communicate with us about her reading progress.

6 of 18

Reading

We read with every girl in Guided Reading.

We comment in each girl’s Reading Record once a week based on her book band.

Please record your daughter’s reading progress every day, adding details of how she did and what she worked on.

Red words can be found at the front of the Reading Record.

7 of 18

Highlights of the Year

English class reading texts: How to Raise a Dinosaur, Lost and Found, Traction Man, Meerkat Mail and more.

History: How am I making history? and the history of toys.

Geography: the poles, our local area and deserts.

Science: the body, forces, weather, plants and more.

8 of 18

PSHE & RSE

Jigsaw is a progressive and spiral scheme of learning. Jigsaw PSHE ensures that learning from previous years is revisited and extended, adding new concepts, knowledge and skills, year on year as appropriate.

Parents are encouraged to view the spiral of knowledge and skills progression within each of the Jigsaw units of work, on your daughter's year group page on Firefly. This information includes the key vocabulary used in each year group and suggestions for Family Learning.

Please contact Ms Merritt, PSHE Lead, if you have any further questions.

9 of 18

Pupil Firefly

We have a school-wide learning platform called Firefly which we use to share information with the girls and parents. It is not visible to the public; every girl has a username and password which allows them access. Key information, such as the form timetable is available and we also share photos.

Please make sure that the girls log into the Junior Firefly page, not the Senior page. It can be found at: 

https://juniorchanning.fireflycloud.net. Click on the right hand side ‘Google Account.’

For Year 1 pupils, the login format is as follows:

23 surname firstinitial@channing.co.uk (lower case)

Example: 23donej@channing.co.uk

Password: fs before the given password.

Example: fsright33 (no spaces)

10 of 18

Homework

Homework has been restructured to:

  • Prioritise reinforcing and embedding key skills in core subjects (English and Mathematics)
  • Reduce reliance on electronic devices
  • Ensure regular/effective use online platforms and offer book-based work in core subjects

Work tasks will be discussed with the girls as they are assigned.

A concise overview of weekly homework information will be shared on Firefly accompanied by the date/s in which it should be handed in.

If the girls have problems with their homework, they are encouraged to talk to their teacher themselves the next day.

11 of 18

Homework

In Year 1, homework will consist of:

  • Daily reading aloud to an adult for 15 minutes
  • One English and one Mathematics Task (totalling 20 - 30 minutes)

All homework will be assigned on Fridays and is due the following Wednesday.

Overview of fortnightly homework rota:

English Week 1 (using online platforms) - digital grammar and punctuation task (assigned on Seesaw), writing in Homework books or the option to respond on Seesaw e.g. voice record, video, type

Mathematics Week 1 (paper-based) - page in White Rose Education Maths Practice Journal

English Week 2 (paper-based) - page in CGP English Daily Practice Book

Mathematics Week 2 (online) - assigned Mathletics tasks/ TTRS

12 of 18

Assessments

Girls are assessed both formally and informally using teacher assessment. Written feedback comments are often made regarding the level of effort made and how to make improvements in the future.

Early in the Autumn term, all the children in Year 2 will undertake standardised, online assessments in English and Mathematics for baselining and year-on-year as a longitudinal measure. The results are set against national averages, so teachers can reliably compare results with those of pupils across the country. Standardised scores will be shared with parents.

Parents’ Evenings are held once in each of the first two terms. A report is provided at the end of both the Autumn and Summer Terms. If your child is perceived as experiencing a particular difficulty or showing a great aptitude for learning, the Form Teacher will bring this to your attention so that she can be supported in making progress.

13 of 18

Trips & Workshops

We will arrange one trip or workshop each term which will have a link to that term’s topic. Details will be shared in advance.

Examples from previous years: Kew Gardens, Kentish Town City Farm, London Zoo, Natural History Museum

More details will be provided closer to the time.

*Reminder: We love to share photos on social media. Please remember to update consent to your daughter’s photo being used on SchoolBase.

14 of 18

Friendships

We mix groupings in classrooms

Seating places change each half term

Use of lolly sticks/ random name generators

PE lessons

Playtimes

Extra-curricular activities

House buddies

Friendology Curriculum

15 of 18

Birthdays

We relish celebrating the girls’ birthdays!

Cakes can be brought to school and should be no bigger than a child’s hand.

Any large, whole cakes need to be cut into child-sized slices in advance.

No cake pops, lollipops or other hard sweets.

Please note that we have girls with nut allergies in each Form and we are a nut free school.

Please do not send in treats for any other occasions without prior permission from your daughter’s Form Teacher.

16 of 18

Feedback

Girls Enjoying Success Awards

Written and verbal comments

Peer-feedback and self assessment

Conabor Tree

House points

Parents’ Evenings (Autumn and Spring Term)

End of Autumn Term Report

End of Summer Term Report Report

Direct email

17 of 18

Contact

Direct teacher email and meetings:

aalfaropalacios@channing.co.uk

smchard@channing.co.uk

18 of 18

Thank you

We very much look forward to working in partnership with you to make Year 1 an exciting, rewarding and successful year ahead for your daughters.