Hazel Class - Year 1 & 2
Welcome to Hazel Class
PE DAYS Autumn 2 – Wednesday and Thursday
Forest School- Friday AM
Class Teacher: Miss Ashworth
Class Teaching Assistants: Miss Crowther, Miss Ross, Mrs Sanderson and Mrs Greenwood
We hope everyone had a lovely half term break and enjoyed some well-earned rest and family time. We’re all set for a fun-filled few weeks ahead in Hazel Class, with plenty of exciting activities, learning opportunities, and seasonal celebrations to look forward to.
English
This half term, we’re starting off with some fun firework poetry!
Then we will be exploring non-fiction by learning how to write clear and useful instructions.
Later on in the term, we will dive into the magical world of The Christmasaurus—a brilliant story that’s perfect for this time of year. It’s going to be a busy few weeks, but there’s lots to look forward to!
Guided Reading
In Year 1, children take part in small-group guided reading sessions twice a week. Groups are based on phonics knowledge, helping each child build confidence and fluency with texts that match their learning stage.
In Year 2, children continue to develop their comprehension and vocabulary skills. Phonics support remains in place for those who need it, and as children become more confident readers, they begin to move into larger group or whole-class reading sessions. Across the year, we’ll explore a range of texts linked to our weekly phonics focus.
The children will develop skills by answering questions following our VIPER skills which are:
VIPERS stands for
Vocabulary
Inference
Prediction
Explanation
Retrieval
Sequence or Summarise
Maths
In Maths this half-term, both Year 1 and Year 2 will be diving into a range of exciting and practical topics.
In Year 1 this half term, the children will be starting with subtraction within 10. After that, they will begin to explore 2D and 3D shapes—spotting them in everyday life and having fun sorting and describing them. Towards the end of term, they will learn about numbers up to 20 and will be building on their counting and place value skills.
In Year 2, the children will be focusing on addition and subtraction, using number lines, practical resources, and mental strategies to solve problems in different ways. These skills will give them a great foundation for the rest of the year. Later on, we’ll be learning about the properties of 2D and 3D shapes.
Multiplication is a pivotal part of Maths education and underpins so many aspects of the curriculum through school. It would be so beneficial if at home, children could be practising times tables. The primary focus should be on 2s, 5s and 10s for Year 1 and 2s, 5s, 10s and 3s for Year 2. TT Rockstars is a great way for children to practice their times tables. The children will have a TT Rockstars login in the front of their reading record.
Your child will now also be able to access NumBots. NumBots is an online learning platform that we’re using to support your child’s understanding of number bonds and to help their addition and subtraction skills. These are the essential building blocks for higher-level maths concepts, so we are excited by the impact that NumBots will have on your child’s learning. The TTRockstars login code, which is in the front of your child’s reading record book will also give you access to Numbots.
Science

This half term, both Year 1 and Year 2 will be exploring the topic "Animals Including Humans" in science. Children will learn to identify and name a variety of animals, understand basic needs for survival, and explore how humans grow and stay healthy. Children will learn to observe closely, ask questions, and develop their understanding of the natural world through hands-on investigations and discussions.
Readers
Reading books will be changed twice per week. Books will be changed on Tuesdays and Fridays each week. If your child finishes their book early, they are welcome to read their library book, re-read their current book or use bug club.
Get caught up in a book...
In Hazel Class, we understand the importance of reading and expect children to read for at least 10/15 minutes each night. It is important that we instil the skill of sustained reading into our children rather than just reading a few pages a night. This will encourage a love for reading as well as helping with fluency and expression. Record books will be checked and we will also encourage a love of reading through choosing books from our reading corner and school library. Bug Club is also available if you want to read further books with your child at home.
Our class library day is Monday when children may select a book to take home from the library. Please return to school the following Monday and then your child can choose a new book.
P.E
Our P.E. lessons this half-term will be on a Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Please could you ensure that children come to school wearing the correct P.E. kits on the day of their session.
Spellers
Weekly spellings will be on Edshed every Friday. Your child has their own Edshed login attached to the inside of their reading record book. We encourage you to look at these spellings at home with your child. However, we will not complete a test during school. Instead, we will assess the children through spelling games and activities on the spellings for that week throughout the week. If you would like a paper copy of the weekly spellings, then please let me know, and I can sort this for you.
New spellings will be added to Spelling Shed on Monday 15th September and they will be updated every week from then on. Each week's spellings will be linked to the phonics focus for that week, reinforcing the sounds and patterns covered in class.
https://www.edshed.com/en-gb/login?redirect_uri=%2Fen-gb%2Fgroups%2F2602998
Forest School
This half term, both Year 1 and Year 2 will be heading to Forest School on Friday mornings. Please send your child to school in their PE kit and pack a bag with waterproofs and wellies—or other suitable clothes for outdoor adventures in the forest.
Snack
If you would like your child to have a snack, please pay for this on parent pay at the beginning of the term.
Notices
If you have any questions or concerns, my door is always open.
Thank you for the support.
Miss Ashworth



