Year 1
Becoming a reader, writer and mathematician
How we teach in the Early Years band — and why
The developing mind (Piaget)
Late preoperational moving toward concrete operational thought. Learning is anchored in play, story, movement and concrete materials; symbols (letters, numerals) are always tied to things children can see, touch and act out.
Learning together (Vygotsky)
Learning is social and language-rich. A parent/carer works alongside the child as the 'more knowledgeable other'; lessons script that shared talk. Scaffolds are heavy and visible: modelled sentences, counting materials, picture prompts.
Our design commitments
- Short bursts (10–20 minutes) with movement between them
- Play-based and story-based entry points into every concept
- Systematic synthetic phonics and concrete-materials numeracy
- Parent/carer is a co-player and co-reader, with side-notes telling them exactly what to say and notice
Programmed scope
English
Decoding and fluency, sentence writing, loved stories
Mathematics
Numbers to 120, addition and subtraction stories, time and shape
Science
Light, sound, habitats and everyday materials
Humanities and Social Sciences
How families and places change over time
Health and Physical Education
Fundamental movement skills and healthy choices
The Arts
Exploring materials, sounds and roles
Technologies
Steps, sequences and simple designs
✍️ Full interactive lessons for Year 1 are being authored to the same standard as our Year 3 exemplar — explore Year 3 to see exactly what every year level will feel like.