Class 1 - The Busy Bees 2025 - 2026
Miss Taylor-Crozier
Hello, I am the class 1 teacher! I have been at Cartmel for 7 years and I love teaching PE and geography . I'm passionate about outdoor learning and the world we live in. I am the subject lead for Early Years, KS1, PE, Reading and Computing. I am also the designated Educational Visits Co-Ordinator and Deputy Safeguarding Lead.
Welcome to our class page! Our class consists of reception, year 1 and year 2 children. The children in the Busy Bee class are taught in different ways throughout the day. We have a variety of approaches including focus group activities, whole class activities and self-initiated activities. Our 'play to learn' time allows children to explore and interact as they desire. At the beginning of each term we set off with a topic or theme in mind which we think will interest and motivate our eager learners. However, we are flexible in our approach and shape our planning to match the evolving interests of the children within our class.
On a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon all the children in school are split into 2 groups, the 'Acorns' (R/1/2/3) and 'Oaks' (4/5/6). The children will access the lessons of PE, art and design technology, computing, music and PSHE whilst in these groups. Being taught by teachers within their specialism.
Spring 1
The following curriculum areas will be covered;
English: our core text this half term is ‘Between Tick and Tock’ by Louise Greig and Ashling Lindsay. We will explore this in depth as we look at descriptions, interview questions for characters, captions and lists, book blurbs, poetry and a simple playscript.
Maths: in year one and two we will be developing key skills in number and place value, addition and subtraction, length and height and mass and volume. In reception children will be looking at number, capacity and mass, 3D shapes and patterns. The whole school uses White Rose Maths to teach mathematics to ensure progression and coverage for all year groups.
Science: our topic is ‘Brilliant Builders’. We will be learning all about materials and their properties and conducting experiments to test them out. We will also be reading the Three Little Pigs are testing out our own buildings to see if they are wolf proof!
Design and Technology and Art: we will be learning all about mechanisms with Mrs Yarrow, planning, making and evaluating our own windmills.
Geography: we will be looking at some key countries which celebrate exciting festivals, finding them on a world map and recapping our oceans and continents.
PSHE: Harold the giraffe (SCARF) with Mrs Bennett and Mrs Taylor, as we discuss keeping safe.
ICT: looking at online safety and what we can do to help keep ourselves and others safe. We will also be looking at robot algorithms.
Music: Sing Up with Mrs Battersby. This half term will be ‘Hatchi’s March’.
PE: we will be working with Mr Blair on a Wednesday afternoon doing multi-skills and Miss Taylor-Crozier on a Friday afternoon for dance. Please ensure your child has their PE kit in school on these days.
RE: we will be learning about and discussing why Jesus is special.
Phonics and Spellings
Children in Reception and Year 1 have a daily phonics session each morning. Year 2 children have a mixture of phonics or spelling support. They practise sounds already taught and learn new phonemes and graphemes through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. Year 1 and 2 children have spellings that they practise each morning when entering school and Y2 are tested on a Friday. If you would like to support your child at home please click the link https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Reading
Our reading books are organised to match the Little Wandle phonics scheme of learning. Children are also heard reading three times a week as part of a guided reading session in a small group. Each Busy Bee will have one phonetically matched reading book, a guided reading book and a book for pleasure (that they have chosen from the library themselves), that goes home each week. They also share their books with a book buddy in class two and three. Please can children try and read daily at home as this helps to improve blending, comprehension, grammar, spelling and most importantly helps to develop a life-long love of reading for pleasure! Little and often is ideal!
Homework
As homework we would like your child to read daily and to practise their spellings (year one and two). We may set suggested activities intermittently throughout the school year and/or activities via SeeSaw if you wish to have a go at these. Children in class one will have no physical weekly homework to complete.
If you have any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact us. You can do this via email on admin@cartmel.cumbria.sch.uk
The Busy Bee Team (:
Miss Taylor-Crozier, Mrs Bowden and Mrs Flaherty