Key Stage 1

Across Key Stage 1, our primary purpose is to nurture the children so they develop a love of learning and to enable them to achieve their personal bests; entering Lower Key Stage 2 with the knowledge and skills to support their continuing development.  

Our challenging and inclusive curriculum builds on children’s individual starting points and teaches children what they need to know next in a sequenced and purposeful manner.  Celebrating diversity, it provides children with a range of memorable learning opportunities, guided by our STRONG behaviour and learning values and revisiting and building upon children’s existing knowledge and skills.  

Reading is an everyday part of our lives, and at Hillcroft we work hard on ensuring that it is embedded in our culture. In KS1 children continue on the Read Write Inc Phonics programme to become fluent in learning the sounds of the letters and blending them together.   They apply their phonetic knowledge from RWInc. sessions in their reading, decoding and reading words with increasing accuracy as they gain confidence. The sounds they are taught are built on in RWInc. books that they read in school, the books link to the sounds they have learnt so far. Daily, the children read during their  RWInc. Sessions which helps them to apply their phonetic knowledge in context as well as to support them in their comprehension of what they are reading.  Upon completing the RWInc programme, children continue on to RWInc Comprehension, in preparation for their progression into Lower KS2. 

Our Writing curriculum is sequenced progressively across KS1 to ensure that skills are being revisited, embedded and built upon; creatively using The Write Stuff approach.  Lessons allow children to discuss and share vocabulary, with teachers modelling specific techniques to allow children to develop and practise these skills before moving on to plan and write their own.  The final part of the teaching sequence, allows children to reflect on their writing.  All writing is taught through a thoughtfully chosen text, which engages children and further promotes their love of English.  Children are provided with plenty of opportunities to practise these skills across the other areas of the curriculum.   

The maths curriculum at Hillcroft Primary School follows the pedagogy of Teaching for Mastery. Children at Hillcroft learn through the explicit teaching of small steps, operating under one learning objective. Within this, mathematical, conceptual knowledge is deepened through effective questioning. The children are exposed to a range of resources to support their learning, including practical activities, pictorial and abstract problems to develop a secure understanding of mathematical procedures. The children are encouraged to develop their learning further, through their reasoning explanations and activities- the answer is just the beginning.  Children’s fluency is supported through the use of Numbots.  

Our topic-based wider curriculum develops skills and knowledge progressively taught year-on-year. Each topic is carefully selected to engage the children and covers the National Curriculum objectives for each subject.  Where appropriate, their learning is strengthened through engaging and memorable experiences and opportunities which are documented through each child’s individual Enrichment Learning Journal - to celebrate in years to come.  

To see the available clubs offered to KS1 children, please follow this link: http://www.hillcroftschool.org/30/clubs 

Our Year 1 team is:

Class  Teacher	Class Name
Mrs Jaitly and Mrs Gear	Beech
Mrs Winsor	Willow

The Teaching Assistants in Year 1 are: Mrs Cocksedge, Mrs Prince and Mrs Smith 

Our Year 2 team is:

Class  Teacher	Class Name
Mr Fuhrmann	Chestnut
Mrs Fletcher and Mrs Doolly	Sycamore

The Learning Assistants in Year 2 are:  Mrs Colburn and Mrs Meagher.

For the current topics in Years 1 and 2 please see the Whole School Curriculum page.