Autumn: What makes the United Kingdom so unique?
Our Enquiry
This term, our Year 1 adventurers will set off on an exciting journey to uncover the amazing sights, sounds, and stories of the United Kingdom. Through interactive lessons and hands-on exploration, they’ll dive into the human and physical features of the UK, as well as their own local environment. Get ready for an exciting adventure!
Geography Adventures
- Discovering the UK’s Four Nations: Our explorers will journey through England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, learning what makes each place special. From the peaks of Snowdonia to the mysterious Giant's Causeway, they’ll uncover the magic of each country’s unique landscapes and landmarks.
- Diving into Physical Features: Children will investigate how rivers, lakes, and mountains shape our landscapes and communities. They’ll explore real-life examples like the River Trent and the lochs of Scotland, becoming mini-geographers in the process.
- Exploring Iconic Landmarks: From the Angel of the North to the timeless Big Ben, pupils will travel (virtually!) to explore famous UK landmarks and understand their significance.
- Our Local Environment: With fieldwork and observation, children will become experts on their surroundings as they compare the physical and human features of places like Nottingham, Huthwaite, and Sutton-in-Ashfield, discovering how these areas have evolved over time.
Hands-on Skills Building
- Map Skills & Navigation: Our young map-readers will learn to use maps, globes, and compasses to locate places and landmarks, navigating like true explorers as they plot their course across the UK.
- Seasonal Changes: Pupils will become weather detectives, tracking how the UK’s weather and seasons shift throughout the year and describing these changes using exciting geographical terms.
- Fieldwork Fun: Whether tallying cars in different locations or investigating how bird-friendly our school grounds are, children will collect real-life data and use their findings to ask and answer important questions about their local area.
PSHE Explorations
- Building Our Classroom Community: Children will learn what it means to be part of a supportive class community. They’ll explore their rights and responsibilities and discover how their choices can positively impact their friends and surroundings.
- Celebrating Diversity: Pupils will dive into conversations about the similarities and differences between themselves and others, learning about the rich variety of accents, traditions, and lifestyles within the UK and beyond.
Science Explorations
- Habitat Detectives: Children will explore the world of animals, discovering the creatures that call the UK home and how they thrive in their habitats.
- Tracking Weather and Seasons: Pupils will become nature watchers, observing and describing how the length of days and weather patterns shift throughout the seasons, all while using exciting scientific vocabulary to share their discoveries.
By the end of this term, our Year 1 adventurers will have transformed into confident explorers, discovering the secrets of their local environment and the wider UK. Equipped with new skills and knowledge, they’ll be ready to take on new challenges as they uncover the wonders of the world around them!
Y1 Enquiry Knowledge mat
English
A high-quality text drives each of our enquiries and the texts are used to give knowledge and purpose to the enquiry. High quality texts can only be accessed through knowledge of vocabulary in different tiers. Explicit teaching of new vocabulary and using the classroom environment to showcase key vocabulary helps us to infuse rich and sophisticated vocabulary from EYFS to Year 6. The texts are used as a stimulus for both English and cross curricular writing, ensuring high expectations of our children. Reading is interwoven into all aspects of the enquiry to encourage reading and language development and promote reading for pleasure.
Key Texts



Maths
In maths we follow the Power Maths programme to support children’s learning and to build a deep understanding of maths concepts. Power Maths is a curriculum mastery programme designed to spark curiosity and excitement and nurture confidence in maths. It is built around a child‑centred lesson design that models and embeds a growth mindset approach to maths.
This term we are covering the following:
Numbers to 10
- Counting, reading, and writing numbers from 0 to 10.
- Understanding and identifying numbers using objects and pictures.
- Comparing and ordering numbers within 10.
- Introducing number bonds and exploring different ways to make 10.
Part-Whole Within 10
- Understanding the concept of part-whole relationships.
- Using part-whole models to partition numbers.
- Exploring how numbers can be split into parts and combined.
Addition and Subtraction Within 10
- Introduction to addition as combining two parts to make a whole.
- Exploring subtraction as taking away and finding the difference.
- Using pictures, objects, and number lines to solve simple addition and subtraction problems within 10.
- Developing fluency with addition and subtraction facts up to 10.
Shape and Patterns
- Recognising and naming basic 2D shapes (circles, triangles, squares, rectangles).
- Exploring properties of shapes, such as sides and corners.
- Identifying simple repeating patterns and predicting the next shape or element in the sequence.
- Creating their own patterns using shapes and objects.
Numbers to 20
- Extending knowledge of counting, reading, and writing numbers to 20.
- Comparing and ordering numbers within 20.
- Counting forwards and backwards from any number within 20.
- Understanding place value (tens and ones) in numbers up to 20.