Reception/year 1 Class

[Guest]

I will be teaching a YearR/1 class next year and would really appreciate some advice. What should the planning look like in order to cover both the EYFS and NC? What should the normal day look like? I currently teach a mixed R/1 class but I'm unhappy with how I do it? It is more geared towards Year 1 which I am not happy about but then I worry about gearing it more to the Year R because of my Year 1 children. Please can anyone help? I am hoping to go back to topic based work so it all fits in and links together, is this best?

[Guest]

Hi,

It depends on a few factors such as whether you have TA support, the ability of the Year 1 children etc etc but the way I've done it in the past is...

 

Typical Day timetable

• Carpet phonics session for all children - with some aspects geared to all and some to each group i.e. Reception children identify initial sounds out loud whilst Year 1 children read some phonemes displayed on the board. If appropriate, a TA would take out a group of LA or HA for this session.
  
• Children then go off to set activities (CT and TA to work with a group each) e.g. Year 1 writing independently whilst Year R have a choice of phonics 'play' activities or writing activity for a set period before having child initiated time. Year 1 are allowed to join them but only after they have completed their task to a good standard - normally they understand that now they are Year 1, they need to work for longer.
  
• Repeat carpet session with numeracy focus
  
• Repeat activity time with numeracy based activities
  
• For other subjects, there tended to be whole class input with differentiation by outcome (e.g. PE, PSHE, French etc) I tried to give the Year 1 children harder tasks for Art/DT, for example, although I would always allow Year R children to do the same activity if they wanted to (which they often did).
  

There is plenty of time for child initiated play - we were very lucky to have a large outside area (which was covered so we could use it every day) and a full time TA - the Year 1 children were challenged and expected to do a suitable amount of work.

Would this work for you?

[Guest]

Thanks for that it really helped. I will have a full time TA, 19 reception and 9 Year 1's - many of whom will be still working within the EYFS. I was thinking along those lines but to be honest being the only reception class it's nice to have advice from others. x

[Guest]

Hi

I have a mixed Year 1 and Reception class but just the summeer born year ones. I find it really hard as Year 1s have to cover exactly what the other year 1s are covering in the Year 1&2 class and am still struggling with it. The on;y way I can see of doing it is giving the YRs a watered down Y1 curriculum which isn't really right. Would welcome any suggestions

 

Julescc x

[Guest]

I have a mixed reception/year one class. 17 reception and 8 year ones. The year ones are usually summer born and have not completed the ELGs. I fought long and hard against having to teach as a year one curriculum as it was not appropriate for my children. Now I plan for Reception and when they are ready for the Y1 objectives I include this in my planning. This seems to be working well and it also extends the more able reception children. Hope this makes sense.

cathb