Moving From Reception To Year 1

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

After 4 years of getting my head around Foundation stage, I am being let loose to Year 1 in September. We are a 2 form entry school and set from Year 1 upwards.

There has been talk of having Continuous Provision in both classrooms rather than in a practical area with one classroom assistant to support the less able set.

I was hoping someone in a similar situation could help me with some of the following questions:

• How is the classroom set out?
  
• What is the daily routine?
  
• How do you challenge the children in the CP?
  
• How in runs on a day to day basis?
  
• What does the dreaded Ofsted expect from Year 1?
  

Thank you

[KST]

I do this in year 2 too! It is gradually more structured throughout the year though. In year 1 up until christmas it is just like reception. Then after christmas, we have challenges thatchildren are expected to complete in the continuous provision. Two groups work with 2 adults before playtime and the other two groups work with adults after playtime, those not working with adults choose their learning in the continuous provision and complete challenges. By year 2 the challenges increase. It works really well! progress has been good this for year 1 and 2. x

[clairew28]

That is similar to what I did last year, it always depends on the SLT and what they expect you to do. It is important that the children can carry out the challenges and develop their learning, my class were very 'needy' and it was a lot of hard work at first as the reception had been rather free and not particularly challenging.

[Guest LornaW]

ginamaria08 when you say set are you refering to as in ability groups?

 

I'm not in school anymore but when I was we did as both ClaireW28 and KST have said and Y1 was very much the same as YR and as the year progressed the challenges became more challenging and children were expected to complete them by the end of the week. Teachers then worked with small focussed groups while the TA would support the challenges or work with another small focussed group. I would recomend the Sally Featherstone books Carrying on in Key Stage One and also Julie Fisher's Book Moving on to Key Stage One. Another excellent piece of work worth reading on the subject is the NFER paper on transition (2006!) I have attached it to this post. You can download 4 papers from Nursery World on Transitions again all worth looking at.

 

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1005572/Transitions-Part-1---Preparing-children-move-Key-Stage-1/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH

 

Working this way in KS1 can be very rewarding both for the children and the adults!

 

Lorna

NFER Successful transition.pdf

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Lorna W - Yes we have 2 classes set by ability. We have a good cohort so the children are very able in both sets with a small group of less able children.

I am wondering how your classrooms are set up exactly- How many tables do you have? What areas do you have set up which are like Reception? My colleague who is already in Yr 1 likes a seat for each child and doesn't know how you would get through all 4 group activities if you didn't have them sitting at tables. This is very awkward for me as I don't want to tread on anyone's toes.

 

Our Phase leader also has high expectations of the children leaving Year 1 and wants children sitting at tables by the end of Year 1 ready for Year 2. As you can imagine, this would involve a big change around of furniture by the third term.

[Guest LornaW]

Oh ginamaria08 you are between a rock and a hard place!

 

First I have to say I do not agree with setting in primary schools and certainly not in KS1 and I could probably write a thesis on why with all the research etc. but suffice to say when children are taught in mixed ability groups the high achievers continue to make the kind of progress they would in a high ability group but the less able cildren make better progress overall so for me it is mixed ability.

 

Secondly children do not learn because they are sitting at a desk they learn becasue they are motivated, interested, challenged and engaged.

 

Thirdly children can only concentrate for 1 minute per year of their chronilogical age plus a minute so my adult led activities would never be longer than 10 minutes at the beginning of the yearwhich would include the intro and I would build it up as I went through the year.

 

My classroom was set up in areas so an art area, maths area, role play, book area and carpet area and I had three sets of tables that would sit 6 children.

 

My TA and I would work with a focussed group so we would have say 5 children at a time working with us at a table while other children were working idependently in challenges devised for them by me. If you can either get on training with say Julie Fisher or better still afford her to come and do some work in the school! If this is not within the school's means then your LA may be able to provide some support.

 

Good Luck drip away at it and you will get there!

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply LornaW! Good news for us ....we have just been told by are new head that we will not be setting in Year 1!

We will be having both classrooms set up with continuous provision and are both lucky enough to have a TA this year!

[Guest LornaW]

Whoop! whoop! all system go then ginamaria08 keep us all posted on progress!

[KST]

Mine classroom is set out as Lorna described and I am in year 2. I don't 'teach' literacy and numeracy in adult led groups everyday, just one or the other, but it doesn't mean the children aren't learning when not with an adult. They learn so much when choosing their own learning and completing challenges independently. The time the children get with an adult is really valuable because you can really model and guide them to learn and apply new skills. Its such a great way to work and my class have made the expected progress working this way (better than previous years) and children are so motivated to learn! Good luck!

[Guest]

Has anyone got any examples of what their planning looks like?

We have a new head who is also an Ofsted inspector She would like us planning Literacy and Numeracy on a morning - 1 group with Teacher, 1 group with TA, 1 group working on a task independently and one group in the continuous provision . The afternoons will focus on a whole school 'Creative curriculum' topic.

 

Thanks everyone for previous comments, it is a great help!

[Guest LornaW]

http://www.ridgewayprimaryschool.org.uk/contexts_for_learning/overview/

 

ginamaria08 I visited this school when we were developing our Y! and Y2 you may find their website useful. If you DM me I have loads of documents that I could send but too many to post here.

[Guest]

Lorna I have sent a personal message to ask if you could forward ideas on Y1 plans and organisation - have found this thread very useful - thanks to everyone

[Guest]

Thanks LornaW, I will DM you now. This info would be a great help. x