Our aim at Byron is to make the transition from Reception to Year 1 as smooth as possible so that the children feel comfortable and relaxed. As the weeks pass by the school day will gradually become more structured than it was in Reception. This gradual change to a more structured learning environment can result in some children becoming more tired than usual. If this occurs please do not worry as this is very normal when children enter Year 1.

Much of the learning will revolve around animals, particularly teddy bears and toy animals. By now the children’s teddies will have received their invitations to come to school to help with learning! If your child does not have a teddy that can come to school please do not worry as I have plenty that I am happy to share. If you have queries about the planned learning please do not hesitate to see me. The end of the day is the best time if you need to chat with me.

All of the children are given a small yellow contact book to keep in their book bag. Each day we will give the children a book to take home and share with an adult. The date and title of the book will be written in the contact book. I urge you to book share every night as the advantages are enormous for reading development. If your child does not want to read to you then please read the book to your child as this is equally important. You will notice that there is a page for comments in the contact book and this is for parents and Year 1 staff to use. If you have any queries about book sharing please do not hesitate about coming to see me. In class we will be reading graded texts that are matched to individual children’s development. We are unable to send these books home however. If you are buying books or choosing library books please try to select books that have good picture cues and lots of repetition, both of which are essential for early reading development.

The children are very excited at the prospect of sharing the new equipment outside Year 1 with reception children. For health and safety reasons we would ask that the children refrain from using equipment either first thing in the morning or after school. They will be supervised on the equipment during the day by a member of staff.

Our P.E. days are Mondays and Fridays starting next week. We are lucky that we have a specialised P.E. teacher coming into school to teach Year 1 multi skills for one of the sessions. Please ensure that your child’s P.E. kit is always in school.

We very much hope that the children enjoy this term. It is packed with lots of interesting learning. Teddy bears and toys never fail to excite children and are a wonderful vehicle for learning. We hope that you will enjoy watching your children blossom as learners and we look forward to your support in the learning process.


Yours sincerely,
Mrs Napier (Teacher)