Spring Term
Spring Term Curriculum
R.E.
Christmas
In this unit the children will listen to the Christmas story focusing on where the baby Jesus was born and that the shepherds were the first visitors.
Baptism
The children will learn about the church being an important gathering place for God's family and will look at some of the symbols associated with Baptism.
Lent
In this unit of work the children are introduced to some of the Church’s customs for the Season of Lent. Children will hear about Lent being a special time of prayer and a season when Christians try to follow Christ by what they do. They will also learn about Lent being a time of saying sorry and asking God’s forgiveness for things that they have done wrong.
Holy Week
In this unit of work the children will learn about the last few days in the life of Jesus. They will be introduced to the story of Palm Sunday, The Last Supper and Good Friday.
Maths
This term the children will be looking at numbers to 10. They will compare the numbers within 10, the addition of numbers up to 10, and also look at the composition of the numbers to 10. Later in the term they will look at the number bonds to 10. The children will learn what subtraction means and will be able to use different representations to work out different subtraction problems.
They will also investigate the measurement of length, height and weight. The children will also look at creating and comparing patterns using different media.
English
The children will be using the phonics they have learnt to support their reading and writing. They will also be sharing lots of different texts about Amazing Animals and Mini-Beasts! They will look at fiction and non-fiction texts and look at the characteristics of both types of books. They will also be learning some poems and songs about the different creatures and will be performing these in the class.
Communication and Language 
Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, storytelling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.
Personal and Social Development 
Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.
Physical Development 
By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practice of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.
Understanding the World 
The learning at the start of the Spring Term will centre on the season of winter. We will observe our own environment by going on a winter walk. The children will learn about what changes take place in the natural world during winter, and the differences between hot and cold weather. We will also learn about the contrasting environment of a desert, and how the wildlife adapts to such high temperatures.
We will then learn about what it means to have a job. The first job we will learn about are doctors and nurses, where they work and what they do. We will look at the work of dentists and will have a visit from a dentist, who will explain about their job and how important it is to keep our teeth clean. We will then go on to learn about what it means to be an engineer, and will invite an engineer to come and talk to us in school. We will investigate how things work and have go at building our own bridge.
We will extend this learning to look at different modes of transport and will use our engineering skills to make an aeroplane. Thinking about different modes of transport. we will look at what trains looked like in the past, and where we could travel to on a train. We will draw maps to illustrate our train journeys.
Our learning will be enhanced by reading lots of books, which will support all these areas of learning. The books will be chosen by the children and teachers, from our school library and also the public library in Uttoxeter.
Expressive Arts and Design 
The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.