Year 1 Handbook

Our main priority is to get your child settled into life at school as quickly as possible. Your child’s class teacher and teaching assistant are your first point of contact, and they will help your child settle quickly into their new routine.

Pastoral care is embedded in the aims, values and ethos of the school. We teach the children to be supportive of each other, to work together, and to respect each other and themselves.

We value our strong relationship with parents and ensure that we work together to support the children both academically and pastorally. The Head of Pre-Prep, Mrs Janey McDowell, is always available for a chat, either informally or at a planned meeting.

Children should be taken directly to their classroom door. Parents can park either in Acorns playground or in the South car park. Doors are opened at 08:15 and the children can be dropped off at any time between 08:15 and 08:30.

Short Stay (15:15 – 16:15)

Pupils who are not collected at 15:15 remain in their classrooms until 15:20. You can then collect them from one of the Year 1 classrooms in the Acorns building any time up until 16:15. A rota will be displayed at the start of each term, letting you know which classroom to collect from. Short Stay bookings should be made via your child’s class teacher on the day.

Long Stay (15:15 – 17:50)

Long Stay is also based in Acorns. Pupils can choose from a range of play activities. They receive a light tea consisting of sandwiches, fruit, and a biscuit, but will still need an evening meal once they get home. Pupils should be collected by 17:50. Any child not collected by this time will be taken across to the school office to await collection. Bookings for Late Stay should be made by the end of Friday the week before, if possible, via your child’s class teacher. The cost per day is £8.30.

The House system in Pre-Prep is used for team events, and for rewards in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Pupils remain in their Pre-Prep house until the end of Year 2. There are four Pre-Prep houses: Maple, Ash, Willow and Beech. Our interhouse competitions, such as Cross Country and Sports Day, provide the opportunity for you to come and cheer on your child as they take part in these exciting events.

Pupils should be collected from the classroom door. If your child is being collected by someone other than you, we must be notified via phone or email.

Breakfast Club runs between 07:30 and 08:15 and is based in the Dining Hall. Pupils are looked after by Mrs Karen Styles. Breakfast is charged at £5.15 per day and will be added to fee invoices at the end of the term.

If you plan to use Breakfast Club on a regular basis, you can book by emailing socs@crosfields.com. Breakfast Club also welcomes casual diners, and you may drop your child off in the dining room any day without prior booking. Breakfast Club will commence on the first day of term.

Snack

During the morning, pupils are provided with a drink of milk or water and a portion of fresh fruit. An additional item, such as a rice cake or breadstick, is also offered. Water is available for pupils throughout the day, but pupils should also bring their own, named, filled, water bottle to school.

Lunch

Pupils are encouraged to eat the hot lunch provided which consists of a main meal, pudding or fruit. They are sensitively encouraged to try new foods. All pupils are
encouraged to use a knife and fork, although help is given with cutting food. Pupils have water to drink. Lunch is included in the school fees, and we can accommodate most dietary requirements including a daily halal option.

Seesaw is an online learning platform which is used for children’s weekly homework. The children all have their own Seesaw profile, and your child will be given their secure log in on New Pupils’ Day in June.

Once you have your child’s log in details, to access their account you will need to:

• Go to https://app.seesaw.me on a computer. Or install the Seesaw Class App on an iOS or Android device.
• Choose ‘I’m a Student’.
• Scan the QR Home Learning Code or type in the text code if you are on a desktop. This QR code is unique to your child’s Seesaw journal and should not be shared with anyone else.

If you have any questions, or cannot access your child’s account, please contact your child’s class teacher for assistance.

Reading Homework

Once children have become confident saying sounds and blending words, we will send home a reading book for your child to share with you. Books are changed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday but we would like you to read with your child every night. Please sign their reading record book every time they read to you.

We also share with you, via Seesaw, a maths homework menu each half term which lists activities you can complete to support your child’s learning in class. These activities are optional

Curriculum Homework – Seesaw

We will share with you, on Seesaw, a homework menu which lists activities you can complete to support your child’s learning in class. One activity from the menu is
expected to be completed each week and the homework should be uploaded to Seesaw.

Seesaw also allows you to make comments and add your own photos to show what your child has been doing at home to support their learning.

Maths Homework

NumBots is an online game which, if played, little and often, will significantly improve your child’s recall and understanding of number bonds, and addition and subtraction facts. Your child’s log in details will be stuck into their yellow reading record book once they have settled into Year 1. To get the best out of NumBots, children should regularly play for short bursts so we would like them to play for 3 minutes, five times a week.

We run an exciting co-curricular programme which offers a range of activities for pupils to take part in. The programme is delivered by both teachers and external providers. Hence, there are a mixture of paid-for activities and sessions which are offered at no cost. Parents are asked to book these online with their child. We recommend that pupils should have no more than one after-school activity on any given day.

Some sessions do have a maximum number of places available. If a session is oversubscribed, the activity may either be run on rotation or children picked through a ballot for the available places.

When can I book?

Parents will be notified through the school app when booking opens. Parents new to Crosfields will receive their login to the SOCS website during the first week of term.

Pupils in Year 1 follow the National Curriculum. Year 1 have a more structured day than Reception, although much of the learning is still practical. As pupils progress
through Year 1, they will be expected to develop their stamina and focus, working on set tasks for longer periods of time with increasing independence. At the start of each term, you will be sent a curriculum overview detailing the content covered in each subject area. You will receive further information about the curriculum at the Parent Information meeting in September.

Forest School

Forest School activities complement and extend the academic curriculum, helping to further develop independence, confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning in an outdoor setting. Forest School sessions, with our specialist teachers, take place weekly all year, regardless of the weather.

Music

Year 1 pupils continue to receive two music lessons each week, taught by a specialist music teacher. They will perform a Christmas play in the Autumn Term, an Easter Cantata in the Spring Term and a music concert in the Summer Term.

Swimming

Pupils throughout Pre-Prep benefit from weekly swimming lessons with specialist teachers in our state-of-the-art pool. Pupils in Year 1 have their swimming lesson on Thursday afternoons.

PE

Pupils have a gym session and a games session each week, taught by the specialist PE staff. The focus is on movement development, coordination, and fundamental skills and an introduction to team sports. Pupils should come to school dressed in their games kit on Fridays during the Autumn and Spring Terms.

French

The Year 1 pupils receive a weekly French lesson with a specialist language teacher. They continue to focus on learning everyday vocabulary through singing, stories, games and role-play

Black Crosfields book bag

This should be brought to school every day and should contain your child’s reading book and yellow reading record book, once it is issued.

Water bottles

Pupils should bring a named drinking bottle to school each day, filled with water only. The bottles are sent home at the end of each day.

PE bags

PE bags should stay in school. Please ensure you have put some spare socks and pants in the front pocket of your child’s PE bag. Pupils wear their tracksuit bottoms and trainers at playtime, so it is important that they are in school every day.

Swimming bags

Swimming kit can be placed in any backpack. Swimming bags should only be brought in on swimming days and taken home to be washed that afternoon. The children will swim on the Thursday of their first full week in school.

Art apron

This will remain in school and be sent home at the end of each term to be washed.

Forest School clothes

These should remain in school. If they get particularly wet or dirty, following an outdoor session, we will send them home. Please return them to school as soon as possible. In the Autumn and Spring Terms, each child will need a neck warmer, wristies, base layer, hat and warm socks. Please make sure all items of clothing are clearly labelled.

We are often asked by parents how they can help their child prepare for starting Year 1. Here are some things you can work on at home to help them develop the skills they need.

Independence

• I can use child-safe scissors to cut paper carefully.
• I can find and read my name on each piece of clothing.
• I can come into school independently and organise my belongings.

Social Skills

• I can share resources and take turns.
• I can interact with other children.
• I know when to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’
• I can ask for help and explain what is wrong.
• I can talk about how I am feeling and know how to calm myself down if I am feeling upset.

Self-care

• I can go to the loo on my own, wipe myself properly and flush the loo.
• I can wash and dry my hands without help.
• I can blow and wipe my nose.
• I can ask for help if I don’t feel well.

Speaking and Listening

• I am able to talk about myself.
• I am curious and I like to ask questions.
• I am able to sit still and listen in lessons.
• I can follow a set of instructions.
• I understand the need to follow simple rules.

Literacy

• I am interested in listening to stories and looking at picture books.
• I can recite a simple rhyme or poem.
• I can talk about the books I have read.

Writing Skills

• I can hold a pencil with a tripod grip and write my full name.
• I can write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.
• I can write simple phrases that can be read by others.
• I can spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with the letters.

Maths Skills

• I can read, write and order numbers to 20.
• I can form my numbers correctly with correct orientation.

Interest in the World

• I can ask and answer simple questions.
• I can talk about the things I have discovered.

Eating

• I can use a knife and fork to cut my own food.
• I eat a range of foods including lots of fruit and vegetables.
• I like to try new foods.

Dressing

• I can change my own clothes and put them in a bag.
• I can zip up my coat.
• I can put on my shoes without help.
• I can turn my clothes the right way round.

Routines

• I can put on my uniform and get ready to leave on time.
• I have a good bedtime routine that includes a bedtime story.
• I can pack my own bookbag ready for school.

Our school uniforms is supplied by Stevensons. You can find the specific uniform you need using their new search feature. You can also set up an account by creating a
profile and adding your child’s information.

We also have a school shop on site, which is open each week during term time on Wednesdays. The shop coordinator can be contacted by telephoning the main school office. The on site school shop stocks second-hand items and is open each Wednesday during term time between 15:30 and 16:30. However, if you are looking for a specific item and cannot attend during this time, please email shop@crosfields.com and one of the dedicated team will have a look for you.

For all items purchased through the school shop, the proceeds go directly to the bursary fund and we ask for donations for any selected items.

In order to maximise teaching time on specific days, pupils arrive and/or leave school in Crosfields’ PE/Games kit. Read more details here – 2025 26 What To Wear.

Uniform List for Year 1

The items with an asterisk are branded and must be purchased from our nominated partner, Stevensons or from the school shop. Other items may be purchased unbranded.

New parents should buy the items as listed below. Current parents do not need to buy new items, but as your child grows out of clothes and you replace them, please replace with new garments as detailed below.

Summer and Winter Uniform

Summer Uniform

Winter Uniform

Swimming Kit

PE and Games Kit

Forest School

Needed in the winter

Blue Nylon Painting Apron