Year 1 National Curriculum

All of our lessons are based on Oak Academy. 

In Year 1, the children will study :

Autumn 1 - Naming and grouping animals - This unit introduces pupils to the big question, What are living things and what are they made of?  It also focusses on naming and grouping animals. Pupils learn to classify animals based on characteristics and explore the diversity of life. This foundational knowledge prepares them for the next unit, Introduction to food chains, where they will apply their understanding of animal groups to explore how animals interact within ecosystems, reinforcing the importance of classification in understanding living organisms. 

Autumn 2 -Seasonal Changes: Autumn and Winter -  This unit introduces Year 1 pupils to the big question, How do living things live together in their environments?, by focusing on Seasonal changes: autumn and winter. Pupils will learn about how the weather and daylight change during these seasons. This helps them get ready for the next unit, Seasonal changes: spring and summer, where they will continue to explore how the seasons change, helping them understand how the Earth’s movement causes these changes throughout the year.

Spring 1 - Human Body Parts - This unit introduces Year 1 pupils to the big question, What are living things and what are they made of?, by focusing on Human body parts. Pupils will learn to identify and name the basic parts of the human body and link them to their senses. This prepares them for the next unit, Introduction to the human skeleton and muscles, where they will explore how bones and muscles support movement, helping them build a deeper understanding of how their bodies work.

Spring 2 - Identifying plants and their basic parts - This unit introduces Year 1 pupils to the big question, What are living things and what are they made of?, by focusing on Identifying plants and their basic parts. Pupils will learn to recognise common plants and understand the basic structure of flowers and trees. This prepares them for the next unit, Growing plants, where they will explore how plants grow and what they need to stay healthy, deepening their understanding of plant life and how living things differ.

Summer 1 - Seasonal Changes : Spring and Summer - This unit introduces Year 1 pupils to the big question, how do living things live together in their environments?, by focusing on seasonal changes: spring and summer. Pupils will learn about how the weather and daylight change during these seasons. This helps them get ready for the next unit, seasonal changes: autumn and winter, where they will continue to explore how the seasons change, helping them understand how the Earth’s movement causes these changes throughout the year.

Summer 2 - Everyday Materials - This unit introduces Year 1 pupils to the big question, How do we explain how substances behave?, by focusing on everyday materials. Pupils will learn to identify materials like wood, plastic, and metal and describe their properties. This prepares them for the next unit, Uses of everyday materials, where they will explore how different materials are suited for specific purposes, helping them understand how the properties of materials determine their use in everyday life.

National Curriculum Documents