Year 1 Admissions 2021/2022
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A very big welcome to our Year 1 information area. Thank you for taking the time to visit and show your interest; we have lots to explore.
Unfortunately due to COVID 19 we are unable to hold our annual open days and night as usual this year; we cherish the moments of meeting new families and potential pupils and observing and engaging as you explore our Year 1 learning areas.
We hope that this page can give you an insight into Year 1 at Mill Strand Integrated School & Nursery and how we strive to embed in every child a life-long love of learning. |
Our Ethos
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At Mill Strand Integrated Primary School everyone is committed to providing the highest quality education for all children in our care. We work collaboratively with parents, families and our local community to ensure that our children have the very best in their ‘journey of learning’ during their school life.
We believe that every child is unique, each with their own strengths, personalities and interests. We want all children to feel proud of their own achievements, and experience feelings of success, happiness and security in school so that they become confident, independent little people who develop a love of learning in Year 1 and beyond! Our Year 1 Classes
We have vibrant, stimulating and fun environments for children to learn and grow. We have two Year 1 classes. In each class you will find a teacher and teaching assistant. As a year group we thrive off working together, interacting on a daily basis and aim for ‘one big happy family’; children and staff engaging daily between both classes, whether through lessons such as music, science, art etc. or through play time indoor and outdoor.
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Our Year 1 classes are situated in two bright, well resourced, purposeful classrooms set up for a wealth of child centred, meaningful, fun learning and teaching activities in line with Curricular Guidance.
At Mill Strand we believe the outdoor classroom is as important as the indoor classroom environment and children should have the opportunity to investigate, explore and revel in the wonder of the natural world around them. Both classes, therefore, have daily access to our fabulous designated Year 1 outdoor courtyard and sensory garden areas, no matter the weather! We also take weekly trips to our ‘extended classroom’, West Strand Beach. Our outdoor classroom time is priceless, where learning can be explored in a range of ways without any of the constraints the indoors may have. Our Year 1 classes are often found on the beach engaging in learning with big smiles on their faces. If you take a moment to stop and listen, the sound of learning excites the heart. What an opportunity we have and a treasure we love to explore!
At Mill Strand we believe the outdoor classroom is as important as the indoor classroom environment and children should have the opportunity to investigate, explore and revel in the wonder of the natural world around them. Both classes, therefore, have daily access to our fabulous designated Year 1 outdoor courtyard and sensory garden areas, no matter the weather! We also take weekly trips to our ‘extended classroom’, West Strand Beach. Our outdoor classroom time is priceless, where learning can be explored in a range of ways without any of the constraints the indoors may have. Our Year 1 classes are often found on the beach engaging in learning with big smiles on their faces. If you take a moment to stop and listen, the sound of learning excites the heart. What an opportunity we have and a treasure we love to explore!
Your Child’s Learning
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Our aim in Year 1 at Mill Strand is to provide a rich and well-balanced curriculum which develops the whole child. Staff ensure each year follows a programme which has continuity and progression in line with the NI Curriculum.
In Year 1, your child will begin the Foundation Stage of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. Our Year 1 curriculum encourages development of all the skills that children need to become successful learners. In the early days of Year 1 we lay the foundation for reading, writing and mathematical development through carefully planned learning opportunities which encompass phonological awareness (the skills children require before learning phonics), visual discrimination and motor skills. |
What Will Happen in the Classroom?
In Year 1 children will experience much of their learning through well planned, appropriately challenging lessons and play experiences. Teachers will encourage the children to play an active role in their own learning by using their ideas and interests to pursue topics in greater depth. We have found that this serves to generate greater motivation and desire to learn. Our pupils are very much encouraged to have a voice in their learning and expected to lead certain aspects of their day to encourage independence.
Areas of Learning
In Year 1 we explore our range of learning areas through both play and structured lessons.
Language & Literacy
Throughout this area of the curriculum we explore much more than that of reading and writing. Language and Literacy in the Early Years includes exploring and talking about books, teaching and exploring early concepts of print and strategies, print in the environment, mark making, letter formation, attention and listening skills and exploring the link between spoken and written language.
Phonological Awareness
Through the use of games and interactive activities, we explore the vital early skills of Phonological Awareness. Phonological awareness skills are those skills children need to acquire in advance of learning to read and write and engage in the Sounds-Write Programme.
Phonics
Within Year 1 and throughout the school, we use the Sounds-Write linguistic phonics programme to explore the phonetic learning journey.
Sounds-Write is a multi-sensory, systematic, linguistic approach to teaching children how to read and write. Through this programme we explore the skills of segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation.
Mathematics & Numeracy
Mathematics & Numeracy in the Early Years supports our pupils to solve problems, use money, calculate more or less, explore shape and space, measure, amongst many other skills. Through actively engaging in lessons both indoor and outdoor, our pupils begin to understand size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money and begin to compare and contrast. Within this area of learning, our pupils are receiving an interactive approach to learning lifelong skills and learning skills essential to their learning journey and life.
Within Year 1 and throughout the school, we explore the New Heinemann Mathematics and Numeracy programme. This programme ensures clear progression and achievement as pupils pass through their terms and school years.
The Arts (Art and Design, Music & Drama)
The Arts structured lessons and exploration through play assists emotional development and promotes aesthetic awareness. Children will be given opportunities to explore materials, paint, dough, clay, scrap paper etc. The children will learn songs, listen and respond to music. They will be given opportunities to express their ideas, communicate their feelings and use their imagination. In Year 1 we love to explore music and drama and it is amazing to see how our little stars develop in their confidence.
The World Around Us (History, Geography, Science & Technology)
The children will have opportunities to develop knowledge and an understanding of the environment through talking about the weather, seasons, their family members, events past, present and future and exploring our season windows and interest tables. The children will become aware of environmental issues such as litter, personal safety in the sun and road safety. Through their natural curiosity and the opportunity to play with a range of activities and engage in adult led lessons, children will begin to develop skills and concepts in science and technology. There will be opportunities to explore, observe, use their senses, make models, and put things together in a variety of ways and to learn about themselves. In Year 1 we explore weekly science lessons and spend time in our ICT suite.
Personal Development & Mutual Understanding (PDMU)
Opportunities are provided for our pupils to develop personal and social skills. Children will be encouraged to: co-operate, share, take turns, experience the therapeutic value of working with clay, dough, paint, sand and water, explore their emotions through role play, circle time and small group time. More structure lessons will also encourage thinking skills and personal capabilities, through group work, independent thinking and encouraging our pupils to take lead in their learning and to think ‘outside the box’.
Religious Education (RE)
Religious Education is taught to the whole school in accordance with the agreed Revised Curriculum for Northern Ireland. As an integrated school, Mill Strand strives to celebrate difference rather than just tolerate or accommodate it and the beliefs of all members of the school community are respected. Mill Strand Integrated School serves a wide and diverse community including foreign nationals, pupils from minority religious backgrounds and those from a non-religious background. By celebrating and sharing beliefs and traditions the school strives to enable pupils to become better aware of others’ beliefs, educating pupils for a shared future. It is this celebration of difference in an environment not dominated by ANY particular section of our community that sets Mill Strand Integrated School aside from any other primary school in the Triangle Area.
Physical Education (PE)
Our pupils enjoy physical play both indoors during PE and each day in our outdoor classroom. They develop fine manipulative skills, which are essential for pencil, brush and scissor control and large motor skills which develop spatial awareness, balance, and co-ordination. At the same time children learn social skills as they co-operate and share.
Language & Literacy
Throughout this area of the curriculum we explore much more than that of reading and writing. Language and Literacy in the Early Years includes exploring and talking about books, teaching and exploring early concepts of print and strategies, print in the environment, mark making, letter formation, attention and listening skills and exploring the link between spoken and written language.
Phonological Awareness
Through the use of games and interactive activities, we explore the vital early skills of Phonological Awareness. Phonological awareness skills are those skills children need to acquire in advance of learning to read and write and engage in the Sounds-Write Programme.
Phonics
Within Year 1 and throughout the school, we use the Sounds-Write linguistic phonics programme to explore the phonetic learning journey.
Sounds-Write is a multi-sensory, systematic, linguistic approach to teaching children how to read and write. Through this programme we explore the skills of segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation.
Mathematics & Numeracy
Mathematics & Numeracy in the Early Years supports our pupils to solve problems, use money, calculate more or less, explore shape and space, measure, amongst many other skills. Through actively engaging in lessons both indoor and outdoor, our pupils begin to understand size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money and begin to compare and contrast. Within this area of learning, our pupils are receiving an interactive approach to learning lifelong skills and learning skills essential to their learning journey and life.
Within Year 1 and throughout the school, we explore the New Heinemann Mathematics and Numeracy programme. This programme ensures clear progression and achievement as pupils pass through their terms and school years.
The Arts (Art and Design, Music & Drama)
The Arts structured lessons and exploration through play assists emotional development and promotes aesthetic awareness. Children will be given opportunities to explore materials, paint, dough, clay, scrap paper etc. The children will learn songs, listen and respond to music. They will be given opportunities to express their ideas, communicate their feelings and use their imagination. In Year 1 we love to explore music and drama and it is amazing to see how our little stars develop in their confidence.
The World Around Us (History, Geography, Science & Technology)
The children will have opportunities to develop knowledge and an understanding of the environment through talking about the weather, seasons, their family members, events past, present and future and exploring our season windows and interest tables. The children will become aware of environmental issues such as litter, personal safety in the sun and road safety. Through their natural curiosity and the opportunity to play with a range of activities and engage in adult led lessons, children will begin to develop skills and concepts in science and technology. There will be opportunities to explore, observe, use their senses, make models, and put things together in a variety of ways and to learn about themselves. In Year 1 we explore weekly science lessons and spend time in our ICT suite.
Personal Development & Mutual Understanding (PDMU)
Opportunities are provided for our pupils to develop personal and social skills. Children will be encouraged to: co-operate, share, take turns, experience the therapeutic value of working with clay, dough, paint, sand and water, explore their emotions through role play, circle time and small group time. More structure lessons will also encourage thinking skills and personal capabilities, through group work, independent thinking and encouraging our pupils to take lead in their learning and to think ‘outside the box’.
Religious Education (RE)
Religious Education is taught to the whole school in accordance with the agreed Revised Curriculum for Northern Ireland. As an integrated school, Mill Strand strives to celebrate difference rather than just tolerate or accommodate it and the beliefs of all members of the school community are respected. Mill Strand Integrated School serves a wide and diverse community including foreign nationals, pupils from minority religious backgrounds and those from a non-religious background. By celebrating and sharing beliefs and traditions the school strives to enable pupils to become better aware of others’ beliefs, educating pupils for a shared future. It is this celebration of difference in an environment not dominated by ANY particular section of our community that sets Mill Strand Integrated School aside from any other primary school in the Triangle Area.
Physical Education (PE)
Our pupils enjoy physical play both indoors during PE and each day in our outdoor classroom. They develop fine manipulative skills, which are essential for pencil, brush and scissor control and large motor skills which develop spatial awareness, balance, and co-ordination. At the same time children learn social skills as they co-operate and share.
