Year 1: Interviewing Local Residents About The Lonely Beast

This term in Year 1, the children have been learning how to write questions, focusing on using capital letters and question marks correctly. As part of our work on The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge, we imagined what it might be like if a mysterious beast moved into our local park!

To bring our learning to life, the children each wrote their own interview questions, thinking carefully about what local residents might want to know or feel about the Beast’s presence. Questions ranged from curious to concerned, showing great imagination and empathy.

We then had the exciting opportunity to welcome some very special ‘residents’ into school for a live interview session! The children were thrilled to meet Margret, a senior local resident with a slight hearing loss; Madame Éclair, who resides in a nearby penthouse suite; and Ms Margarita, who runs the local pizza establishment. The children conducted their interviews beautifully and with lots of enthusiasm.  The responses from our distinguished guests were very entertaining . It was a truly memorable learning experience, and the children were buzzing with excitement afterwards.

As part of our exciting Enterprise Week, the children in Year 1 wrote letters requesting donations of materials to help with their business project.  Thanks to the generosity of some wonderful local businesses, we received a range of donated materials, which helped keep our costs low and our profits high.

With their materials ready, the children spent a fun-filled afternoon designing and making creative pencil toppers, which they proudly sold at the Enterprise Fair. From pom-pom creatures to sparkly designs, the stall was full of colour, imagination, and entrepreneurial spirit.

In Science this term, we are  learning all about plants.  After carefully planning and writing their instructions, the children had the chance to put them to the test during a hands-on afternoon of bean planting. With great excitement (and a little mess!), they followed their own steps to plant their beans in soil, water them, and place them in the best spot to grow.

We are now keeping a close eye on our little pots, eager to observe the changes and take on the responsibility of looking after our growing plants. It’s been a fantastic way to combine writing, scientific thinking, and practical learning—and we can’t wait to see what sprouts next!