Diamond Class (Y1/2)

Class Teacher - Mrs Benfield

Teaching Assistants - Mrs Anderson and Miss Castle

Welcome to the KS1 (Diamond Class) webpage.

We ensure that all children have a broad, balanced and relevant education which enables every child to grow and flourish. We aim to teach our children to grow into positive, responsible people who can work and cooperate with others. All of our activities are carefully planned to enable every child, not only to reach their full potential but also to have a great deal of fun along the way! Here you will be able to find out all the wonderful things we have been doing each term.

Academic Year 2025/2026

We are excited to share some important developments coming to Diamond Class from September 2025.

At Clanfield Primary School, we recognise that play is a powerful and essential part of children’s learning and development. Our approach to teaching Key Stage 1 reflects current research and best practice in early education, ensuring that children experience a curriculum that is both academically rigorous and developmentally appropriate.

In Key Stage 1, Continuous Provision is used particularly during the first term to support the transition from Reception. In the first term of Key Stage 1, Continuous Provision is used across all areas of the curriculum to support children as they transition into a new class environment. It provides valuable opportunities for pupils to build positive relationships with their peers and develop trust with new teaching staff through shared experiences and collaborative play. By offering a familiar yet progressively structured approach, children can settle more confidently into new routines and surroundings. This approach also encourages an explorative style of learning, where pupils can investigate, practise and apply skills in a range of practical and engaging contexts, supporting both their emotional wellbeing and academic development.

As the year progresses, children gradually move towards a more formal learning structure. However, elements of Continuous Provision continue to be used across the curriculum wherever possible to support engagement, independence, and deeper learning. In Years 1 and 2, this is further enhanced through an explorative approach within English, Maths, and the wider curriculum, where children are given regular opportunities to work practically and investigate concepts in meaningful ways. Learning takes place both indoors and outdoors, allowing pupils to explore, experiment, and apply their skills across a range of contexts, fostering curiosity and a deeper understanding of their learning.

Find out more information here:

Learning Through Play

Letters to families

Autumn 1 Return to School Letter 2025

Spring Return to school letter

Curriculum Information

April 2026

Get ready for the most exciting topic ever—We Are Party Planners! This term, we’ll step into a world of celebrations as we discover fascinating facts about King Charles, the Royal Family, and famous royals from history. Then it’s our turn to shine! We’ll explore what makes a party truly amazing, design eye-catching invitations, create fantastic decorations, and work together to plan and host the best party ever. It’s going to be full of creativity, fun, and royal-sized excitement—let the party begin!

Diamond Curriculum Map Summer 2026

Commission Planning Overview Summer 2026

Curriculum Information

January 2026

This term, we are launching into a brand-new and very exciting topic… Diamond Class are becoming astronauts! We will be setting off on an incredible mission to explore the solar system, travelling from planet to planet to investigate whether humans could one day live there. The children will be thinking like real scientists as they ask big questions, make predictions, and explore what life in space might be like. Throughout the term, we will be learning about the history of space travel, discovering how humans first explored space and how technology has developed over time. We will also be studying each of the eight planets, finding out what makes them unique and considering whether they might be suitable for human life in the future. To support our mission, the children will also become engineers as they design and create their own space buggies to help them travel across different planetary surfaces. This will encourage creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork — all while having lots of fun!

Curriculum Map Spring 2026

Commission Planning Overview Spring 2026

Diamond Spring 2 2026

As part of our commission, we explored 6 different types of space food. The children had to try and identify which food they thought had been freeze dried, then choose their favourite one. Following this, they then had to design their own meal for an astronaut that could be freeze dried.

Space Food

As part of our commission, the children tasted different space food and tried to work out what food had been freeze dried. They then rated their favourite and designed their own meal to be freeze dried for an astronaut.

Curriculum Information

September 2025

This term, our commission topic is “We are African Artists”. We will be exploring Africa, looking at the animals that live there, learning all about famous people in African history, listening to African Music and having a go at creating some African art. Sharon, our wonderful school cook, will also be working with the children to create some delicious African food. Towards the end of the topic, we will be taking part in a very exciting workshop.

Diamond Curriculum Map - Autumn 1 2025

Diamond Commission Planning Overview

Diamond Curriculum Map - Autumn 2 2025

Diamond Autumn 2025

Academic Year 2024/25

Letters to families

Diamond Welcome Letter to Parents Autumn 2024

Diamond Welcome Letter to Parents Spring 2025 Diamond Welcome Letter to Parents Summer 2025

Curriculum Information

Summer 2025

Our Learning Journey

This term, our commission topic is “We are Geographers”. During this commission unit, we will learn all about Captain Cook and his journeys across oceans to discover new lands. We will learn all about Australia, looking particularly at the wildlife and what life is like in Australia. We will also look at aboriginal art and have a go at designing our own. At the end of our commission, we will make our own maps of “Australia” and navigate across the Clanfield Ocean to find out all about life there.

Diamond Summer Commission Planning Overview

Diamond Summer Curriculum Map

Diamond Summer 2025

Curriculum Information Spring 2025

Our Learning Journey

This term, our commission topic is “We are Engineers”. Our exciting topic will take the children on a journey through the Industrial Revolution, exploring the incredible contributions of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and other engineering marvels. The children will step into the role of engineers themselves, designing and creating their own CAM toys, which they will proudly share with you at our Diamond Toy Trail at the end of the topic—details to follow next term.

Diamond Curriculum Map Spring 2025

Diamond Spring Commission Planning Overview

Spring In Diamond Class

Curriculum Information

Autumn 2024

Our Learning Journey

This term, our commission topic is “We are Campaigners” and we are launching a campaign to promote sustainable thinking and bring about meaningful change. Our goal is to evaluate and analyse how our actions impact global warming and implement sustainable practices within our school. By making these changes, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint and foster a culture of responsibility.

Diamond Curriculum Map - Autumn 1 2024

Diamond Autumn 1 Commission Planning Overview

Little Wandle Presentation for Parents

NCTEM Presentation for Parents