Maze Explorers: Setting Our Own Challenges

In Year One Computing this week, pupils took their Maze Explorers learning a step further by becoming challenge designers themselves, using the 2Go programming tool on Purple Mash.

The lesson began with a recap of key computing vocabulary, including algorithm, instruction, command, route and direction. Children reflected on their earlier experiences with 2Go, discussing how challenges became more difficult as algorithms grew longer and required more careful planning.

The main focus of the session was creativity and collaboration. Working in pairs, pupils created their own maze challenges for a partner to complete. They learned how to change and select background images while keeping the same challenge level, thinking carefully about where their partner would need to travel and how tricky the route should be. Once complete, challenges were saved and swapped, giving everyone the chance to try solving a classmate’s creation.

As children attempted each other’s challenges, there was lots of purposeful talk. Pupils explained their thinking, tested different routes and used debugging strategies when their first attempt didn’t work. 

The atmosphere was supportive and positive, with children offering feedback about what they enjoyed, what made the challenge tricky and how it could be improved.

By the end of the session, pupils could confidently say:

“I can change the background and save my own challenge.”

“I can try and solve challenges made by other children.”

It was fantastic to see Year One pupils showing independence, creativity and teamwork — not just following algorithms, but designing them for others to explore. True Maze Explorers in every sense!

Poetry, Hibernation and DT Request

 Hi Year One Families,

This week in English, the children have completed their focus text Julian is a Mermaid. They have written fantastic two-stanza poems inspired by flamingos and leopards, focusing on using ‘-ing’ words and writing in a repeating pattern. The children worked hard to make their poems rhythmic and descriptive, and we were delighted with the creativity they showed.

In Maths, we are continuing our focus on numbers to 20 and have begun working on addition within 20. The children are developing their understanding through practical resources, games and discussion, helping them to build confidence with early addition.

In Science, we have been learning about animals that hibernate. The children explored what hibernation is and learned about animals such as hedgehogs, bats and bees, discussing why hibernation helps animals survive the colder months.

DT Request:
Please could families send in a small box (approximately the size of a cup-a-soup box) early this week. We will be using these to create our DT project — a wacky racer!

The week ahead:

In Maths we will be exploring doubles and subtraction within 20. In Geography we will be continuing our study of maps, and will be learning how to find out important information such as landmarks on an aerial map.
Expect the unexpected as we head into an inspired writing week, full of imagination, creativity and surprises!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support, I leave you with some pictures from Forest School on Wednesday.

Ms Evans and the Year One team.

Unit 1.5 – Maze Explorers - Lesson 3 | Challenges 5 and 6

In Year One Computing today, our pupils continued their learning in the Maze Explorers unit using Purple Mash’s 2Go programming tool. The focus of the lesson was on Challenges 5 and 6, where children built on their earlier learning to create longer and more complex algorithms 

We began by revisiting key computing vocabulary such as algorithm, direction, instruction and command, helping children to remember that an algorithm is a clear, step-by-step set of instructions that a computer can follow. The children were then introduced to additional direction keys, including left and right and explored how these could be added, deleted or changed to improve their programs 

In Challenge 5, pupils worked to guide a bee to visit two poppies. This required careful planning and testing, as many children discovered they needed to extend their algorithm to include more steps. Children were encouraged to debug their instructions, checking what worked, spotting mistakes and making thoughtful changes.

The lesson then moved on to Challenge 6, where pupils had to move a rocket along a flight path to rescue a stranded spaceman. This challenge was more demanding and required children to use the longer algorithm tool, think ahead, and test their instructions repeatedly. Some children chose to work independently, while others worked collaboratively, mapping routes with their fingers before pressing play.

Throughout the lesson, pupils showed excellent perseverance, problem-solving and logical thinking. They demonstrated growing confidence in predicting what would happen when they changed an instruction and were proud of successfully completing increasingly tricky challenges.

By the end of the session, children could confidently say:

• “I can use additional direction keys to create a new algorithm.”

• “I can challenge myself by using a longer algorithm to complete a task.”

It was wonderful to see Year One developing both their computing skills and their resilience as learners – true Maze Explorers in action! 🚀🐝

It's carnival time!

 Hi Year One Families,

We've had a busy and exciting week! As part of our learning in English we have been reading Julian is a mermaid. Julian is inspired by seeing 3 women dressed as mermaids heading to the carnival. Julian goes straight home to his Nana's house and dresses up as a mermaid. The story ends with Julian and his Nana going to the carnival. This story has inspired us to learn about carnivals. On Friday we had a special English/ Music/ Art crossover day. We made carnival headdresses, listened to carnival music and had our own carnival visiting all the classes around the school! It was great fun!

In Maths we are finishing our unit on numbers to 20 and will move on to addition and subtraction within 20. In Geography we were learning about Aerial/ bird's eye views and had great fun matching up aerial views with views from the ground. This leads us nicely into maps next week.

Coming up next week we will be learning about animals that hibernate in Science, and finishing our English focus by writing poetry.

Next week brings us parents evening, if you have things you would like to discuss which may take longer than the allocated appointment time, please contact me directly prior to parents evening.

I'll sign off with some pictures from our fantastic carnival on Friday.

Ms Evans and the Year One Team

Unit 1.5 – Maze Explorers - Lesson 2 | Challenges 3 and 4

Today in Year One, pupils continued their Maze Explorers journey in Computing, building confidently on the skills introduced last week using the 2Go program on Purple Mash. The focus of Lesson two was on extending directional control, creating simple algorithms and debugging instructions when things didn’t go to plan.

We began the lesson by revisiting what the children remembered from Lesson One. Pupils were able to confidently explain how they had controlled characters on screen and were keen to demonstrate their understanding of directions and counting steps. This recap helped reinforce key vocabulary such as direction, command and route, setting the children up well for the new challenges ahead.

In Challenge Three, pupils were introduced to new diagonal direction keys, allowing them to cut across the map rather than only moving forwards, backwards, left or right. Their task was to visit four island ports in the correct order and then travel on to the lighthouse.

Before starting, children were encouraged to study the new buttons carefully and predict what they might do. This led to thoughtful discussions about efficiency, with pupils comparing different routes and deciding which would be the fastest or require the fewest commands.

Children planned their routes carefully, counted squares and enjoyed testing out different approaches. When routes didn’t work as expected, pupils confidently used the undo function and adjusted their instructions — showing growing independence and resilience. Some pupils challenged themselves further by experimenting with alternative routes and comparing their solutions with friends.

The second part of the lesson introduced a key computing concept: algorithms. In Challenge 4, pupils helped Little Red Riding Hood safely reach her grandmother’s cottage — without getting eaten along the way!

This time, instead of pressing directions one at a time, children created a list of instructions by dragging direction keys and numbers into a command box. This helped pupils understand that an algorithm is a precise, step-by-step set of instructions that must be in the correct order.

We modelled the process together as a class before pupils worked independently. Children tested their algorithms using the play button and quickly learnt the importance of pressing rewind to reset before trying again. When instructions didn’t work, pupils debugged them by changing numbers, directions, or the order of commands — a fantastic demonstration of perseverance and logical thinking.

Learning Beyond the Screen

Across both challenges, pupils showed impressive growth in their computational thinking, problem-solving skills and confidence. They worked collaboratively, explained their thinking clearly and showed a strong understanding that mistakes are an important part of learning.

By the end of the lesson, pupils could confidently say that they:

✔️ Used diagonal direction keys

✔️ Created a simple algorithm

✔️ Debugged instructions when they didn’t work first time

Another excellent session in our Maze Explorers unit — we’re incredibly proud of how thoughtfully and enthusiastically Year One are approaching their computing learning!

The Seasons, The hemispheres, and Wheels and Axles

 

Hi Year One Families,

This week in Year One we have been busy with lots of exciting learning across the curriculum.

In Maths, the children have continued their work with numbers to 20. We have been learning how to use a number line to order numbers and to make sensible estimates about where a number might sit on an unlabelled number line. The children have shown growing confidence and enjoyed explaining their thinking.

In English, we have started our new story Julian is a Mermaid. We have been practising writing clear commands and thinking carefully about bossy  (imperative) verbs. We also spent time sharing our dreams and wishes for the future, which led to some wonderful discussions and imaginative role play as the children acted out their ideas.

In Geography, we have been learning about the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and exploring what we mean by climate. In Science, we have been thinking about what makes the seasons different from one another and held a lively class debate about which season is the best — opinions were very strong!

In RE, the children reflected on their favourite celebrations and listened thoughtfully to one another’s ideas. In DT, we have begun learning about wheels and axles, exploring how they work and why they are so important in everyday objects.

A reminder that PE takes place on Thursdays. A number of children did not have their PE kits in school this week, so please ensure kits are brought in and kept in school.

Thank you for your continued support.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there is anything you would like to discuss.

Ms Evans and the Year One Team.

Staying Safe Online

Today in Year One Computing, our pupils spent time reflecting on the importance of Staying Safe Online, revisiting our #InspiredToLearn SMART code and discussing how it helps us make safe and sensible choices when using the internet.

As always, the children approached this learning thoughtfully and with curiosity, sharing ideas and examples from their own experiences.

Revisiting the SMART Code -

The SMART code helps children remember five key rules for online safety:

• S – Safe: Keep personal information private

• M – Meet: Never meet someone you only know online without a trusted adult

• A – Accepting: Don’t open messages or files from people you don’t know

• R – Reliable: Not everything online is true

• T – Tell: Always tell a trusted adult if something worries you

A Closer Look at R – Reliable

Today, we spent particular time exploring “R – Reliable”, helping children understand that things we see online may not always be real or truthful.

To support this, we looked at an image of our class mate and discussed how pictures can be changed or manipulated. The children noticed how the same photograph could be edited in different ways to tell different stories, even though it was still the same person. This helped them understand that images online can be altered and that we should not always believe what we see straight away.

Through discussion, pupils reflected on:

• How photos can be edited or filtered

• Why someone might change an image

• Why it’s important to check and ask questions rather than believing everything immediately

This was a powerful and age-appropriate way to introduce the idea of critical thinking and digital awareness.

Building Confident, Safe Digital Citizens

Online safety is not a one-off lesson but an ongoing conversation. By regularly revisiting the SMART code and exploring real-world examples, we help children develop confidence, resilience and the understanding that they should always speak to a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right.

We were incredibly proud of the maturity and insight shown by our Year One pupils during today’s learning and look forward to continuing these important discussions throughout the year.