Year A Curriculum
Four foundation themes that introduce children to themselves, their family, animals, and the world of weather — each broken into the same eight learning sections.
Year A Themes
Select a theme to view its Learning Objectives, Stories, Phonics, Songs, Math, Geography, Outdoor Activities and Resources.
All About Me
Theme Overview: This opening theme helps children settle into the classroom by exploring who they are. Children learn why their name, feelings, and senses matter, and build the confidence to talk about themselves. Key skills developed: self-expression, name recognition, and early social-emotional vocabulary.
Learning Objectives
- Say and recognise their own name in print
- Name basic body parts and the five senses
- Describe their own feelings using simple words
- Recognise that everyone looks and feels a little different
Weekly Plan
Week 1
Names, feelings, and body-part vocabulary introduced through stories and songs.
Week 2
Names, feelings, and body-part vocabulary introduced through stories and songs.
Stories
- My Name Is Me — A read-aloud about a child discovering all the things that make them unique.
- The Five Senses Walk — A rhyming story following a child noticing what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch.
Phonics
- Focus sounds: M, S, and short A
- Sort picture cards into “starts with M” and “starts with S” using each child's own name where possible.
Songs
- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes — A body-parts action song sung at a slow, then faster, pace. Actions: Touch each body part as it's named.
- If You're Happy and You Know It — A feelings song that introduces emotion words. Actions: Clap hands, stomp feet, shout hooray.
Math
- Counting fingers and toes to 10
- Sorting classmates by hair or eye colour
- Comparing heights: taller / shorter
- Simple 1-to-1 matching with name cards
Phonics
- Concept: My home
- Children draw a simple picture of their bedroom or favourite room and describe it to a partner.
Outdoor Activities
- Shadow tracing: tracing a partner's shadow with chalk
- Obstacle course naming body parts used at each station
Assessment
- Observation checklist: child names at least 3 body parts unprompted
- Participation during “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” song time
- Oral questions: “Can you point to your senses?”
- Matching activity: feelings-to-faces picture cards
Video Resources
My Family & Home
Theme Overview: Children explore who makes up a family and what makes a home, building empathy for the fact that families look different from one another. Key skills developed: vocabulary around relationships and routines, early empathy, and descriptive speaking.
Learning Objectives
- Name immediate family members and their roles
- Identify different rooms in a home and their purpose
- Understand that families can look different from one another
- Practice describing daily routines at home
Weekly Plan
Week 3
Family roles and relationships introduced through stories and phonics.
Week 4
Rooms of the home and daily routines explored through songs, math, and outdoor activities.
Stories
- Our Family Tree — A gentle story introducing parents, siblings, and grandparents.
- Home Sweet Home — A story exploring different types of homes children may live in.
Phonics
- Focus sounds: F, H, and short O
- Match family words (Mom, Dad, Home) to their beginning sounds using picture-word cards.
Songs
- This Is the Way We Help at Home — A chore-themed song set to a familiar tune. Actions: Mime sweeping, washing, and tidying.
Math
- Counting family members
- Sorting household objects by room
- Simple patterns using family photo cards
- Comparing sizes: big house / small house
Phonics
- Concept: My home
- Build a simple paper model of a house and label the rooms with picture cards.
Outdoor Activities
- Nature walk collecting items to bring “home” to a class display
- Gardening: planting one seed each to care for as a class family
Assessment
- Observation checklist: child names 2+ family members and their role
- Participation during “This Is the Way We Help at Home” song
- Oral questions: “Who lives in your home with you?”
- Practical demonstration: labeling rooms on a paper house model
Video Resources
Animals Around Us
Theme Overview: Children discover the animals around them — from farm animals to household pets — and learn to sort them by habitat and care for them gently. Key skills developed: classification, animal vocabulary, and early empathy for living things.
Learning Objectives
- Name common farm and pet animals and the sounds they make
- Sort animals by habitat (farm, pet, wild)
- Practice gentle, caring behaviour toward animals
- Build vocabulary around animal movement (hop, crawl, fly)
Weekly Plan
Week 5
Farm and pet animals introduced through stories, sounds, and phonics.
Week 4
Habitats and animal movement explored through math, geography, and outdoor games.
Stories
- Old MacDonald's Busy Farm — A read-aloud with sound effects for each farm animal.
- Where Do Animals Live? — A simple non-fiction style story sorting animals by habitat.
Phonics
- Focus sounds: C, D, and short I
- Match animal name cards (Cat, Dog, Pig) to their starting letter sound.
Songs
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm — A classic animal-sound song. Actions: Make the matching animal sound and movement for each verse.
- Five Little Ducks — A counting-down song about ducks going out to play. Actions: Hold up fingers and count down as ducks disappear.
Math
- Counting legs on different animals
- Sorting animals: farm vs. wild
- Simple patterns using animal print cards
- Comparing sizes: big animal / small animal
Phonics
- Concept: Land and water
- Sort animal cards into “lives on land” and “lives in water” groups.
Outdoor Activities
- Animal movement obstacle course (hop like a rabbit, crawl like a crab)
- Ball games mimicking “fetch” with a soft ball
Assessment
- Observation checklist: child sorts 3+ animals into farm/wild groups
- Participation during animal-sound songs
- Oral questions: “What sound does a cow make?”
- Matching activity: animal to habitat picture cards
Video Resources
Weather & Seasons
Theme Overview: Children observe the world outside the window and learn to describe weather and connect it to the changing seasons. Key skills developed: observation, weather vocabulary, and early understanding of cause-and-effect (e.g. weather affects what we wear).
Learning Objectives
- Name the four seasons and describe basic weather types
- Match clothing choices to weather conditions
- Observe and describe daily weather using simple vocabulary
- Recognise how weather changes across a year
Weekly Plan
Week 7
Farm and pet animals introduced through stories, sounds, and phonics.
Week 8
Habitats and animal movement explored through math, geography, and outdoor games.
Stories
- The Four Seasons Tree — A story following one tree changing through the year.
- What Should I Wear Today? — A story about choosing the right clothes for sun, rain, and snow.
Phonics
- Focus sounds: R, W, and short U
- Sort weather word cards (Rain, Wind, Sun) by their beginning sound.
Songs
- Rain, Rain, Go Away — A traditional rhyme about rainy weather. Actions: Wiggle fingers downward like falling rain.
- It's a Sunny Day — A cheerful song about sunshine and outdoor play. Actions: Stretch arms up like sun rays.
Math
- Counting sunny vs. rainy days on a class calendar
- Sorting clothes by season
- Patterns using weather symbol cards
- Comparing temperatures: hot / cold
Phonics
- Concept: Weather and seasons
- Keep a simple daily class weather chart and discuss patterns at the end of each week.
Outdoor Activities
- Cloud-watching and describing shapes
- Puddle jumping and sensory water play after rain
Assessment
- Observation checklist: child names the current day's weather unprompted
- Participation during “Rain, Rain, Go Away” song
- Oral questions: “What do we wear when it's cold?”
- Matching activity: clothing to season picture cards
Video Resources
Ready to see a full theme in action?
Browse the Themes hub to jump straight into any theme across both years, fully broken down into all eight sections.