Sycamore Class 2026 - 2027
Welcome to Sycamore Class!
"The Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, 'Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." Luke 17:6
"Let your light shine before others." Matthew 5:16
Class Teacher: Mr J Wormleighton
Teacher on Wednesday Afternoon: Miss Thornber
A Note from Mr Wormleighton
We are delighted to welcome you to our Class Page and hope it offers a helpful, informative and enjoyable glimpse into life in Sycamore Class.
Children join us in Sycamore Class as joyful, curious and inquisitive five-year-olds, full of wonder and beginning to grow in faith, kindness and love through their early experiences of Catholic education. By the time they leave us at the age of seven to begin their journey in Oak Class, they are confident, compassionate, resilient, independent and faith-filled young learners, ready to flourish in the next stage of their education.
Please do not hesitate to approach me if you have any questions at all at our classroom door, by calling the school office on 01254 812543 or by emailing parents@smrc.lancs.sch.uk.
God bless,
Mr J Wormleighton
Sycamore Class Information
PE
This half term, PE will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Remember to come to school on these days wearing your St Mary's uniform and bring your PE kit in a bag to change into.
Reading
In Sycamore, I ask that you aim to read at home with your child at least four times a week. This does not mean that every book needs to be read cover to cover three times per week. Here are a few things to note:
- Reading at home should be a pleasure, not a chore! If a book feels too tricky, please let me know.
- A few pages is plenty! Do not feel pressured to read a whole book each time you sit together.
- Reading your book more than once is brilliant to support your child's fluency and comprehension.
- Ask lots of questions, this will help to develop your child’s comprehension! Use the colourful question mat to help you with this.
- Don’t forget to record your reading using Page Ticker https://www.pageticker.com/for-parents
Phonics
These are all of the sounds and their corresponding rhymes that your children will learn as part of their Year 1 journey. These sounds are the key to both reading and writing!
Look out for any of these sounds when you are reading and writing with your child at home and use the rhymes to help them form their letters or remember which 'special friends' work together to make a new sound. Please find all the sounds in the Parent Key Information Tab.
High Frequency and Common Exception Words
These are the words that children need to practice reading 'on sight'. This means that children need to see the words, recognise the shape and remember what it says. This is either because phonics rules cannot be applied to these words or because they appear so frequently that we want children to be able to recognise them quickly, to develop their fluency. Please see a copy of the Year 1 and 2 words in the Parent Key Information Tab.
Personal Belongings
Please make sure that all belongings are clearly labelled with your child's full name. Sycamore Class do not need to bring in any stationery at all - everything they need to learn will be provided.
Useful Websites
Phonics Screening Test | Monster Phonics
IDL
St Mary’s are signed up to IDL, an online program designed to help all children with literacy and numeracy skills. IDL will tailor the children’s needs to the tasks it sets. There are designated times for some children to use the app in school, but all children are able to access IDL at home. As well as key maths and literacy skills, there are also times table check activities they can work on. Your child may not have access to the literacy section, but all children can work on the numeracy activities. To access IDL, go to https://appuk.idlsgroup.com/#/login