Take the stress out of planning for a mixed-age class with our comprehensive Reception and Year 1 Mixed Long-Term Plan. Designed specifically to support practitioners teaching Reception and Year 1 together, this resource provides a clear progression of learning across six engaging half-termly topics.
The plan carefully distinguishes between Reception learning linked to Development Matters and the EYFS and Year 1 learning linked to the National Curriculum, while identifying meaningful opportunities for children to learn together through shared topics, texts, experiences and enhanced provision.
What Does the Long-Term Plan Include?
Each half term provides carefully considered learning opportunities across the curriculum, including:
- Communication and Language / Spoken Language
- PSED / PSHE
- Physical Development / PE
- Literacy / English
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Science
- History
- Geography
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Art and Design
- Design and Technology
- Music
- Computing
- Religious Education
- Key vocabulary
- Suggested texts
- Enhanced provision ideas
- Enrichment and first-hand experiences
Clear Reception and Year 1 Progression
One of the challenges of teaching a mixed Reception and Year 1 class is ensuring that both year groups receive an age-appropriate and ambitious curriculum.
This plan makes the distinction clear.
Reception learning is linked to Development Matters and supports learning through play, exploration, high-quality interactions, adult-led experiences and enhanced provision.
Year 1 learning builds on these foundations with objectives linked to the relevant National Curriculum programmes of study, ensuring children continue to develop subject-specific knowledge and skills.
This allows practitioners to introduce a shared theme or experience to the whole class while adapting the learning objectives, vocabulary, questioning and expected outcomes for each year group.
Curriculum-Linked Learning Objectives
The plan goes beyond simply providing a list of themed activities.
Learning opportunities are linked to appropriate curriculum objectives, helping practitioners understand what children are learning and why.
For example, Reception children may investigate seeds, observe changes and talk about what plants need to grow, while Year 1 children develop their scientific knowledge by identifying common plants, recognising basic plant structures and observing seasonal change.
Progressive Vocabulary
Each topic introduces carefully selected vocabulary, with appropriate progression between Reception and Year 1.
Children are given opportunities to hear, understand and use increasingly precise subject-specific vocabulary through conversations, stories, investigations, play and direct teaching.
Enhanced Provision Ideas
Each half term also includes a range of enhanced provision ideas to help practitioners bring the topic into the learning environment.
From dinosaur excavation areas and garden centres to space stations, farm shops and People Who Help Us role-play areas, the enhancements provide meaningful opportunities for children to revisit and apply their learning independently.
Perfect for Mixed Reception and Year 1 Classes
This long-term plan provides a useful starting point for:
- Mixed Reception and Year 1 classes
- Small schools with mixed-age classes
- Infant schools
- Primary schools
- Teachers planning a continuous Reception-to-Year-1 curriculum
- Schools looking to strengthen progression between the EYFS and Key Stage 1
The plan can be adapted to reflect your children’s interests, school curriculum, chosen phonics and maths programmes, locally agreed RE syllabus and individual cohort needs.
A comprehensive, practical and curriculum-focused long-term plan that helps bring Reception and Year 1 together – without losing the distinct learning expectations of either year group.
