Year 2

Welcome to the Year 2 Class Page!

Welcome to our Year 2 class page! I am thrilled to be working with your children this year and am looking forward to getting to know both you and them as we embark on this exciting journey together.

This year, our curriculum will be filled with exciting topics and activities designed to engage and inspire your children. I encourage you to regularly check our class blog, hosted on Microsoft Sway, where I will be sharing updates, photos, and highlights of what we've been up to in class.

Communication is key, and I want you to know that I am here to support both you and your children. If you have any concerns or worries, no matter how small, please don't hesitate to come and see me. I will always do my best to help.

Thank you for your support. I look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Warm regards,

Mrs Evans

Year 2 Class Teacher

Year 2 Team

Curriculum Overview

English

Reading is a key focus in Year 2. We will start by building up the children’s reading fluency, followed by developing their skills in retrieving information from texts, making inferences, summarising, and predicting. We'll begin with short texts, gradually moving on to longer passages as their confidence grows. It's important that by the end of Key Stage One, children can read fluently and with good comprehension. We also value reading for pleasure, and children will have plenty of opportunities to listen to stories and explore books they enjoy from our reading corner.

In writing, we will focus on reinforcing the basics, ensuring children can consistently use capital letters and full stops. There will be a strong emphasis on conjunctions this year, including the introduction of subordinating conjunctions, while reinforcing the use of coordinating conjunctions. Children will also work on expanding their vocabulary, learning to choose words that best fit their writing purpose.

We will revisit the graphemes learned in Year 1 for spelling, before introducing the Year 2 spelling rules, which largely focus on using suffixes and prefixes.

In our handwriting sessions, we will begin by ensuring that all children have correct letter formation. As the year progresses, we will work towards joining handwriting, with the goal of all children being able to write in a joined style by the end of the year.

Maths

In Year 2, our focus in maths will be on building a strong foundation in key mathematical concepts. We will start the year by reinforcing and expanding upon the number skills learned in Year 1, ensuring children are confident with numbers up to 100. This includes securing their understanding of place value, which is essential for all future maths learning.

As the year progresses, we will delve into the four main operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Children will learn to solve problems using these operations, and they will begin to understand and use the relationships between them. We will introduce the concepts of multiplication and division, with a focus on the 2, 5, and 10 times tables, which children will practise throughout the year.

Geometry and measures will also be important areas of learning. We will explore shapes, both 2D and 3D, and discuss their properties. Children will also learn about measuring length, mass, temperature, and capacity, using standard units. We will develop their skills in telling the time to the nearest five minutes, and they will begin to solve simple problems involving time.

Throughout the year, there will be an emphasis on applying maths in practical situations and solving real-life problems. Children will have four ‘Mastering Number’ sessions a week, which will develop their fluency and confidence.

Science

In Year 2, our science curriculum is designed to spark curiosity and deepen understanding of the world around us. We follow a cyclical approach, revisiting key concepts throughout the year to reinforce learning and build upon previous knowledge.

We will explore Living Things and Their Habitats, where children will learn about different types of habitats and how animals and plants are suited to their environments. We will revisit this topic later in the year, delving deeper into food chains and the interdependence of living organisms.

Our study of Plants will begin with identifying and naming common plants, trees, and flowers. As the year progresses, children will investigate what plants need to grow and thrive, observing plant life cycles and growth through hands-on experiments.

In our Animals, Including Humans unit, we will focus on the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival. This will include learning about nutrition, exercise, and hygiene.

Everyday Materials is another key area where children will learn about different materials and their properties. We will explore how materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting, and stretching, and investigate the uses of materials in everyday life.

Our cyclical approach ensures that children have multiple opportunities to engage with these concepts, deepening their understanding and building a strong foundation in science. Through practical investigations, observations, and discussions, we aim to develop your child's scientific thinking and curiosity about the world. Every year, the whole school takes part in STEM week, which is a chance to meet people who have STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based roles. This is an exciting week, full of practical activities and visitors to school.

In Year 2, our Religious Education curriculum is designed to help children explore and understand different beliefs and practices, fostering respect and curiosity about the world’s diverse faiths.

We will learn about Islam; children will explore the basic beliefs, practices, and traditions of Muslims. This includes understanding the importance of the Five Pillars of Islam and learning about special occasions such as Ramadan and Eid.

As we approach the festive season, we will focus on Christmas. Children will learn about the Christian story of the birth of Jesus and the significance of Christmas to Christians around the world. This will be followed by our study of Easter later in the year, where we will explore the events of Holy Week and the resurrection of Jesus, understanding why Easter is a central celebration in Christianity.

We will also delve into the Gospels, focusing on the messages of love, peace, and forgiveness that are central to Christian teachings. We will explore stories from the Bible that illustrate these values and discuss how they can be applied in our daily lives.

Towards the end of the year, we will broaden our understanding of different faiths by asking ‘Why and how do people pray?’. We will explore how prayer is practised in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, discussing the different ways people of these faiths connect with the divine. This unit will help children appreciate the diversity of religious practices and the common values shared across different cultures.

Our RE curriculum aims to provide children with a respectful understanding of various religious beliefs and traditions, encouraging them to reflect on their own values and the values of others.

History and Geography

In Year 2, our History and Geography curriculum is designed to engage children with fascinating topics that develop their understanding of the world and the past, with a strong emphasis on map skills, historical figures, and local history.

We begin with our exciting ‘Pirates’ topic, where children will learn to read and create maps, using compass directions to navigate. They will also explore the seven continents and five oceans. This unit will build a strong foundation in geography while capturing their imagination with the adventurous tales of pirates.

Our study of ‘Children in Victorian Times’ will focus on the lives of children during this period, especially the changes in child labour laws and how these impacted daily life. Children will explore what life was like for poor children in Victorian times, comparing it to their own lives today, and understanding how these historical changes have shaped modern society.

We will then explore the lives of two remarkable historical figures, ‘Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole’. Children will learn about Florence Nightingale’s contributions to nursing and healthcare, focusing on her role during the Crimean War and her lasting impact on the medical field. We will learn about Mary Seacole’s determination to travel to the Crimea to set up her ‘British Hotel’. This unit will inspire children with stories of courage, compassion, and determination.

In our study of ‘The Great Fire of London’, children will delve into this significant event in British history, learning about how the fire started, spread, and was eventually brought under control. They will explore the reasons behind the fire and the changes that were made to London’s architecture and fire safety as a result. We hope to be able to visit Blakesley Hall to bring the topic to life.

Later in the year, we will focus on our local area with the topic ‘Meriden Now and Then’. In ‘Meriden Now’, children will revisit map skills, exploring land use and identifying human and physical features in the village of Meriden. This will help them understand the geography of their immediate surroundings. In ‘Meriden Then’, we will look at how Meriden has changed since the 1800s, with a special focus on the history of our school. This comparison will help children appreciate the history of their own community and how it has evolved over time.

Through these engaging topics, our History and Geography curriculum aims to develop children’s understanding of both the wider world and their local area, while also deepening their appreciation of the past and how it shapes our present.