Year 2
Update - Welcome to Year 2!
2024-25
In Year 2, our teachers are Mr Tickle and Mrs Webb (Class 7), Mr Cameron (Class 8), and Miss Jones (Class 9). We are also supported by our dedicated Learning Support Assistants (LSAs): Miss Cameron, Miss Speller, and Mrs Stanton.
If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher. If they are not around at pick-up, you can speak to your child’s class teacher by phoning the school office and requesting an appointment.
Keep referring back to this page for regular updates about the children's learning.
Curriculum Newsletters
Update - Thursday 3rd April 2025
This week in science, the children have been exploring seeds. They planned a selection of seeds to investigate whether larger seeds germinate faster than smaller ones. There have been fascinating results so far, with the sunflower seed germinating the fastest, closely followed by the coriander seeds, and then the runner bean seeds!
In English, the children have completed their final piece, writing a diary entry as aliens based on the book 'Man on the Moon' by Simon Bartram. The children have enjoyed the unit so much they've been leaving notes for the aliens to see if they could catch any!
The children have also enjoyed the Easter disco on Wednesday night!
Update - Friday 28th March 2025
It's been another busy week in Year 2! This week the children have been completing assessments in reading and maths in preparation for the end of term. Not only that, they have continued and now finished their beach huts in our Design Technology unit. The children loved learning how to use the saws in this unit and enjoyed designing and decorating their creations.
In science, the children have been thinking about what plants need to grow. As part of this, they thought about what grass needs to grow well and then planned an investigation as a class. Whilst planning this the children have also continued to monitor the growth of their cress seeds.
Update - Thursday 20th March 2025
This week, we continued making our beach huts and have completed the wooden frames. It was quite tricky to join all of the pieces together, and it got a bit sticky! We discussed the importance of using triangles on the corners to give extra support to our frames. Next week, we can add the final details to our beach huts.
We have begun our new unit by using 'Man on the Moon' as our English inspiration. At the end of the unit, we will write diary entries from the aliens' point of view. Next week, we will explore using subordinating conjunctions and prepositions in our writing.
In maths, we have been learning about mass and capacity. As part of this, we have felt the difference between 1-gram and 1-kilogram weights. We have also explored the meaning of heavier and lighter and the meanings of volume and capacity.
Update - Friday 14th March 2025
This week, we have begun exploring how to make our beach huts in our Design Technology lesson. As part of this, we learnt how to safely use the junior hack saws before creating a wood frame that will make up one side of our final design.
In our science lesson this week, we reviewed how plants and trees change through the seasons, recapping our learning from Year 1. We then went on a walk around the school grounds to explore the types of plants we would expect to see in spring. We then considered bulbs and how most winter flowering plants grow from bulbs.
Update - Friday 7th March 2025
This week in computing, we're excited to dive into our new unit! We've started exploring Scratch Jnr, and it's been so much fun using the programming blocks to create our very own algorithms together. We enjoyed learning how to make the cat spin (our sprite) and meow! By the end of the unit, our aim is to create an algorithm to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs.
We celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, with the children dressing up as their favourite book characters. We also took part in a number of different book-themed activities, including creating a paper chain for every book we read and paired reading with Year 5. We also participated in a 'Big Fat Book Quiz of the Year'! Well done to everyone who took part and made the day so special.
Update - Friday 28th February 2025
Welcome back from half-term! We hope everyone had an enjoyable rest.
This week has been filled with exciting new projects! In Design Technology, we kicked things off by exploring and investigating beach huts. We delved into their structures and common features, like doors, windows, and apex roofs. With our newfound knowledge, we got to work on creating our own beach huts, making sure they were strong enough to stand tall. We even had fun figuring out how to design an apex roof. While some of our designs turned out to be more stable than others, we truly enjoyed crafting our versions of these lovely beach huts!
We continued exploring multiplication and division in maths, specifically working on the facts in the 10, 2 and 5 times tables. At the end of the week, we began to apply our understanding of multiplication and division facts to worded problems and use them to help us solve 2-step problems.
Update - Friday 14th February 2025
During our art sessions this half-term, we had so much fun exploring beautiful flower heads and diving into the fantastic work of Yayoi Kusama! This week, we brought our creativity to life by making clay sculptures and painting them in a style reminiscent of Yayoi Kusama. We embraced bright primary and mixed secondary colours and playful patterns in our designs, making each piece special!
On Tuesday, we completed activities in class about Safer Internet Day around the theme of 'Too good to be true'. As part of this, we thought about what to do if something seems too good to be true online and how to spot suspicious offers or emails. To demonstrate our learning, we created posters to put up around school to spot something that seems too good to be true and what children should do if they see something suspicious online.
Update -Friday 7th February 2025
This week, we went on a trip to Southampton Art Gallery. As part of the trip, the children took part in a workshop to create a piece of artwork in the style of a contemporary artist. The children also had the opportunity to explore the galleries as part of a guided session before we returned to school.
Update - Thursday 30th January 2025
Once again, we have continued to explore flower heads in art. This week, we have been thinking about how colour and pattern can be used to create different visual elements for our artwork. Although our flowers didn't work in the way we had hoped, we enjoyed making the patterns and using a range of colours.
Update - Friday 24th January 2025
In this week's art lesson, the children continued exploring the theme of flower heads. They considered how shape and form can add visual elements to their artwork. Then, they used the flowers they created to make their own piece, thinking about colours and spacing.
Update - Friday 17th January 2025
This week has been another busy week in year 2. The children have been working hard in English, working on their instructions for how to wash their teddies based on the book 'How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth'. Through this, the children learnt about using imperatives (bossy verbs) and adverbials.
In maths, the children have continued to learn about money, focusing on counting coins of differing values and finding change to £1.
The children have been exploring shape and texture through their art lessons this week. As part of this, the children explored various activities based on shape and form.
Update - Friday 10th January 2025
It was great to welcome everyone back this week after the Christmas holidays.
This week we have started several new units of work, including in English. In English, we have begun to think about writing our own instructions, having explored the text 'How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth' by Michelle Robinson. To help them, the children read and sequenced the story to help them retell it.
In computing, the children have started to explore word processing. As part of this, they have learnt how to open Google Docs independently as well as the use of keyboard shortcuts.
In geography, we have been learning about 'Coastline', our main driver topic for the spring term. In our first lessons, the children have learnt that the United Kingdom has many islands and a vast and expansive coastline. They have also used maps to identify the names and locations of the bodies of water surrounding the UK. The children have also been using compass points to describe the locations of towns and cities around the UK in comparison to others.
Update - Friday 29th November 2024
We have now finished our Design Technology unit work. As a final piece, the children explored different options for meals that could be a new school meal. In the end, they chose to make a vegetable casserole rather than a cod and beef casserole. In making this decision, the children carefully and maturely considered the foods some of the year group do and do not eat. The children enjoyed making the casserole and most of them liked tasting the meal they created.
In Maths, we have continued to work on our shape unit, identifying the edges, vertices and faces of 3D shapes. Not only this, but the children have also been using and applying this understanding to a range of different reasoning problems.
In our history work, we have been exploring different influential activists in history, including why they are significant people. These activists have included Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jnr, William Wilberforce, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst and Mahatma Gandhi. The children will continue to learn about the significance of these individuals over the next week.
Update - Friday 8th November 2024
This week we have continued with our unit of work in Design Technology. Through this, the children have been working on developing their understanding of how a range of kitchen tools can be used for different jobs. In doing this, the children have been peeling potatoes, mashing bananas, and using knives to slice cucumbers. In the coming weeks we will be using and developing these skills further as we prepare to make Eton Mess and design a new school meal.
In maths, we have continued to work on our addition and subtraction methods. We have focused on using exchanging this week, which has been tricky. In doing this, we have used practical apparatus to help, particularly when exchanging.
As we finished our biography writing before half-term, we have now started a new story in English - 'The Bear and the Piano'. We have begun by learning the story using actions and acting it out. In the next few weeks we will be writing our own versions of the story, changing some of the instruments and characters to make it our own.
Update - Friday 18th October 2024
This week the children have begun to think about where our foods come from as part of Design Technology lessons. As part of this we thought about, where different types of meat come from. This linked to conversations about how some people don't eat meat but might eat alternatives.
In English, we have written some fantastic biographies of Mary Seacole in the style of the Little People, Big Dreams books. The children's writing in this unit has been fantastic and they have learnt and applied a lot of information about her life.
Update - Friday 11th October 2024
In our English this week, we have been shocked to find out that Mary Seacole does not have a 'Little People, Big Dreams' book written about her. As a year group we have decided to do something about this and write our own versions. In preparation for this, we have been learning about Mary's life and why she is an important historical figure.
In our history lessons we have continued to learn about other historical figures focusing on Christopher Columbus and his achievements as an explorer. In doing this the children have thought about
Update - Thursday 26th September 2024
Wow, what a busy week it's been! In geography, we have been on a walk around the school site and conducted a traffic survey. To do this, we stood at the gate at the front of the school and watched the traffic. As we did this, we completed tally charts which we used in class to look at the most frequent types of vehicle to pass the school.
In English, we have written some amazing final versions of 'Little Red' based on the story by Bethan Woollvin. The children have LOVED writing their own versions and are very proud of their work. In doing this, they have worked on using conjunctions to join 2 simple sentences and checking they have used full stops and capital letters accurately.
We have also been busy learning our Diwali dance with 'Kala the Arts' which some of the children will perform at Friday 8th November in town - more details to follow.
Enjoy INSET day tomorrow, and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday 30th September.
Update - Friday 20th September 2024
This week we have been continuing to our work on place value in maths. Through this we have been looking at counting forwards and backwards in steps of 10 on the numberline as well as comparing numbers using greater than, less than and equal to.
We have continued to practise our retellings of Little Red thinking about how we can join 2 simple sentences together using the co-ordinating conjunctions of and, but and so. We've also begun to think about editing the sentences we've written to check they include full stops, capital letters and our spellings of high frequency words are correct.
Through our history, we have been thinking about the historical figures and the categories that fit into - scientist, monarch, activist, artist and explorer.
Updated: Friday 6th September 2024
Wow, what an incredible first week back it has been! The children have continually wowed all the staff with how amazing they've been! Even when they started feeling tired at the end of the long week, they did their best!
In English, we have begun to explore the story of 'Little Red' by Bethan Woollvin. As part of this, the children received a message from 'R' about the true story of Little Red Riding Hood. Ask them to share the true version by retelling it and eventually writing it down for others to read.
Through our maths, we have been focusing on our understanding of place value and how to represent 2-digit numbers in different ways. We have also been working on counting forwards and backwards in steps of ten, so we are ready to begin learning the 10-time tables. This will be a big focus for the term.
In art, we have been 'Exploring Colour' which has started by creating our colour wheels and thinking about the different primary colours we mix to create the secondary colours.
It's been a great week for Year 2! Let's keep it going!