Welcome to Year 2
This area contains helpful information and reminders. It will also be updated regularly throughout the year with photos and updates about what we get up to as part of our learning journey.
Year 2 Staff
Our class teachers are Mrs Kitson and Mrs Jameson.
Mrs Kitson has 2 sons, aged 13 and 17, and she enjoys running and climbing. She loves reading, Jane Austen and Stephen King are her favourite authors, she is a vegetarian and is very passionate about protecting the environment and conserving our wildlife. She also plays the drums and punk is her favourite music – punk shows are the best fun.
Mrs Jameson loves exploring places in her touring caravan. Also, she shares a dog called Reggie with her friend Val. He is a Jack Russell. She also loves collecting vintage plates and crockery.
Our Learning
You can find our more about our learning by visiting the Curriculum section of our website. Click here to see our long term overview for the year.
Our Topics for Autumn 1
Science
We enjoyed learning all about animals, including humans. We explored different animals and their babies, using the correct scientific vocabulary as well as finding out how humans grow and develop. We also investigated basic human needs and can talk about how we stay fit and healthy.
History
In our history lessons, we found out all about the Gunpowder Plot! We explored the main events of this historic plot and began to think about how life was different in 1605.
Art
We have developed our sketching skills in our Durham mining topic and learned to think about the creativity of collage when we looked at and recreated the work of Henri Matisse.
Music
We developed our musical vocabulary and explored pulse, rhythm and pitch in a range of music.
Computing
We explored what a computer is in our computing time this term. We will learn all the parts of a computer, what they do and what they are useful for. We will also develop our word processing skills – something that is very useful in the modern world!
PE
On Wednesday we have PE with Mrs Kitson and Scott from Sports Cool and will be developing our movement and motor skills.
On Friday we have P.E. with Mr Storey and will be developing our sending and receiving skills.
Our Topics for Autumn 2
Science
We enjoyed learning all about what different objects are made of and why in our materials topic. We have also investigated the properties of different materials and carried out an investigation to see how they can be changed. We really enjoyed finding out which materials were the best for rolling a toy car across!
Geography
In our geography lessons we learnt all about maps! We explored different types of maps, how to use a map, what the different symbols on a map mean and even had a go at drawing our very own maps! We loved using the atlases, the huge world map and especially the globe!
Art
We learnt how to use our new art skills in different types of painting and drawing this half term. We used water to create a background wash in the style of Turner and found out how important technical skill is in observational drawing.
Music
This term we honed our singing skills as we learnt the songs to our Christmas Nativity – A Little Bird Told Me!
Computing
We will be exploring what a computer is in our computing time this term. We will learn all the parts of a computer, what they do and what they are useful for. We will also develop our word processing skills – something that is very useful in the modern world!
PE
On Wednesday we have PE with Mrs Kitson and Scott from Sports Cool and will be developing our movement and motor skills.
On Friday we have P.E. with Mr Storey and will be developing our sending and receiving skills.
Our Topics for Spring 1
Science
We are learning all about plants and growth in Science this term. We will plan and carry out investigations to find out how plants grow and how best to care for them. We will learn about seeds and bulbs and familiarise ourselves with the life cycle of a plant. We will also learn all about George Washington Carver, a famous Botanist!
Geography
In our geography lessons we will be learning all about Kenya in our Safari Adventure topic! We will locate Kenya on a map, learn about what it is like in Kenya and find out all about the animals that live there! We will name and locate the capital city of Kenya as well as some other cities and rivers as well as learning all about national parks and game reserves. We will also find out about endangered animals.
DT
We will find out all about different mechanisms and how we can use them to create our own moving parts picture book in DT this term! We can’t wait to show you our finished product!
Music
We will be developing our musical vocabulary as well as using untuned and tuned instruments to keep a beat and play a tune as a class. We will begin to use musical notation and compose our own melodies.
Computing
We will be exploring algorithms this term and finding out about algorithms that have solved problems in the real world! We will also begin to understand how to debug a computer system!
PE
On Wednesday we have PE with Mr Storey and we will be developing our football skills.
On Friday we have P.E. with Mrs Kitson and we will be practising our throwing and catching skills using large balls.
Our Topics for Spring 2
Science
We are learning all about animals and their habitats this half term! We will explore some different types of habitats and learn how the animals who live there have adapted to survive. We will focus on food supplies and availability of shelter to understand why animals live and thrive where they do.
History
In our history lessons we will be learning about two famous polar explorers – Matthew Henson and Felicity Aston. We will find out about the lives and work as explorers, as well as what makes them significant. We will compare and contracts similarities and differences between Matthew, who was born in 1866, and Felicity who was born in 1977!
Art
We will be exploring different aspects of drawing in art, focussing on texture, shade, light and dark and soft ad hard lines.
Music
In Music we will be developing knowledge and understanding of dynamics, timbre, tempo and instruments. Using the theme of ‘Space’ we will compose and play motifs
Computing
In Computing we will be exploring the programme ‘Scratch Jr’ to develop programming skills. We will explore what ‘blocks’ do, by carrying out an informative cycle of predict > test > review, programme a familiar story and an animation of an animal, make a musical instrument by creating buttons and recording sounds and follow an algorithm to record a joke.
PE
On Wednesday we have PE with Scott, a coach from Sport Cool and we will be developing our gymnastics skills.
On Friday we have P.E. with Mr Storey and we will be practising our net and wall games.
Our Topics for Summer 1
Science
We will be carrying out some consolidation investigations to recap our previous learning as well as learning about some real-world scientists in science this half term.
History
In our history lessons we will be learning all about changes within living memory, focusing on how transport have changed and evolved over the last 100 years. We will investigate local transport hero, Robert Stephenson and build up a timeline of planes and trains!
Geography
In our geography lessons we will be finding out all about life in China! We will explore the different regions of China and compare it’s capital, Beijing, with our own capital, London. We will also compare school in China to our own experiences here in England.
Art
We will be exploring different aspects of drawing in art, learning how to make continuous line drawings, working with charcoal and creating an inky still life drawing!
Music
We will exploring folk songs from around the British Isles and making our own soundscapes.
Computing
We will be learning all about the International Space Station and the vital role of computers in this environment.
PE
We will have PE on a Monday and a Friday, with Mr Storey. This half term we will be developing our game skills, with a focus on striking and fielding as well as bouncing.
Knowledge Mats
We use knowledge mats to learn about our topics and the vocabulary and sticky knowledge we need to remember after this topic.
Autumn Knowledge Mats
Science – animals including humans
Spring Knowledge Mats
Computing – Algorithms and Debugging
Computing Programming – Scratch
Music Dynamics-Timbre And Tempo
Summer Knowledge Mats
Maths – position and direction
Art – drawing
PSHE Citizenship
Music – On This Island
Computing – International Space Station
Homework
Children should be reading as regularly as possible throughout the week (at least 3 times) with an adult and ensure it is recorded in their reading records. Children will have a phonics book that will reflect their phonics level that they should be able to read fluently. They will also have a library book that is for ‘reading for pleasure’ and can be shared with their family at home.
Books are to be returned to school each Friday.
Spellings for each week will be shared so that children can practise spelling words containing the spelling rule at home.
Adobe Reader
You may need a product like Adobe Reader (free download) to view our PDF documents on our website.
