Year 2 Curriculum Overview
Year 2 Autumn 2024​​
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In English, a number of texts are studied throughout the Autumn Term: ‘Baby Elephant’ by Susan Hellard, ‘Traction Man’ by Mini Grey, ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers and ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’ by Judith Kerr. Pupils will subsequently complete a number of written genres based on these stories including writing retells, a postcard and a letter. As pupils finish the RWI programme for teaching phonics, they will start taking part in reading lessons, which are linked to our class text. This is where we use our DERRIC model to decode, explain word meaning, retrieve information to answer questions, interpret characters feelings and thoughts, review sections of the text and discuss why authors have used certain techniques in our choice lessons. This term, our handwriting lessons and daily handwriting starters focus on printing letters using the correct formation, orientation and sizing, before introducing joined writing. Finally, SPaG is a key focus within English lessons, focusing on writing grammatically correct sentences that are beginning to use adjectives to describe and basic conjunctions or time adverbials to link ides together. They focus on the basic punctuation forms including full stops, capital letters, question marks, exclamation marks and commas for lists.
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In Year 2, place value, as well as addition and subtraction to 100 is explored, including partitioning and comparing/ ordering numbers. Key methods to add and subtract numbers are introduced, encouraging understanding of number sentences and the key number sentence calculation symbols. With a focus on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, pupils become more confident with manipulating basic numbers before moving onto multiples of 3. In addition to this, key terminology and properties relating to 2D and 3D shapes are introduced, including sides, edges, faces, vertices and lines of symmetry.
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In Science, the topics of animals’ needs for survival and materials are studied along with a mini sustainability project based on plastics. Furthermore, pupils explore through practical investigations, making predictions, selecting materials, recording results and drawing basic conclusions for themselves based on these enquiries.
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Through the topic of “Our Amazing Country”, Year 1 and 2 undertake historical and geographical learning. In history, pupils will find out the Great Fire of London and what London was like in 1666 whilst, in geography, we study the UK now, with a focus on London as a modern capital city.
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In PE this term, pupils will be receiving lessons on ball skills from Soccer 2000 coaches and team building and target games from their teacher.
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In Art, we will be looking at techniques including pointillism, paint mixing and collage/layering using the theme of the Great Fire of London.
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Computing focuses on the basic skills needed to access our technology, such as logging on and using a mouse before moving on to writing digitally or creating music digitally.
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In Jigsaw, we are covering the topic “Being Me in My World” where pupils learn about feeling special, safe and part of a class. They consider rights, responsibilities, choices and consequences. We then move on to “Celebrating Differences” where pupils identify how people are similar in some ways and different in other ways, think about what bullying is and how to deal with it and celebrate differences in everyone. We use Project Evolve to link this learning to online safety, focusing on self-identity and self-image and how to manage online information.
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DT, this term, has a focus on making a model fairground ride, using the London Eye as a starting point for our designs. DT explores the design, plan, make and evaluate model.
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In Music, Year 2’s learning focuses around a unit called ‘Hands, Feet, Heart’ in the first half term and a unit titled ‘Ho Ho Ho!’ in the second half term. Pupils will be given the opportunity to listen to and appraise the songs, considering their own likes and preferences as well as comparing similar songs with a focus on the music, instruments and lyrics. Pupils will learn to sing the songs and play instruments, including glockenspiels and untuned percussion instruments.
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In RE, Year 1 and 2 study a unit called, ‘What can we learn from stories from the Bible?’ based around the stories of Moses, plus a unit in the second half term called, ‘Beginning to learn from Islam.’
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Our new oracy curriculum is based around speaking and listening and we are filtering discussion opportunities and talk tactics into all other curricular areas, as well as into homework opportunities across this academic year. Reading at home is the main tool for learning development at home in Year 2. Furthermore, all pupils have access to a Times Tables Rock Stars account, which they can access from home to help them to learn and recall the times tables.​
Year 2 Spring 2025​​
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In English, the text, ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes’ by Jan Fearnely is taught, which is a tale full of plot twists! We are led through the story believing that Mr Wolf is the goodie, when in fact he actually turns out to be the villain! Pupils will write a character description of Mr Wolf, considering his appearance and personality, and will write a recipe for pancakes too. We then study ‘The Disgusting Sandwich’ by Gareth Edwards, all about a hungry badger and a doomed sandwich! We use our descriptive techniques to describe our own disgusting sandwich, then our non-fiction writing centres around a non-chronological report on badgers. As pupils finish the Read Write Inc programme for teaching phonics, they will start taking part in reading lessons, which are linked to our class texts. This is where we use our DERRIC model to decode, explain word meaning, retrieve information to answer questions, interpret characters feelings and thoughts, review sections of the text and discuss why authors have used certain techniques in our choice lessons. This half term, our handwriting lessons and daily handwriting starters focus on printing letters using the correct formation, orientation and sizing, before introducing joined writing next half term. Finally, Spelling Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG) is a key focus within English lessons, focusing on writing grammatically correct sentences that are beginning to use adjectives and adverbs to describe and more developed conjunctions of time/place/manner to link ideas together. They focus on the basic punctuation forms including full stops, capital letters, question marks, exclamation marks and commas for lists and the more advanced forms of apostrophes and inverted commas for speech.
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In Year 2, during the Spring Term, money is explored, as well as multiplication and division. We learn about the UK’s different notes and coins: how to count them, total them and calculate change. When we move onto multiplication and division, we focus on the 2, 5 and 10 times table, exploring ways to calculate related multiplication and division facts, using arrays, making equal groups, sharing, doubling and halving. We will begin to count in 3s too. In the second half of the term, we learn about measurements, studying length and height as well as mass, capacity and temperature.
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In Science, we use the White Rose science scheme of work. There is a focus on biology throughout the term, in the topic of plants, including the effect of light and dark on plants, plus living things and their habitats. Furthermore, pupils learn through practical investigations, making predictions, selecting materials, recording results and drawing basic conclusions for themselves based on these enquiries.
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In the topic of “It’s a Wonderful World”, Year 1 and 2 undertake historical and geographical study. In history, pupils will find out about Nurturing Nurses from the past, focusing on the greatest achievements of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole whilst, in geography, we study the continents, concentrating on how places around the world are different.
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In PE this term, pupils will be receiving lessons with Soccer 2000 coaches on net and wall games, working on sending and receiving techniques. With their class teacher, they will be learning invasion games and focusing on the skills of striking and fielding.
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In Art, we will be drawing portraits of Florence Nightingale, considering proportion, shading and tone. We will then consider the work of Pablo Picasso and have a go at creating a cubist portrait! After half term, we will also experiment with paint and colour mixing, using 2d shapes to create paintings of animals and Aboriginal art from Australia.
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Computing includes the themes of programming, where we use programmable devices such as beebots and floorbots, and create block charts to represent basic data and information.
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In Jigsaw, we are covering the topic “Dreams and Goals” where pupils learn about setting targets to achieve and be successful. We then move on to “Healthy Me” where pupils consider how to lead a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, relaxation and motivation. Our Project Evolve Online Safety lessons for the term concentrate on privacy and security, health, wellbeing and lifestyle.
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Design Technology this term has a focus on designing and making a model ambulance with wheels and axles using the design, plan, make and evaluate model process.
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In Music, Year 2’s learning focuses around a unit called ‘I Wanna Play in a Band’ in the first half term and a unit entitled ‘Zootime!’ in the second half term. Pupils will be given the opportunity to listen to and appraise songs, considering their own likes and preferences as well as making comparisons to other similar songs with a focus on not only the music and instruments but also the lyrics. Pupils will learn to sing songs and play instruments, including the glockenspiel, and untuned percussion instruments.
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In RE, Year 1 and 2 finish the Autumn Term unit called, ‘Beginning to learn from Islam’ plus in the second half term study, ‘Questions that puzzle us – Christianity.’
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Homework for Year 2 is as follows:
- Reading their school reading book at least three times a week.
- Accessing Times Table Rock Stars to rehearse multiplication facts.
- Oracy homework that is sent via text and includes points of discussion for home based conversations around our “Thunk” of the week (a moral question suitable for debate) and our big question for history/geography for the week.
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