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.
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Year 2 Spring 2024
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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 lead through the story believing that Mr Wolf is the goodie, but he actually turns out to be the villain! Pupils will write a character description of Mr Wolf, considering his appearance and personality and will be writing a recipe for pancakes too. We then study ‘The Ugly Five’ by Julia Donaldson. We use her exceptional story writing techniques to support our own narrative writing, including the use of dialogue, then our non-fiction writing centres around a non-chronological report on one of the animals. 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 half term, our handwriting lessons and daily handwriting starters focus on printing letters using correct letter formation, orientation and sizing, before beginning joined writing next half term. Finally, SPaG is a key focus within English lessons, focusing on writing grammatically correct sentences that are beginning to use adjectives and expanded noun phrases to describe, fronted adverbials and more developed conjunctions to link ideas together. They focus on basic punctuation including full stops, capital letters, question marks, exclamation marks and commas for lists and more advanced punctuation marks such as apostrophes.
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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 using them. When we move onto multiplication and division, we will be focusing 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 have now moved onto the White Rose Science scheme of work. There is a focus on biology throughout the term, covering animals and plants, plus seasonal changes and caring for the planet. 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 “Splish, Splash, Splosh”, Year 1 and 2 undertake historical and geographical learning. In history, pupils will find out about seaside holidays in the past whilst, in geography, we study the oceans.
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In PE this term, pupils will be receiving Soccer 2000 lessons based on net and wall games, as well as 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 completing two projects across the term. The first is a drawing unit called “Make Your Mark” where we will learn how to draw lines to represent movement, fill shapes, make outlines and add detail or pattern. We will also learn how to use different marks to represent the textures of objects. After half term, we will be cutting and layering shapes and using watercolours and paints to create a landscape of a seaside.
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Computing includes the themes of programming, where we use programmable devices such as beebots and floorbots, and create media where we learn how to paint digitally.
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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 making a textile puppet and a windmill structure that can turn. DT lessons follow the design, plan, make and evaluate model.
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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 titled ‘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 comparing 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 about Sikhs’; in the second half term they study, ‘How and why some books are holy.’
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Reading a variety of genres regularly at home as well as keeping up-to-date with homework (which will provide opportunities to share and practise what has been taught in class) will support pupils’ development. All pupils have access to a Times Tables Rock Stars account, which they can access from home to help them to learn and recall times table facts.
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Year 2 Summer 2024
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In English, the text, ‘The Enormous Crocodile’ by Roald Dahl is taught, which follows the ‘clever plans and tricks’ of a hungry predator! Pupils will write a diary entry from the perspective of the crocodile, focusing on conveying personality and emotions from events that have happened in his day, and including a clever flip to the future tense at the end of the diary. We move onto writing an information leaflet including facts about crocodiles. We then study ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens (the Ladybird version). We use this classic to imagine we are going back in time and write a setting description of a London market. We then complete a newspaper report, using more formal writing techniques. 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 half term, our handwriting lessons, and daily handwriting starters, focus on learning how to join all of our letters neatly and correctly. Spelling Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) is a key focus within English lessons. By now, our non-negotiable expectations within writing are spelling most Year 2 common exception words correctly, using phonics to support the spelling of multi-syllabic words, maintaining the use of basic sentence punctuation (including full stops, capital letters, question marks, exclamation marks, commas in a list) throughout a piece of extended writing and writing in the correct tense. In terms of genre-specific expectations, we focus on ensuring sentences are logically ordered, including enough detail to keep a reader interested. We use a wider variety of conjunctions to link sentences and ideas together, including ‘and, but, so, when, because’ and ‘if’. We use techniques such as fronted adverbials to link ideas and events, using strategies to create ‘flow’ and we add detail and description using adjectives and adverbs. We also learn how to use the possessive singular apostrophe and apostrophes for simple contractions. Our Year 2 proof-reading expectations involve pupils now checking their work for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes, making additions and revisions and proof-reading to check it makes sense, with the support of the teacher and other pupils.
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In Year 2, during the Summer Term, the topics of fractions, time, position and direction and money are studied. In fractions, pupils learn what a whole is, how to split wholes into equal parts, how to recognise and find a half, quarter, third and three quarters of a shape or amount, as well as learning the difference between unit and non-unit fractions and learning how to count in steps of various fractions. In our time unit, pupils learn how many minutes are in an hour, how many hours are in a day and learn how to tell the time to the following intervals: o’clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to and finally to start to tell the time to each five-minute interval. For our statistics module, Year 2 learn about tally charts, tables, block diagrams and pictograms, including pictograms where symbols represent 1, 2, 5 or 10 items. During the topic of position and direction, pupils focus on how to describe movements and turns.
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In Science, the topics of plants and seasonal changes are taught across the summer term. There is also a mini-project based on sustainability, focussing on growing and cooking. Furthermore, pupils explore through practical investigations, making predictions, recording results and drawing basic conclusions for themselves based on these enquiries.
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Through the topic of ‘Proud to be Wolves’, Year 1 and 2 undertake historical and geographical learning. In history, pupils will find out about our local history, whilst in geography, we study mapping skills.
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In PE this term, pupils will be receiving Soccer 2000 lessons surrounding athletics, as well as working on their gymnastic techniques. With their class teacher, they will be learning dance and yoga.
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In Art, we will be learning how to use textiles to create an abstract felt map. We will be continuing the textile theme by completing a unit called ‘Fibre Text Art’.
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Computing lessons firstly follow the topic of ‘Pictograms’ where pupils will be collecting data in tally charts and using this information to organise and present facts. Next, in the unit, ‘Programming’, pupils will be designing and programming the movement of a character on screen for a range of outcomes. In terms of online safety, pupils will use our Project Evolve scheme to learn about online relationships and their online reputation.
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In Jigsaw, we are covering the topic ‘Relationships’ where pupils learn about different types of families, physical contact boundaries, friendship and special relationships, conflict and how to resolve it, good and bad secrets and trust and appreciation. We then move on to ‘Changing Me’ where pupils consider how humans change as they grow, increasing independence, differences between males and females, assertiveness and preparing for transition to Key Stage 2.
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Design Technology this term has a focus on cooking and nutrition, where we design and make a fruit/vegetable smoothie and make a healthy wrap. Design Technology explores the design, plan, make and evaluate model.
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In Music, Year 2’s learning focuses around a unit called ‘The Friendship Song’ in the first half of the term. Pupils will be given the opportunity to listen to and appraise songs, considering their own likes and preferences, as well as comparing 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 glockenspiels and recorders. In the final part of the summer term, they will have the chance to ‘Reflect, Rewind and Replay’, selecting their favourite songs and genres from the past 12 months and revisiting them.
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In Religious Education, Year 1 and 2 will continue to study the unit we started last term: ‘How and why are some books holy? Special stories of Christians, Sikhs and Muslims’. We will also undertake a unit called: ‘What can we learn about prayer from stories of Jesus? Beginning Christianity’ during the second half of the term.
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Reading a variety of genres regularly at home as well as keeping up-to-date with homework (which will provide opportunities to share and practise what has been taught in class) will support pupils’ development. Furthermore, all pupils have access to a Times Tables Rock Stars account, which they can access from home to help them learn and recall their times tables facts.
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