Year 2
| Indoor PE | Monday morning |
| Outdoor Games | Friday afternoon |
| PPA/COSMIC | Wednesday afternoon |
| Library | Friday afternoon |
Welcome to Year 2!
A warm hello from the Year 2 team!
As we come to the end of a fantastic school year, we wanted to take a moment to say how excited we are to welcome the new Bumblebees and Caterpillars into Year 2 this September.
It has been lovely to begin getting to know your children during our transition sessions and we’re already looking forward to working with them after the summer holidays. We know moving into a new year group can feel like a big step but please rest assured that we’ll do everything we can to make sure your child feels settled, confident and happy from day one.
Below you’ll find some key information to help you and your child feel ready for the new school year:
Our Team
Mr Ayling
Mrs Gough
Miss Clunie (Mon-Weds)
Mrs V Forster (Thurs – Fri)
Mrs Strain
Miss Price
What to bring into school each day
We have very limited storage space in our cloakrooms so please help us by only bringing:
- A named water bottle (daily) – no large Stanley-type cups please
- A packed lunch box/bag (if your child has packed lunch)
- A small school bag or book bag – please avoid large rucksacks
- A reading record book (more details below)
- A warm coat if the weather is cold
Please label all clothing especially jumpers, cardigans, shoes and coats as it really helps us return any lost items quickly.
COSMIC (in the Boulter Building) – Wednesday afternoons
PE Days
Indoor PE – Monday morning
Outdoor games – Friday afternoon
On PE days, children should come to school wearing their PE kit. Please make sure they wear:
- A plain polo shirt or T-shirt
- Blue, grey or black shorts/tracksuit bottoms
- Trainers or plimsolls (not school shoes)
- A school jumper or cardigan (no hoodies or football kits please)
Children should not wear earrings on PE days. If newly pierced, please cover small studs with surgical tape.
Reading
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and we would really appreciate your support in hearing your child read at home as often as possible. Ideally, children should read to an adult at least three times a week. Books and reading records will be sent home in September. Please ensure that your child’s reading record is brought to school every day. Lost/damaged books will need to be replaced at a cost of £3.50 per reading book and £1.50 per reading record.
Start and End of Day
Gates open at 8:40am and classroom doors open at 8:45am
Pick-up gates open at 3:05pm and classroom doors open at 3:15pm
We ask that no parents are on site until gates are officially opened.
We are looking forward to working together over the coming year to achieve the best for your child. Whilst we make every effort to answer questions at drop-off and pick-up, we might not always be able to chat at these times. If we are unable to answer questions at these times, we can also be contacted by email or phone so please don’t hesitate to write or call if there is something you would like to discuss.
Arriving late, illness and medical/dentist appointments:
Wherever possible please try to make appointments outside of school hours. If your child has a medical/dentistry appointment please let the office know if you need to collect your child from school. You can do this either in person or by telephone. If your child has an early morning appointment and will be coming into school later that morning, please also ensure you let the office know what your child will be doing for lunch.
We hope you all have a wonderful summer break and enjoy some well-earned rest and fun together. We can’t wait to get started with your children in September and begin a brilliant Year 2 adventure!
We look forward to a fantastic year ahead,
The Year 2 Team
Spring Term
During this Spring term so far, the children have been enjoying a fun, varied and engaging curriculum that encourages curiosity, creativity and confidence across lots of different subjects.
Reading
In reading, children enjoyed exploring a range of engaging texts, including Grandma Bird and A First Book of the Sea. They have developed key reading skills such as retrieving information, explaining ideas, and making inferences by talking about characters’ thoughts and feelings and using clues from the text.
Children have also explored poetry, focusing on rhyme, alliteration and descriptive language, and enjoyed discussing how authors use words to create pictures in the reader’s mind. Through shared reading, discussion and creative responses, pupils have grown in confidence when talking about texts and explaining their ideas clearly.
Writing
In writing, children have been inspired by the story The Secret of Black Rock. They have enjoyed exploring new vocabulary and using descriptive language to write setting descriptions, short stories, letters and diary entries. Writing in role has helped pupils develop imagination, empathy and confidence, while continuing to improve spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
Mathematics
In maths, children have been building their skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They have practised important skills such as bridging through ten and used practical resources to explore multiplication and division through arrays and sharing. Pupils have been encouraged to explain their thinking and apply their learning to problem-solving activities.
Art
In art, children have been getting creative through sculpture and design. They have loved exploring different materials, building models using junk and found objects, and experimenting with folding, cutting and layering. Once finished, sculptures were painted and decorated, and pupils enjoyed talking about their work and making links to the work of other artists and sculptors.
As part of our learning, we have been studying Junk Jodie’s inspiring work and exploring how everyday “junk” can be transformed into something imaginative, meaningful and beautiful. The visit began with her fantastic show Sea-TACULAR with Wanda Whale, where we dived into an underwater adventure full of creativity and important messages about caring for our oceans. We met Wanda Whale and her recycled friends, Harry Hammerhead Shark and Cathy Crab, through songs, rhymes and lots of laughter. The children were completely captivated and loved learning how recycled materials can be brought to life using imagination.
After the show, Junk Jodie worked alongside the children to help them create their own models. Using simple recycled items such as butter tubs, we were shown how to design and build a Titanic model. The children absolutely loved the hands-on experience and showed incredible creativity, focus and enthusiasm as they transformed junk materials into their own unique masterpieces.
It was a joyful, inspiring and memorable visit that perfectly brought our learning together. The children left buzzing with ideas, pride in their creations and a deeper understanding of how art can help us look after our world. A huge thank you to Junk Jodie for such an unforgettable day!
Science
In science, the children have been learning about living things and their habitats. They have explored what makes something living, dead or nonliving, investigated habitats in the local area and discovered how plants and animals rely on their environments. Practical activities and outdoor learning have helped bring this topic to life.
Computing
In computing, children have been developing their coding and problem-solving skills using BeeBots. They have learnt how to give clear instructions, create simple algorithms and test different routes. Pupils enjoyed spotting mistakes, improving their programs and explaining which solutions worked best.
Music
In music, children have been exploring pitch and melody using tuned instruments such as xylophones and metallophones. They have been learning songs, including Wispy Willow, and enjoy singing and performing together. The children are especially excited to play the glockenspiels, showing great enthusiasm and growing confidence.
Religious Education (RE)
In RE, children have been learning about Hinduism, focusing on the festival of Holi and the idea of remembering. They explored the story behind Holi and learnt about how Hindus remember Vishnu through stories, celebrations and prayer. Children enjoyed discussing what remembering means to them, sharing their own experiences and making links between religious traditions and everyday life.
Geography
In geography, children have been comparing their local area of Leigh Park with Sydney, Australia. They used maps, globes and atlases to locate countries, continents and oceans, and practised using compass directions. Pupils explored the human and physical features of both places, carried out simple fieldwork and compared weather and climate. They enjoyed spotting similarities and differences and thinking about what life might be like in another part of the world.