Year 2 – Autumn Newsletter 2023

Welcome to Year 2! I hope you have all had a lovely restful summer and are ready for the busy year ahead! On behalf of Mrs Martin, Mrs Abrahams and I, I’d like to thank you all for your generous gifts at the end of the summer term, they were very much appreciated. Please see below an outline of what will be covered this term.

English

To begin with, we will be exploring fables and using these stories to help develop our sentence structure including punctuation and conjunctions and writing dialogue. Our writing will support improving our word choices such as exciting adjectives. Through other aspects of the curriculum (Science, Geography, History etc.) we will be developing our non-fiction writing.

Ensuring your child reads for at least 15 minutes a day will help their reading skills to develop along with discussions around the text read. It is just as important to read to your child regularly along with listening to audio books. It is important that an adult records in the reading record every time your child reads at home, whether this is a schoolbook or a home book. If your child has read to themselves, get them to tell you what they have read – these discussions should also be recorded in their reading record.

Maths

To begin the term, we will be looking at number systems with a focus on place value, addition before moving onto shape. We will be using a variety of equipment to help children build their practical mathematical skills to support problem solving and calculations. The children will also be developing their mathematical vocabulary to develop reasoning tasks. To assist with children’s mathematical development encourage them to handle real money and understand the value of coins and notes along with reading the time on an analogue clock, weighing, and measuring around the home for different reasons such as cooking, woodwork etc.

History and Geography

We begin the year with a history topic, we will be exploring the Gunpowder Plot and begin to investigate timelines for significant events of the past. After half term we will begin a geography topic continents and oceans. We will be focusing on the 5 oceans and 7 continents. We will also look at the United Kingdom and use atlases and compasses to understand the 4 points.  .

Science

Throughout the Autumn term we will be looking at the area of Science ‘Animals including Humans’ followed by ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’. Each area of learning will give children the opportunity to pose scientific questions along with answering them and developing the skills of classification.

Computing

This year in computing we will be starting off learning how to programme using the application ‘Scratch Junior’. Children will be introduced to coding along with revisiting how to stay safe online.

Art

In Art children will be introduced to sketching and a variety of artists. We will also be working with different mediums such as paint, pastels and collage materials.

Design and Technology

In Design & Technology the children will be following on from their learning in year 1 preparing fruit, and will be learning to prepare vegetables in a safe way to create a planned dish. Children will evaluate different vegetables before planning what they will be making.

RE

This term our focus will be theology where we will be posing the question ‘Why is light an important symbol?’. We will explore the religions Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism to support our learning and responses to the question. We will also be exploring the British Value of tolerance and celebrating Harvest Festival.

PSHE

Our PSHE learning will lead us to think about families and people who care for us, revisiting the NSPCC PANTS and Speak Out, Stay Safe, consent (asking permission) and online safety.

Music

In Music we will be developing the skills of listening and appraising, musical activities and perform and review.

Physical Education

This term’s PE topics are swimming and fundamentals/ball skills. All PE kits are to be kept in school, they will only be sent home regularly for washing. Please check the uniform policy to ensure your child has the correct kit.

Homework

Along with listening to your child read, the children will be set spellings to learn each week, spellings will be tested on a Thursday with new spellings set on Fridays. Please assist them in practicing their spellings. The children will have one piece of homework to complete each week or a project over a few weeks: these will be English, Maths, Science or Topic work to help support their learning in the classroom. Spellings and homework will be sent home in learning logs – homework is due in every Wednesday unless otherwise stated.

Kind Regards,

Mrs Tokeley