Year 2 Summer2 Curriculum Information

Welcome back! I hope you all had a relaxing week off and enjoyed the Jubilee celebrations! I cannot quite believe that this is our last half-term together, we have achieved so much and have come so far as a team.

So, for one final time, let me tell you all about what exciting learning experiences we have in store for the children over the next 5 weeks.

We will begin the term by reading our class novel which is ‘Harklights’ by Tim Tilley. Wick has always lived in the dark and dreadful Harklights Match Factory and Orphanage, working tirelessly for greedy Old Ma Bogey. He only dreams of escaping, until one day a bird drops something impossible and magical at his feet - a tiny baby in an acorn cradle...

This magical story celebrates what many people consider to be the most important aspects of life - family, friendship, and the natural world.

In English we are going to be reading the powerful non-fiction book – ‘Bold Women in Black History’ by Vashti Harrison. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world's history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. Among these biographies, the children will read about heroes, role models and everyday women who did extraordinary things. Be bold. Be courageous. Be you. Be true. That's the message of this empowering, informative, and beautifully illustrated book. This text will support and develop our writing, so that we can build more complex and enthralling sentences that are well-punctuated.

In Science we will be travelling across the universe, as we begin to learn all about Astronomy. Our Big Question is: ‘What’s beyond planet Earth?’
We will be exploring what planets make up our solar system and learn what makes them so special! The children will discover how planets orbit and rotate around the Sun. As a class we will be working like astronomers to investigate our galaxy. This will involve looking at stars and constellations.

We will be linking our reading in VIPERS closely to non-fiction texts on Space, this will allow us to consolidate and extend our scientific knowledge.

This half-term we will be exploring our History Big Question: ‘How do significant people influence our lives today?’ As historians we will be looking at the lives of powerful figures that have had a positive and prominent impact on the way we are able to live our lives. For example – Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Gandhi and David Attenborough just to name a few. In each lesson, the children will be given a quote from each person and asked to explain what they think they meant by what they said, thinking about the purpose of the quote, who they were addressing and what was the intended impact of their words.

In Maths we will continue our focus on number bonds and times tables. We will learn about measurement as we aim to tell the time. Near the end of the half-term, we will explore mass, capacity and temperature.

Please do keep supporting the children with their times tables learning at home on TTRockstars. The children’s consistency meant we were victorious in our times tables competition versus Year 3 and Year 4, which made me incredibly proud!

Please do stay tuned on Class Dojo! I am so excited for what our last five weeks has in store!

Year 2 Summer 1 Curriculum Information

Welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely Easter break and are feeling well rested. The children have worked so hard up to this point and it shows, as they produced some brilliant scores in their end of term assessments. Their astounding progress has made me so proud!

Looking forward, let me tell you all about what we have in store for the children over the next 5 weeks.

We will begin the term by reading our class novel which is ‘The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh’ by Helen Rutter. Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with a big dream. He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up: delivering pinpoint punchlines and having audiences hang on his every hilarious word. A tough career for anyone, but surely impossible for Billy, who has a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won't let him speak?

This book is a great way of showing children how to be confident and winners by having a sense of humour and making others laugh. This incredibly heart-warming story tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud in equal measure. This links well to our school values of self-belief, perseverance and respect.

In English we are going to be reading the beautifully illustrated book – ‘The Crow’s Tale’ by Naomi Howarth. In the dark depths of winter, snow is falling and the animals are freezing and famished. Brave Crow sets out on a dangerous journey to find the Sun, and beg for warmth. Will Crow succeed, and what will happen to his colourful rainbow feathers? The book demonstrates the importance of kindness and courage, two values that resonate The Grove’s ethos. This book will support and develop our writing, so that we can build more complex and enthralling sentences that are well-punctuated.

In Science we will be investigating ‘Plants’. Our Big Question is: ‘How do seeds and bulbs grow into flowers and food?’ We will be looking at the ways in which plants grow and reproduce. The children will observe how seeds and bulbs change throughout the germination process. As a class we will be working like scientists to carry out a comparative test. This will involve planning and undertaking an investigation to find out what healthy plants need to grow. Finally, the children will be taught how the arable and pastoral farming of different foods reaches our local supermarkets.

We will be linking our reading in VIPERS closely to non-fiction texts on Plants, this will allow us to consolidate and extend our scientific knowledge.

This half-term we will be exploring our Geography Big Question: ‘What is life like in Northern Europe?’ As geographers we will be taking a look at Northern Europe’s topography, climate and human and physical features. Specifically, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. We will also aim to understand who Roald Amundsen was and what he did that was so significant.

In Maths we will continue our focus on number bonds and times tables. Measurement will also be introduced, as we learn about length and height. Near the end of the half-term, we will explore geometry, specifically position and direction.

Please do keep supporting the children with their times tables learning at home on TTRockstars, I have seen such a positive improvement!

Please do stay tuned on Class Dojo! I am so excited for what the next five weeks has in store!

Year 2 Spring 2 Curriculum Information

Welcome back! I hope you all had a great half term! Thank you for working so hard last term, you have all taken great pride in your work and have shown excellent enthusiasm towards your classroom learning.

Another busy half-term is among us, and I simply cannot wait to tell you all about!

We will start off this term by reading our contemporary class novel which is ‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White. A poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl. Wilbur the pig's life has already been saved by Fern, but when he is sold to her uncle, he realises his life is in even more danger. Enter Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider. Charlotte is determined to keep Wilbur from the chopping block and comes up with an ingenious way to do just that. This classic story explores the beauty and power of friendship and true loyalty. This links incredibly well to our school values of compassion, curiosity, and respect.

In English are very lucky to be reading the hilariously comedic story book – ‘The Incredible Book Eating Boy’. This humorous book will support and develop our writing, so that we can build more complex and enthralling sentences that are well-punctuated.

Our learning aims throughout the next term are resonated through the beautifully crafted picture book ‘Here we are: notes for Living on Planet Earth’ by Oliver Jeffers.

This exquisite and thought-provoking book offers a personal look inside into Oliver Jeffers’ own hopes and wishes for his child - a missive about our world and those who call it home.

This compliments our past and present learning of Science, which will allows us to recap prior knowledge – touching on elements of The Human Body, Living Things in their Habitats, Electricity and our new topic of Materials and Matter.

In Science we will be having lots of fun when we delve into the world of ‘Materials and Matter’. Our Big Question is: ‘What are the properties and uses of different materials?’ We will be looking at different materials and diving in deeper to look at their unique uses and properties. As a class we will investigate how solid objects are shaped and changed into items of everyday use. Scientific inventors such as George de Mestral will help us expand our understanding of how different materials, such as velcro, were invented.

This half-term we will be exploring our History Big Question: ‘What was life like for the Tudors?’
Excitingly, we will take a trip to the past to discover what life was like for the Tudors in England between 1485 – 1603. We will have the opportunity to learn about the huge divide between the rich and the poor. Finding out how and why their clothes, diet and leisure activities differed so dramatically from one another. The significant life of Henry VIII and his wives will also be touched on, as we learn how the English Reformation came to be. This strongly reinforces our school value of curiosity, as we will take an avid interest into how society and people’s lives may have changed over the course of 400 years. We will also be linking our reading in VIPERS closely to non-fiction texts on The Tudors, this will enable us to consolidate and extend our History knowledge.

In Maths we will continue our focus on numbers bonds and times tables. The properties of 2D/3D shapes and learning how to solve fractions will also be introduced. Please do keep supporting the children with their times tables learning at home on TTRockstars, I have seen such a positive improvement!

Please do stay tuned on Class Dojo! I am so excited for what the next seven weeks has in store!

Year 2 Spring 1 Curriculum Information

Welcome back! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for working so hard last term, you have all made such great progress!

We once again, have a jammed packed half-term ahead for you which I can’t wait to tell you about!

We will start off our year by reading our class novel which is Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Nights’ by Linda Marsh. This intriguing book explores the beauty and power of his words through extracts from his play about fairies, magic, and love. This links incredibly well to our school values of compassion, curiosity, and respect.

Our learning aims throughout the next term are echoed through the picture book ‘The Boy Harnessed the Wind’ by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. This book tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy named William who lives in a small Malawi village. Suddenly, the village experiences a horrendous drought, which resulted in everyone's crops failing. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library and eventually figured out how to bring electricity to his village. This compliments our learning of our new topic of Electricity in Science. Perhaps we all may become as clever as William throughout the next term of learning! Lyrically told and gloriously illustrated, this story will inspire the children as it shows how - even in the worst of times - a great idea and a lot of hard work can still defy all odds.

This half-term we will be exploring our Geography Big Question: ‘How does the British Isles differ to Cape Town?’
We will get the opportunity to learn about the vast range of islands and countries that make up the British Isles and how their fascinating landscapes differ from one another. We will also focus on comparing British cities to the significantly different location of Cape Town in South Africa. We are looking forward to this as we hope it means we can explore the geology of other landscapes. This strongly reinforces our school value of curiosity as we will enthusiastically work together to discover the topography of the wider world.

In Science we will be having lots of electrifying fun when we delve into the world of ‘Electricity’. Our Big Question is: ‘What is Electricity and do all materials conduct it?’ We will be learning about the huge impact electricity has on our day-to-day lives. I think we all will find it quite ‘shocking’ how much we rely on electricity! Excitingly, we will also explore simple circuits and investigate conductive and non-conductive materials.

In Religious Education we begin our new topic of ‘Who is Jewish and what do they believe?’. At The Grove we love to learn about other cultures and the ideals of others. We are hoping that this broadens our understandings and acceptance of the world around us.

In Music, we are incredibly lucky to be having 6 more weeks of Recorder lessons! Then the children can take their recorders home to continue their practice. Might I recommend some noise-cancelling headphones!

Please do stay tuned on Class Dojo! I am so excited for what the next six weeks has in store !

Year 2 Autumn 2 Curriculum Information

Welcome back! Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I have enjoyed meeting all of you and getting to know the children!

We have a jammed packed half-term ahead for you which I can’t wait to tell you about!

We will start off our year by reading our class novel which is ‘Winnie the Pooh’ by AA Milne. This is a lovely book which explores the themes of bravery, courage, and friendship. The loveable honey eating bear demonstrates the importance of forming solid, lasting friendships. Though he severely lacks confidence in his own physical appearance, he shows that greatness is not measured by size. This links nicely to our school values, as we focus on courage, respect and acceptance.

We will complement our learning of ‘Winnie the Pooh’ as we read a book called ‘What the Roman’s did for Us’ by Alison Hawes. This fascinating picture book offers essential knowledge about the Romans and will tell us the impact the Roman Empire has had on today’s way of life in 21^st Century Britain. This links to our first History topic ‘The Romains in Britain’ and will continue to support the content they have learnt during their History lessons, stimulating interesting discussions about who the Romans were.  

Not to mention that the children will also have a very exciting in-school visit session from a Roman Museum, where we will be unearthing the past!

This half-term we will be exploring our History Big Question: ‘What sort of people were the Romans?’
We will get the opportunity to learn about The Roman Empire and it’s soldiers and armies. We will also learn about important historical figures who made a difference – such as Julius Caesar and Boudicca.
We are looking forward to this as we hope it means we can explore the way the Romans lived and what legacy they left behind. This will link to our school value of curiosity as we work together to find out why the Romans still hold relevance to this day.

In Science we will be learning about the ‘Living Things in their Environment’. Our Big Question is: ‘Where do different animals live?’ We will be learning about how different animals in the food chain survive and live in habitats especially suited to them.

In Religious Education we will be continuing to learn about Muslims and their beliefs. At The Grove we love to learn about other cultures and the ideals of others. We are hoping to visit a mosque before the end of the term – watch this space!

We are really lucky as this half-term we have many more exciting events! For example, Diwali afternoon, Science Day, Theatre productions for the children and the magical build up to Christmas and their Nativity school play – just to name a few!

Year 2 Autumn 1 Curriculum Information

Welcome back to the new school year! Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I have enjoyed meeting some of you and getting to know the children.

We have a jammed packed half-term ahead for you which I can’t wait to tell you about!

We will start off our year by reading our class novel which is ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This is a brilliant book which explores the themes of bravery, prejudice and the nature of things around us. The Iron Man is a robot with a good heart however his appearance can be deceiving, and his natural instinct is to destroy. This links really nicely to our school values as we focus on courage and acceptance.

We will complement our learning of ‘The iron Man’ as we read a book called ‘The Tin Forest’ which looks at chasing dreams and making a difference. We will talk about how ‘one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure!’ This book also provides opportunities for us to talk about recycling and waste.

This half-term we will be exploring our geography big question: What will I find in my local area? We will get the opportunity to learn about reading maps and how they are designed. We will create our own and explore maps of the local area and our school! We are looking forward to this as we hope it means we can get outside and explore Melton town.  This will link with our school value of teamwork as we work together to find buildings and monuments. Did you know that out school is nearly 100 years old?

In science we will be learning about the human body. Our big question is: Why and how should we look after our bodies? We will be looking at the human skeleton, the circulatory system and exploring how we should keep ourselves healthy.

In Religious Education we will be learning about Muslims and their beliefs. At The Grove we love to learn about other cultures and the ideals of others. We are hoping to visit a mosque before the end of the term – watch this space!

We are really lucky as this half-term as we will be learning about farming and animals. As you know, we are going to be going to visit Bowthorpe Park Farm. We are really looking forward to exploring the outdoors, meeting the farmer and his team and learning about how to protect our environment.

We are also looking forward to Roald Dahl day as we will explore some of our favorite stories and characters. Who is your favorite character? Why not work together to make a costume as I know Mrs Cheeseman has prizes for the fancy dress costume with the most effort.