Welcome to Year 2

Sycamore Class

Teacher -  Miss. Gomme - Monday to Friday.

Teaching Assistant - Mrs. Hutt - Monday to Friday.

Also Mr. Aziz - Thursdays for Library and PE and Week 2 For Science

Willow Class 

Teachers: Mrs Ward: Monday - Wednesday

Mrs Duffy: Thursday to Friday

Teaching Assistants: Mrs Philips: Monday - Tuesday

Mr Ball: Wednesday- Thursday am

Mr Van Der Leeuw: Thursday pm- Friday all day

Important Information

Sycamore Class 

P.E- Monday and Thursday

Please ensure you come to school in P.E kit on these days.

Forest School and Music - Tuesday Week 2

For Forest School, please ensure you have waterproofs to cover your PE clothes and wellies.

Reading Books (Every day changed on Wednesdays ) and Library Books (Thursdays)

Willow Class 

P.E- Wednesday and Thursday

Please ensure you come to school in P.E kit on these days.

Forest School and Music - Tuesday Week 2

For Forest School, please ensure you have waterproofs to cover your PE clothes and wellies.

Reading Books (Every day changed on Wednesdays ) and Library Books (Fridays)

Children will be getting 2 reading books at a time which they can change on a Wednesday. They should read these books at least twice to help them to read with accuracy, speed, and proper expression.

The children will bring home 1 library book which can only be changed on a Friday.

Curriculum Information Autumn 2025

English

In the first half of the Autumn Term, we will be exploring Goldilocks and the Three Bears along with other traditional fairy tales. This links beautifully to our trip to Waddesdon Manor in October, where the children will be inspired by the settings and characters they encounter. Through this topic, the children will practise writing postcards, as well as developing rich descriptions of settings and characters.

Alongside this, we will be focusing on key grammar and writing skills, including:

• Statements, questions, and exclamations
• Using adjectives and noun phrases to add detail
• Contractions and commas
• Capital letters for proper nouns
• Using conjunctions to extend ideas

After half term, our learning will be inspired by The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers. The children will use this text to develop their understanding of narrative writing, creating their own imaginative adventures.

Our grammar and writing focus will include:

• Forming and punctuating questions
• Using superlatives for description
• Writing in the past tense
• Adding adverbs and time adverbials
• Exploring prefixes and verbs
• Extending sentences with conjunctions

Reading

We have a daily reading slot after lunch, during which time we read a variety of books sometimes altogether and sometimes in groups. We will use VIPERS to work on the children's comprehension of their reading. VIPERS looks at Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explain, Retrieval and Summarise.

Spelling

Spellings will be going home on Fridays to learn for the following week where we will have a little quiz and then learn a new spelling rule. The spelling will include some common exception words (words that cannot be sounded out to spell) and some words using the spelling rule they have been learning.

Maths

As the term begins, we’re starting an exciting journey into place value, where children will explore how numbers are built and what each digit means. Once confident, we will move on to developing strategies for addition and subtraction, before finishing the term with an exploration of shape, learning to recognise, describe, and work with both 2D and 3D shapes.

Throughout these topics, children will be encouraged to use practical resources, mathematical language, and problem-solving skills to deepen their understanding and build confidence in maths.

Science

This term, our science learning will take us on an exciting journey through living things, materials, and the world around us.

• Animals and Humans
  We will begin by exploring what animals need to survive, looking closely at different groups including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and humans. The children will then learn more about humans, focusing on the importance of exercise, food, teeth, and hygiene for keeping healthy.
   
• Materials and their Properties
  Next, we will investigate everyday materials, carrying out experiments to test which ones are waterproof and thinking carefully about why certain materials are used for different purposes.
   
• Plastics and the Environment
  Finally, we will look at plastics in more detail, considering two big questions:
   
  • How is plastic both helpful and harmful?
     
  • How can we reduce our plastic waste in school?
     

This will give the children the chance to think like real scientists—observing, testing, questioning, and problem-solving.

History 1st Half term 

This half term, we will be learning about some incredible women from the past and present, including Florence Nightingale, Malala Yousafzai, Rosa Parks, and Marie Curie. The children will explore why these people are remembered, the journeys they took, and the impact they had on the world. They will think about what makes someone important in history, ask questions about their lives and how we know about them, and place them on a timeline to see when they lived. The children will also have the chance to show what they have learned in different ways, such as through writing, drama, or presentations, and will compare the lives and achievements of these inspirational figures.

Geography - 2nd half term 

In geography this term, we will be exploring the question: “Would you prefer to live in a hot or cold place?” The children will learn to name and locate the seven continents on a world map, as well as the Equator and the North and South Poles. They will investigate the features of hot and cold places and locate countries with different climates. As part of their learning, they will describe the similarities and differences between the UK and Kenya, and explore how weather affects daily life. The children will also practise using key geographical vocabulary to write about the weather and explain whether places are hot or cold.

RE

During our RE lessons we will be looking at the question: Why do we need to give thanks? We will be exploring beliefs about offerings to show gratitude in a variety of religions.

The second half term we will be looking at the question What do candles mean to people? We will be exploring beliefs about what candles mean to other people and reflecting on the similarities and differences between festivals.

We are planning to visit St Mary’s Church in Long Crendon. 

PSHE 

Our topics this term are Being me in my World then Celebrating Differences. We will discuss these elements below; 

To know the rights and responsibilities of class members.

To know about rewards and consequences and that these stem from choices. 

To know that it is important to listen to other people, but that your own views are valuable.

To know that positive choices impact positively on self-learning and the learning of others.

To know our hopes and fears for the year ahead.

DT - 1st Half term 

We will be investigating structures and using a variety of techniques to create a stable chair for Baby Bear.

Art - 2nd Half term 

We will be looking at Drawing with a focus on understanding tone and texture. We will experiment with a range of materials to create marks and tones. 

 Computing:

We will be looking at coding using the 2Go tool. We will learn to build simple algorithms to move a screen turtle along routes. We will consider direction and distances and create commands.

After half term we will be looking at the fundamentals of online safety, including its purpose, how we access it, and how to use it safely and effectively. 

P.E

In PE this term we will be looking at Gymnastics and Striking and Hit, Catch and Run. They will be learning the following skills:

 • Describe and explain how performers can transition and link gymnastic elements. 

• Perform basic actions with control and consistency at different speeds and levels. 

• Challenge themselves to develop strength and flexibility. 

• To hit a ball and score points running to cones. 

• To defend a target by kicking. 

• To  bowl underarm with control.

• To  hit a ball using different bats and techniques. 

• To  throw accurately to a base. 

• To hit a ball into space, away from fielders.

Parent Partnership
We are always happy to discuss anything with parents and carers to help support children in learning or to provide pastoral support. If you would like to meet, please contact the office to arrange this.