2025-26 Academic Year

The High Street

To start their new topic, The High Street, Year 2 children took part in two fun and interactive classroom activities, exploring different types of shops. Equipped with shopping lists, they visited role-play shop stations including a greengrocer, florist, antique shop and hardware store. Later in the week, the children set up their own high street, selling items in different shops. They enjoyed being shop keepers and shoppers and counted out money to pay for the items they wanted to purchase. These hands-on experiences helped the children learn and use vocabulary linked to real-world shopping while sparking lots of discussion and curiosity.

    

    

    

Nature scavenger hunt

Year 2 had a fantastic time taking part in a nature scavenger hunt on the school field. Working together in teams, the children were amazed at the variety of natural treasures they discovered right here in our playground. The activity encouraged curiosity, teamwork and a greater appreciation for the world around them.

    

    

  

Geography

In Geography, the children looked at a range of maps, including world maps, atlases, road maps and Google maps. They learnt that maps can also be presented in 3D form, such as a globe.

  

  

Science

In Science, the children looked at different types of plants and grouped them according to shared characteristics. First, they went on a plant hunt and looked at the plants that grew around the school grounds. They then grouped types of plants based on the colour of the flowers. Finally, they discussed other ways that we might sort plants into groups; for example, weeds, have spiky leaves, have round petals.

  

  

 

2024-25 

Art

This half term in Art, we’ve been exploring a range of painting techniques. We began by learning how to carefully mix poster paints to create smooth colour gradients. Then, using watercolours in both warm and cool tones, we experimented with techniques to replicate effects seen in well-known works of art. We also studied the vibrant abstract paintings of Rafiy Okefolahan and created our own colourful abstract pieces inspired by his style. Now, we are planning our final paintings, taking inspiration from the landscapes and wildlife of Africa.

    

    

    

Butterfly

This half term, Year 2 have been busy designing and making their very own butterfly soft toys! Using their newly learned sewing skills, the children joined pieces of felt together with running stitch, added antennae, and carefully stuffed their creations. The children then used their design plans to cut out templates and decorate their butterflies, finishing them off with colourful details stuck on with glue. The finished results were fantastic – we’re so proud of how hard everyone worked. Our butterflies have been fluttering proudly around the classroom ever since!

    

    

    

RE

In RE, the children enjoyed learning about Sikhism and the 5Ks—five special items that Sikhs wear to show their faith. These include the Kara (a steel bracelet), Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kachera (cotton shorts), and Kirpan (a small sword). Each of these symbols represents important values such as self-discipline, honesty, and commitment to the Sikh faith. The children also learned about the turban, which is worn to cover and respect the uncut hair, but is not one of the 5Ks.

    

    

Maths

In Maths, the Year 2 children took part in lots of activities to make measurements. They investigated volume and capacity with water,  drew lines of specific lengths and measured different items in the classroom. Finally they used balance scales and dial scales to find the mass of classroom objects.

       

     

    

    

  

Science 

Minibeast hunt

This week we have been on a minibeast hunt in the school grounds. We looked at different microhabitats that can be found in the school grounds- under logs, in leaf litter and in the grass on the school field. 

    

Sunflower Class

In maths this week we have been looking at measuring length and height in metres (m) and centimetres (cm). We used rulers to measure small classroom items such as pencils and glue sticks before moving on to using metre sticks to estimate the size of the larger items in the classroom- we even tried to estimate the height of the tree outside!

  

In PE, we have been practising our throwing skills by aiming bean bags into a hoop with accuracy. We formed teams of five and had a fun competition to see which team could get 10 bean bags into the hoop first. It was exciting, challenging, and helped us improve our aim!

    

In Geography this week, we started to learn about the country of Sierra Leone. We found it on a map of Africa and talked about what we thought the climate might be like, noticing that it is close to the equator, which we know usually means it is hot and sunny.

  

Design & Technology

This week in Sunflower Class the children have been developing new sewing skills, including how to use paper templates to cut fabric pieces, thread a needle, and sew a running stitch. These skills will help them as they carefully create their own butterfly soft toy.

    

  

In Year 2, the children enjoyed making their healthy sandwiches in Design and Technology. They ensured they followed all the necessary hygiene steps, such as washing their hands, tying back their hair and covering any cuts with plasters before starting. Using a variety of tools, including peelers, chopping boards, table knives, serrated knives and graters, the children carefully prepared their ingredients. Throughout the activity, they practised important skills such as spreading, peeling, chopping, grating, dicing and slicing. They also learnt the safe ‘claw hold’ and ‘bridge hold’ techniques for using sharp knives, ensuring they remained safe while working with their ingredients. 

    

    

    

    

Music

In Year 2 the children have been exploring music by playing along to songs on the glockenspiel. This exciting activity has helped them develop their musical skills, including rhythm, listening and teamwork. By playing in time with the music, they have been learning to play instruments musically and expressively, while also gaining confidence in their ability to perform as part of a group. It has been a fun and creative way to bring music to life.

    

  

Quiet Time

The children had a lovely 'Quiet Time' activity session with our friends from St Barnabas Church. They engaged in activities that encouraged them to reflect on their life choices, worries, hopes and friendships. They had a wonderful time and were very thoughtful.

World Book Day

Year Two had an unforgettable World Book Day, filled with excitement and a love for reading. The highlight of the day was a special assembly with Andy Day from CBeebies, who wowed the children with a rap performance and a reading from one of his ‘Dino Dad’ books. Later, the children snuggled up in their pyjamas with blankets, cookies and juice for a cosy 45-minute sponsored silent read. A wonderful day celebrating books and storytelling.

Science Day: Adaptation and Change

Year 2’s Science Day focused on adaptation and change, with exciting hands-on activities.

In the morning, the children dissected an onion to explore the structure of bulbs, identifying the roots, scales, tunic and future flower, while learning about their functions. They also planted onion and garlic bulbs to observe their growth.

In the afternoon, the children studied spring flowering bulbs like hyacinths, daffodils and tulips, creating detailed observational drawings of their unique features.

Dandelion Class ended the day with a healthy eating workshop, where they worked together to ride a bike to power the blender and make two different fruit smoothies. A great example of Habit 6: Synergize. After tasting both smoothies, the children voted for their favourite.

A fantastic day of exploration, teamwork and hands-on learning.

Design & Technology: Healthy Sandwiches

In DT, the children enjoyed tasting different foods to create a filling for a healthy sandwich. They explored the textures and flavours, using words like bitter, sweet, juicy, sour, watery, crunchy, soft and hard to describe each item. After tasting, they each selected three ingredients to include in their own healthy sandwich. It was a fun and delicious way to learn about food choices.

Painting the Tudor houses

The children in Year 2 enjoyed painting the Tudor houses that they made from clay. They also tore paper and layered it to make realistic fire collages.

Jewish traditions

In Year 2, the children have been exploring what is important to Jewish families. They enjoyed learning about the Torah scroll and discovering the significance of Jewish traditions. As part of their study of Hanukkah, they also had fun playing the dreidel game, deepening their understanding of the celebration and its cultural importance.

Creating Tudor-style houses

In Y2, the children explored the art of creating Tudor-style houses using clay. They began by carefully rolling, flattening and shaping the clay before using tools to cut around a house-shaped template. The children added intricate details such as windows, beams and doors, bringing their designs to life. To secure the pieces together, they used slip, a mixture of clay and water, ensuring each element was firmly attached. Their creativity and attention to detail resulted in beautiful, unique clay houses, showcasing their understanding of Tudor architecture.

Great Fire of London workshop

Year 2 enjoyed a Great Fire of London workshop, where the children stepped back in time to 1666. They had the opportunity to become apprentices, working in traditional trades such as candle making, weaving and leather working, just as people did in 17th-century London. In the afternoon, they became archaeologists, examining artefacts to uncover clues about life during this period.

Archery

The children had an exciting opportunity to try archery during their PE lesson. They practiced key skills such as focus, hand-eye coordination and precision as they aimed for targets using child-friendly bows and arrows. The session also encouraged patience and resilience, as they worked to improve their technique with each attempt. It was a fun and engaging lesson, and the children thoroughly enjoyed learning a new sport.

Snowy Chums

The children in Year 2 performed 'Snowy Chums - The Musical' as their Christmas play. They learnt their lines carefully, spoke clearly and acted their parts brilliantly. They sung beautifully too. They made us all feel very proud - Well done to all the children.

The Robot and the Bluebird

The Y2 children went to watch a live performance by the Britten Sinfonia Orchestra of ‘The Robot and the Bluebird’. The performance had been written especially for key stage one children, and was based on the children’s book by David Lucas. The music was performed by a 12-piece ensemble and it was accompanied with animated illustrations from the book. The concert told the story of a robot with a broken heart who gives his remaining strength to save the life of a bluebird, and finds meaning and purpose in doing so. It introduced the children to a range of live instruments and they had the opportunity to join in with singing and body percussion.

Fairy Tale Day

The Y2 children enjoyed an exciting start to their new topic with a dress up day. They looked wonderful dressed as characters from their favourite fairy tales and enjoyed a range of exciting activities, including making a fairy tale spell, playing fairy tale character top trumps ( practising addition pairs within 20) and making wooden spoon puppets to retell different stories.

Geography

In Geography, the children explored the high street, discovering different shops and what they sell. They created their own shops and took turns as shoppers and shopkeepers, promoting cross-curricular learning in maths and English through engaging role pla

RE

As part of their exploration into the question, 'Why do Christians Trust and Follow Jesus?', the Y2 classes welcomed The Reverend Hawkins from St James' Church. During his visit, he shared insights about his faith and his own trust and belief in Jesus. The children listened carefully and asked some excellent questions, demonstrating both their curiosity and their understanding of this topic.

Art

The children enjoyed making observational paintings of sunflowers using water colour paints. They worked hard to mix the colours correctly and to include the details accurately.

In Art, the children made observational drawings of leaves and plants. They used a range of different sketching pencils to create different tones and textures.

Science

In Science, the children have been learning about plants. They found out that plants grow best in soil and need water, air, light and the right temperature to germinate. The children planted their own bean seeds and will be keeping a diary of how they grow. The children also investigated a variety of fruits to find different types of seeds. They made careful observational drawings of the seeds they found.

RE

In Year 2, the children have been exploring the question, “Why do Christians trust and follow Jesus?” They listened to the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to be his disciples. In the story, Jesus saw Simon Peter and Andrew fishing and invited them to follow him, saying he would make them “fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets to follow him. The children discussed why the fishermen might have trusted and followed Jesus and had fun acting out the story together. This helped them understand how important Jesus is to Christians and why people choose to follow him.

Maths

In Maths, the children have been learning about ordering numbers and comparing quantities using the <, > and = signs. They have learnt to look at the tens number first to help them identify which number is the largest. The children have used words such as greater than, less than, more, less, fewer and equal to as part of this learning.