Welcome to Year 2
Our Class Teacher is Miss Thorpe
Our Curriculum
History
This half term, Year 2 will be continuing their work on two important figures from history: Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. The children will deepen their understanding of who these women were and why they chose to travel to Crimea to help during the war. They will explore what life was like for soldiers before Florence Nightingale arrived and learn about the key changes she made to improve hospital conditions. Year 2 will also discover the brave and important work Mary Seacole carried out and how she supported soldiers in different ways. Through discussion, source analysis, and comparison activities, children will explore the impact both women had, both at the time and in the years that followed. By the end of the unit, they will be able to explain how Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole made a difference, compare their contributions, and identify how Florence’s actions continue to influence hospitals today.
Our Key Enquiry Questions:
Who was Florence Nightingale?
What did Florence do to improve the lives of soldiers?
Why did she put herself in danger by going to the Crimea?
Who was Mary Seacole and what was her biggest achievement?
Why do people remember so much of Florence Nightingale and so little of Mary Seacole?
Science
This term in Science, Year 2 will explore the exciting topic of Living Things and Their Habitats. Children will begin by learning how to group things based on whether they are living, dead, or have never been alive. They will investigate a variety of habitats and microhabitats, discovering how animals and plants are suited to the environments they live in. As part of their learning, they will also begin to understand how animals depend on each other to survive through simple food chains.
Alongside this, children will be learning about plants. They will observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants and investigate what plants need to stay healthy, including water, light, and the right temperature. Through practical, hands-on enquiries, pupils will explore what happens after a seed is planted and what conditions help plants grow best.
Our Key Enquiry Questions:
How would you group these things to show whether they are living, dead or never been alive?
What conditions will help me grow the healthiest plant?
What happens to my bean after I have planted it?
How do animals adapt to suit their environment?
Do animals need each other to survive? (Food chains)
English
Our class text in our Pathways to Write unit this half term is: 'The Tempest.’
This half term, Year 2 will be exploring the magical story The Tempest by Rosie Dickins as part of our Pathways to Write unit. Throughout the unit, children will build their writing skills by retelling the story, using expanded noun phrases to describe characters and settings in detail. They will practice using conjunctions such as and, but, because, when, and if to link ideas clearly and meaningfully. The children will also learn to add suffixes like -ment and -ful to spell longer words, enriching their vocabulary and making their writing more powerful. By the end of the unit, children will have written their own imaginative versions of the story, using rich vocabulary, expanded noun phrases, and exciting descriptions to captivate their readers.
Our class novel is The Hodgeheg by Dick King-Smith. This charming story follows Max, a clever hedgehog on a journey to find his way home. Along the way, Max faces many challenges and clever solutions, which help children learn about problem-solving and perseverance.
PSHE
Our puzzle unit in Jigsaw is: Changing Me.
This half term, Year 2 children will be focusing on the PSHE Jigsaw unit ‘Changing Me’. This unit helps children understand how their bodies and feelings change as they grow. They will learn about the life cycles of humans and animals, and begin to understand how they have changed since they were babies. The children will also explore how to manage emotions around change, including transitions like moving into a new class. Through thoughtful discussions and activities, they will develop confidence in expressing their feelings, understand that change is a normal part of life, and learn ways to cope positively with it. This unit supports emotional wellbeing, self-awareness, and a healthy attitude toward growing up.
Our focus SDG for the term is: SDG5 Gender Equality
Year 2 will learn about Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which is all about gender equality making sure everyone is treated fairly, no matter if they are boys or girls. They will explore the stories of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, two brave women who helped care for others and changed the world through their courage and kindness. They will discover how these women showed strength and kindness and will understand that everyone can help create a fairer world by respecting and supporting each other every day.
Our focus Children's Rights Article for the term is: Article 42
Year 2 will learn about Article 42 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This article explains that children have the right to know their rights and understand them. The children will explore what it means to have these rights and why it’s important for everyone to learn about them. They will also think about how knowing their rights helps them grow up safe, happy, and confident.
Our PE days for this half term are: Wednesdays and Thursdays. If there are any changes, I will inform you with plenty of notice. Homework will be handed out on a Friday and should be completed and returned by the following Friday.
Please find our Curriculum map below for more information.
Please make sure to check Seesaw for regular updates about our learning, homework and announcements.
Miss Thorpe
