Welcome to Year 2

A Very Warm Welcome to Year 2

Welcome back to the second part of the Spring term 2025 from all of the Year 2 team. 

We are really excited to jump into teaching and learning with our amazing 'geography and science' led topic.

'What is Africa like?'             

This half term we will be exploring what it is like in Africa. We will be learning about African animals and their habitats and comparing the cities of London and Nairobi in Kenya. We are looking at African art using colour and pattern to re-create some traditional artwork. We will also create our own African huts based on traditional African colours and patterns. Our texts this half term are from Africa and include traditional tales, fact files and modern narratives. We will sing traditional call and response songs and listen to music from Africa.

Over the half term, we will also be learning:

• • MATHS – Fractions
  • SCIENCE – Living things and their habitats
  • COMPUTING – Pictograms
  • GEOGRAPHY – Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of London in the United Kingdom and Nairobi in Kenya.
  • ART – African colours and patterns.
  • RE – Judaism
  • PSHE – Living in the Wider World (Internet safety)
  • MUSIC – Orawa (pronounced ‘Arva’) by Wojciech Kilar describes a huge river. As pupils listen to the music, they will imagine the journey of the river through Europe.
  • OUTDOOR LEARNING – Money, statistics and shape.
  • PE – Cricket and African dancing

PE and Outdoor Learning for Spring 2

Please bring the correct PE kit and Outdoor Learning kit to school on the following days:

PE kits consist of PLAIN black shorts or jogging bottoms, PLAIN white t-shirt, and trainers. Children should wear their school jumper too. The children will take part in Outdoor Learning every other week and they will need wellies, warm clothing and a waterproof coat. Outdoor Learning kit will need to be brought into school in a named bag. 

Please bring PE kits into school at the beginning of the half term and leave them in school until the end of the half term.

This ensures that PE kit is in school when needed.

Outdoor learning kit goes home after each session and should be hung in the outside classroom before the start of the school day.

 Topic Knowledge Organisers

We will be using these topic knowledge organisers throughout the half term to help children recall key facts and vocabulary and to support them in all areas of the curriculum. Please use these at home with your children to discuss their learning.

Homework in Year 2

Each week, we ask that all children read with somebody at home at least three times a week and record it in the Communication diary. This could be any adult, an older sibling or friend. Every little bit of reading really does help children on the learning journey and these children tend to make the most progress throughout the year. We also ask that all children practise the printed texts that are sent home each Friday in their reading bags. There will also be weekly spellings which can be found in Communication Diaries, along with the logins for NumBots and Times Table Rock Stars so that the children can practise their mathematical skills.

Housekeeping

Please ensure that everything that your child brings to school (including OL kit, PE kit, hats, scarves, gloves and water bottles) has their name on it. Name tags are great, but biro on a label is just as good. This will hopefully make it possible to return any lost property.