Year 2

Welcome to Year 2!

Year 2 is an exciting adventure from start to finish as we explore the continents of the world with The Snail and the Whale, Emperor’s Egg, and Lila and the Secret of Rain. These wonderful Power of Reading texts help children learn about the different continents of the world and link to their Science, Geography, and even Dance lessons in P.E.

In Year 2, we allow children to explore their learning in a wide range of engaging and meaningful ways. Our topics are brought to life through hands-on activities, creative experiences, and opportunities for independent and collaborative learning. Children explore their learning through role-play, construction, art, small world play, problem-solving challenges, and outdoor learning, helping them to deepen their understanding and develop key skills across the curriculum.

In the Autumn term, Year 2 children take part in performing the Nativity to the entire school. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to build confidence, develop performance skills, and celebrate the festive season together.

As children become more confident with their writing, we travel back in time during the Spring and Summer terms through our topics on Florence Nightingale and the Great Fire of London. A fun-filled drama workshop gives children the opportunity to develop their understanding of what life was like during these historical periods, builds their confidence in performing, and supports their writing.

As part of our learning about the Great Fire of London, children take part in a fantastic LEGO® workshop, where they design and build their own model cities. This hands-on experience helps them to understand why the fire spread so quickly and encourages creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving — a truly memorable learning experience.

Children also travel across the ocean as part of their learning, exploring wonderful stories such as Zeraffa Giraffa. This inspiring text helps children learn about journeys, different places, and cultures. As part of this topic, children also visit Brooklands Museum to explore the history of transportation, bringing their learning to life!

Throughout Years 1–6, learning is focused on mastering the end-of-year objectives set out in the 2014 National Curriculum. In Years 1 and 2, children follow the Key Stage 1 programmes of study, and in Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 they follow the Key Stage 2 programmes. The National Curriculum for both key stages consists of the core subjects: Mathematics, English, Science, and Computing; and the foundation subjects: History, Geography, Design and Technology, Art and Design, Music, P.E., and RaWV (Religion and World Views).

We have ensured that the knowledge and skills pupils learn in Year 2 build on prior knowledge and prepare them for their next stage of learning. All learning can be found on the Curriculum Web (updated each half term) and in the Curriculum Overview for the entire academic year. Our Knowledge Organisers show the key knowledge children will be learning across our curriculum themes.