Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Year 2

Mrs M Byrne
Class Teacher

Ms L Davey
Class Teacher
Mrs S Stoneham
PPA Cover

Miss S Churchill
Teaching Assistant

Year 2 is a very exciting year where we cover the topics ‘The Great Fire of London’, ‘Marvellous Maps’ and ‘The Victorians’. We make sure we have lots of fun while we learn and undertake lots of practical work in groups and pairs but we are also starting to begin more independent and structured learning.

Reading is hugely important and we are developing fluency, understanding and most importantly, we are learning to love books! In writing, we are beginning to write a little more. We love to get really stuck into a good book and then we use this to give us exciting ideas for our own stories, instructions, recounts and poems. Phonics is still very important and we use the sounds we have learnt to help us with spelling. In maths we are continuing to develop our mental arithmetic skills and we also learn how to write down some other methods. Maths is very hands on and we use lots of resources to help us. We enjoy practical work in all of our other subjects and we try to link these with other areas of the curriculum.

Year 2 is the last year of Key Stage One and we take this responsibility very seriously as we know we are role models for younger pupils. We are also excited to be getting ready for Key Stage Two!

Year 2 Curriculum Overview
Spring Term 2024

Curriculum Intent

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is a unique and special place where our faith is at the heart of all we do. Our children     learn to live the Gospel values of love, forgiveness and peace.  Within our federation of Aspire London we use the National Curriculum and believe that our children deserve for it to be tailored to their needs.  With this in mind we have prioritised the things we want our children to enjoy, experience and remember during their time with us. 

Our curriculum at Aspire London has a set of ‘drivers’ developed from the deep knowledge of the pupils and their families within our School community.

The drivers which shape our curriculum ensure we give our pupils aspirational opportunities throughout their primary school years.  We provide our children with the wealth of knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community and wider world.  The breadth of our curriculum encourages pupils to be ambitious, develop an inquiring mind and a life-long love of learning.

Curriculum Drivers

Significant People:
Aspire London will:
Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world and people, past and present, who shape it
Provide identifiable role models to raise ambition and aspiration

Community:
Aspire London will:

Immerse the children in the historically rich and diverse nature of London
Give pupils an understanding of the positive impact of migration and a cultural appreciation of our community

Equality & Justice:
Aspire London will:

Empower pupils to be advocates who address issues of prejudice and discrimination
Ensure pupils value fairness and resolve differences through positive discussion

Environmental Responsibility:
Aspire London will:

Educate children of the need to protect God’s planet from environmental damage
Create eco- friendly citizens who are aware of the impact of their individual actions and those of the wider world.    

Spring Term 2024

English
In English, we will continue to learn sentence punctuation which will include question marks, exclamation marks and commas. The children will extend their writing beyond simple sentences and will ensure their writing makes sense. They may also be able to edit and correct their own writing. Handwriting will continue to be a focus as will spelling – we will be learning different spelling rules and exceptions.  We will read the stories, The Snail and the Whale and The Storm Whale. These will mostly link to our Geography topic and will provide many opportunities for writing in different styles and for different purposes.

Maths

We will begin by continuing to learn about multiplication and division. We will continue to look at making equal groups, making arrays and also beginning to learn the 2-, 5- and 10-times tables. We will then use pictures, resources and knowledge of times tables to help with division. Our statistics topic will include learning to make tally charts and pictograms. We will also use these in other subject areas such as science. Geometry will focus on 2D and 3D shapes and we will learn the different properties of different shapes as well as learning about lines of symmetry. Our final topic is fractions. Pupils will learn to recognise 1/4,1/3, 1/2, and 3/4 of shapes. They will also learn to find fractions of
quantities.

RE
We are learning about Good News stories such as Jairus, ‘Feeding of the 5000’, and the ‘Ten Lepers’. We will understand that Jesus used his power to help others. We will be reflecting on what Lent means and what happens during Lent. We will learn about the ‘Last Supper’ and recognise that Jesus died on Good Friday and God raised Him from the dead three days later. We will be learning about Mass and understanding the importance of the celebration of the Mass. We will be learning that at the Consecration the bread and wine are turned into Jesus, and understand that Jesus comes to us in Holy Communion and that we can invite him into our hearts. We will also learn about the
different parts of the Mass and what to do during them.

Science
We will be learning about animals and their habitats. We will learn the differences between things that are living and dead, and compare the differences between things that are living, dead and those that have never been alive. We will identify and name a variety of plants and animals in micro- habitats, in Britain and in different parts of the world. We will identify that living things live in habitats to which they are suited be able to describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants. We will be able to describe a
simple food chain.

History/ Geography
Marvellous Maps – We will learn the four points of a compass and the difference between left and right and understand their importance. We will be able to name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas. We will be using maps to name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. We will identify the location of hot and cold areas of
the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles.

Computing
We will be learning about different types of data handling tools, and understand what a binary tree/branching database is. We will learn the
terminology associated with searching, and be able to recall the functions and tools of paint software.

PE
Gymnastics – we will be learning how to hold a still shape whilst balancing on different points of the body, and know how to link actions to make a sequence.
Dance – we will perform sequences of our composition with coordination, using skills we have learned with increasing control.
Games – we will learn how to pass a ball in different ways in a game, and how to use the best space in a game. We will understand how to use at least one technique to attack or defend successfully in a game, and begin to recognise how to improve performance based on self- evaluation and evaluation of others.
Art
Sculpture – we will be exploring sculptures of living things such as the Catford cat. We will be learning about clay and understanding that sculptures can be made from clay. We will be exploring the process involved in making a sculpture from design to the finished product, and using a range of techniques to create sculptures. We will learn about and describe the work of artists such as Barbara Hepworth
and Antony Gormley.

DT
Children will research dips and dippers from around the world. They will learn about where food comes from and the different food groups based on the Eatwell guide. They will taste existing products and design and make their own dip. They will learn how to use different
equipment safely and the importance of hygiene when preparing food. They will record what they have done and evaluate their final product.

Music
We will be making and recognising more complex musical patterns and sequences. We will use core rhythms to combine different rhythms and play together, and know how to recognise rests in a song. We will be listening to the Carnival of the Animals and produce our own
compositions.

PSHE/RSE
Keeping myself safe – will understand that medicines can make people feel better when they are feeling unwell, but we do have to be careful with medicines. We will learn that some touches are not fun and can hurt or be upsetting and understanding who we can talk to if someone touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Rights and responsibilities – we will learn that it is natural that relate to and trust one another, and that we all have different likes and dislikes.
We will learn who the special people in the school and community are and how they can keep us safe. We will also recognise that we have a responsibility to look after the school environment.

Spring Term Knowledge Organisers

Useful links:

For speech and language resources and advice and tips for parents working at home with children who have SLCN visit:

https://speechandlanguage.info/parents

BBC Bitesize and Purple Mash are excellent resources for you to use. Click on the icon, have a look and see what you can learn!

KS1