Welcome to Year 2

Year 2 is an important year, as children continue to build on their learning from Year 1 and prepare for their transition into KS2. Children build their writing skills with longer pieces of writing, organised into paragraphs. In maths, there is an increased focus on number and place value as well as being able to read and write numbers in both numerals and words. Science, history, geography, R.E, art, and D.T are taught throughout the year. Pupils also follow the Jigsaw PSHE programme. Music, P.E and computing are taught by specialist teachers.

Upcoming events for Year 2

Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to over the coming weeks.

Curriculum

Art and Design / DT / Food and Nutrition

At KS1 and KS2 we follow a two year sequence:

2025/2026 and 2027/2028

Autumn 1 – 3D: Clay

Autumn 2 – Food Technology

Spring 1 – Printing

Spring 2 – Mechanica | Systems (axles and wheels)

Summer 1 – Portraits, including photography/digital

Summer 2 – Structures

2026/2027 and 2028/2029

Autumn 1 – Painting

Autumn 2 – Mechanical Systems (Sliders and Levers)

Spring 1 – Collage

Spring 2 – Food Technology

Summer 1 – Portraits, including photography/digital

Summer 2 – Textiles – weaving

Computing

Each year through KS1-2 we cycle through the following units at increasing depth:

  1. Productivity
  2. Programming
  3. Computational Thinking
  4. Creativity
  5. Networks
  6. Communication/collaboration

The Year 9 curriculum is both the culmination of Key Stage 3 studies and introduces many concepts and skills that form part of the GCSE syllabus.

Topics taught this year include:

  • More advanced graph work
  • Algebra work, including simultaneous equations, algebraic products and factorising quadratics
  • Number work, including trial and improvement, recurring decimals, percentages work with appreciation/depreciation and rounding (upper and lower bounds)
  • Trigonometry
  • Congruency and similarity for triangles
  • Transformations, particularly enlargements.
English

Learning to Read

Children in the early years who are learning to read (decode) follow the Read Write Inc, synthetic phonics program.

This enables them to work to decode a book appropriate for their phonic knowledge, to begin to develop reading stamina and fluency. At this point, children take part in our Oral Shared Reading program, so they can work on their comprehension skills using a shared text, read by an expert teacher.

Click here to see which books we read in Year Two.

Geography

The following topics are repeated on a 2 year cycle in KS1, LKS2 and UKS2:

Unit 1: Dynamic Earth

Weather and climate across the world

Changes to our climate and the role of humans in this

Extreme weather events

Tectonic Hazards: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions

 

Unit 2: UK Geography

What is the UK and where do I live?

Using mapping skills to explore features in the UK

River and coastal landscapes in the UK

Urban environments in the UK

 

Unit 3: Environment, Climate and Us

The climate crisis and what we can do about it

Understanding life in tropical rainforests and the threats to them and what we can do.

Understanding life in desert environments and the threats to them and what we can do.

Understanding cold environments and the threats to them and what we can do.

 

Unit 4: Jobs and Wealth

Types of jobs, industry and places of work

Global trade and supply chains – where does my food come from?

What is life like in the world’s poorest countries?

What is life like in the world’s richest countries?

History

We cover two topics a year for History in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Year 2 we look at Food and Trade, then Punishment and Medicine.

Mathematics

Our school uses Maths Mastery to teach the subject.

In Year 2 we cover:

  • Numbers within 100
  • Addition and subtraction of two digit numbers
  • Addition and subtraction on word problems
  • Measures: length
  • Graphs
  • Multiplication and division 2,5 and 10
Music

Autumn 1 – Film Music

Autumn 2 – African Music

Spring 1 – Folk Music

Spring 2 – Bhangra

Summer 1 – Samba

Summer 2 – Reflect, Rewind and Replay

PE
  • Gymnastics
  • Dance
  • Attack/defend/shoot
  • Hit/catch/run
  • Send/return
  • Run/jump/throw
Religious and Non-religious Worldviews (RE)

We follow a three-year cycle (see below) covering the major world religions as well as worldviews.

The programme is designed so that each previously taught religion is reviewed and comparisons are drawn between the content. Over six years, each child will have studied each identified religion/non-religion twice, studying in greater depth and making connections between religions.

Pupils are taught key substantive knowledge for each religion and worldview and each lesson is broken down into one of 3 disciplines: Theology, philosophy and Human/Social Science.

2024-2025: Christianity and Islam
2025-2026: Judaism and Humanism
2026-2027: Hinduism and Sikhism
Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE – please contact the principal if you wish to explore this as an option.
RSHE and PSHE

The Paradigm primary schools follow the Jigsaw programme.

From September 2019 we have allocated 45 minutes per week to PSHE at KS1 and KS2.

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Difference
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Healthy Me
  • Relationships
  • Changing Me
Science

Autumn 1 – Plants and Seasons

Autumn 2 – Materials and Forces

Spring 1 – Animals including Humans

Spring 2 – Plants

Summer 1 – Materials

Summer 2 – Living things and their habitats

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Monday 1st September
  • Tuesday 2nd September

Students should not attend school on these days.

 

First Half Term Dates
Start Wednesday, 3rd September
End Friday, 24th October
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 27th October
End Friday, 31st October
Second Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 3rd November
End Friday, 19th December

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Monday 5th January

Students should not attend school on this day.

First Half Term Dates
Start Tuesday, 6th January
End Friday, 13th February
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 16th February
End Friday, 20th February
Second Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 23rd February
End Friday, 27th March

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Monday 13th April
  • Monday 20th July

Students should not attend school on these days.

 

 

First Half Term Dates
Start Tuesday, 14th April
End Friday, 22nd May
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 25th May
End Friday, 29th May
Second Half Term Dates
Start Monday, 1st June
End Friday, 17th July

Frequently Asked Questions

Which day is PE?

What do I need to know about homework?

When do pupils need to bring in their reading books and reading logs?