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Year 2 curriculum overview

You can download a copy of the Year 2 curriculum plan.

Terms 1 and 2 - Toys

Class texts

Robot and the bluebird by David Lucas

Supporting texts

Traction Man by Mini Grey
Traction Man meets Turbo Dog by Mini Grey

English

Writing to entertain:

  • setting descriptions
  • narratives in comic book format

Maths

Number work includes:

  • place value
  • addition and subtraction
  • multiplication and division

Measurement

  • money

Science

Uses of everyday materials

  • Identify and compare everyday materials such as; wood, metal, plastic glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard.
  • Consider whether they are suitable for particular purposes.

Geography

Map skills:

  • Name the capital cities of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  • Name the continents of the world and locate them on a map.

Art

The unit includes exploring some of the formal elements of art:

  • patterns
  • rubbings
  • frottage – Max Ernst
  • tone pencil drawing

Design Technology

Textiles – Making pouches

  • running stitch
  • using a template
  • making a pouch
  • decorating a pouch

Music

Hands, Feet, Heart
Learning about:

  • South African music and freedom songs
  • pulse
  • rhythm
  • singing in 2 parts
  • improvisation

Christmas performance

PE

Games activities

  • We learn skills used in a variety of invasion games.

Gymnastics

  • The children practise the skills of balancing, jumping and rolling.

RE

The questions explored in class are:

  • What does it mean to be a Jew? (Moses, Sukkot)
  • Why is light an important sign? ( Christingle, advent, Christmas)


PSHE (Personal, social and health education)

We follow the Jigsaw scheme of work.
The topics are:

  • Being me in my world
  • Celebrating differences

Visits and events

  • Toy tea party

Terms 3 and 4 - Sailing the Seven Seas

Class texts

Pirate Tom

Supporting texts

The Secret of Black Rock
The Storm Whale
Lost and Found
Flotsam by David Wiesner

English

Writing to entertain:

  • poetry
  • character descriptions
  • stories

Writing to inform:

  • recount
  • letter

Maths

Number work includes:

  • multiplication and division
  • fractions

Geometry

  • properties of shape

Measurement includes:

  • length and height
  • time 

Statistics

  • Tally charts
  • Pictograms
  • Bar charts

Science

Living things and their habitats:

  • explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
  • identify that most living things live in places that suit them
  • describe how different habitats are suitable for different kinds of animals and

plants:

  • describe how animals and plants depend on each other

Animals, including humans:

  • notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
  • find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for

survival (water, food and air)

  • describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different

types of food, and hygiene.

Geography

Map skills:

  • name the world’s five oceans and locate them on a map
  • use directional vocabulary (near, far, left, right) to explain where a place is.

Japan

  • Describe the key features of a place from a picture using words like beach, coast, forest, valley and ocean.
  • Describe some of the features of an island.

History

Explorers – Neil Armstrong and Columbus

The children are asked to consider:
How do these explorers compare?
Why are they significant?

Art

Art and design skills

  • introduction to sketchbooks
  • clay
  • weaving a picture
  • Clarice Cliff plates
  • shading
  • painting roller coaster ride
  • drawing for fun

Design technology

Mechanisms

  • pivots, levers and linkages
  • designing
  • making linkages

A balanced diet

  • hidden sugar in drinks
  • taste testing combinations
  • design wrap options
  • evaluating wrap design

Music

‘I wanna play in a band’ 
Learning about:

  • rock music
  • playing as an ensemble in two parts
  • pitch
  • tempo
  • composition

Glockenspiel
Learning about:

  • basic instrumental skills
  • notation

PE

Gymnastics
Children practise:

  • sequences
  • partner work
  • using apparatus

Dance

RE

  • How do people remember God’s goodness?
  • Easter 
  • Funerals
  • Food we use to remember

PSHE

From the Jigsaw scheme of work the topics are:

  • Dreams and goals
  • Healthy me

Visits and events

Brighton Sea Life Centre

Term 5 - Twisted tales

Class texts

Rapunzel

Supporting texts

The Last Wolf
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

English

Writing to entertain:

  • stories
  • writing in role

Writing to inform:

  • letters

Maths

Number work:

  • consolidation of addition and subtraction
  • consolidation of multiplication and division
  • fractions

Geometry

  • position and direction

Measurement:

  • time 
  • mass, capacity and temperature

Problem solving:

  • using efficient methods
  • investigations

Science

Plants
Children are taught to:

  • observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
  • find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

Geography

Japan

  • Describe a place outside Europe using geographical words.
  • Say what I like and don’t like about a place that is different to the one I live in.

History

Local history study – Pevensey Castle

The children are asked to consider:
Why is there a castle in our village?

Art

Human form:

  • Human alphabet
  • Skulls – Damien Hirst
  • Making faces
  • Portraits - Julian Opie
  • Clothes peg figures – Edwina Bridgeman

Design technology

Structure of Baby Bear’s chair to include:

  • exploring stability
  • strengthening materials
  • making Baby Bear’s chair
  • fixing and testing Baby Bear’s chair

Music

Friendship song
Learning about:

  • the power of lyrics
  • syncopated rhythms
  • dynamics
  • timbre
  • singing a harmony


PE

Athletics activities:

  • running
  • jumping
  • throwing

RE

What happens in churches?

  • weddings
  • bar mitzvah
  • funerals
  • baptism

PSHE

From the Jigsaw scheme of work the topic is:

  • Relationships

Term 6 - Castles, knights and dragons

Class texts

Tell me a dragon

Supporting texts

The adventures of Egg Box Dragon
Non-fiction – Big Book of Castles and topic books

English

Writing to inform:

  • instructions
  • recount

Writing to entertain:

  • poetry
  • descriptions

Maths

Number work:

  • consolidation of addition and subtraction
  • consolidation of multiplication and division
  • fractions

Geometry:

  • position and direction

Measurement:

  • time 
  • mass, capacity and temperature

Problem solving:

  • using efficient methods
  • investigations

Science

Living things and their habitats
Children learn to:

  • identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats
  • describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals
  • use the idea of a simple food chain, naming different sources of food.

Geography

Welcome to our world
Children learn to:

  • explain the facilities that a village town or city may need
  • give reasons why these are needed
  • explain how jobs may be different in other locations

Art

Sculpture and mixed media
The unit includes:

  • superhero figures
  • drawing expressions
  • multimedia superheroes – 3 parts

DT

Mechanisms
The unit is called ‘Fairground wheel’ and involves:

  • designing a Ferris wheel
  • planning the build
  • building the framework
  • adding pods and decoration

Music

Reflect, rewind, replay unit includes:

  • revisiting learning from across the year
  • preparing a song from performance

PE

Striking and fielding activities

  • rounders

PSHE

From the Jigsaw scheme of work the topic is:

  • changing me

Visits and events

Pevensey Castle grounds