Curriculum Overview

Reading

Autumn 1:

Arabian Nights

Autumn 2:

A Christmas Carol

In our daily reading sessions the children will be using their phonics and reading skills to develop their pace and fluency in reading. They will also explore using expression when reading aloud. The children will be talking about the characters, setting and plot in the stories. They will be retelling what we have read so far and make sensible predictions based on this. The children will answer simple questions about the text. 

Writing

Autumn 1:

Arabian Nights

The children will be developing and building on skills to retell parts of some of the stories that they have read in their daily reading sessions. In the last part of this unit the children will also build up to writing a set of instructions linked to one of the stories.

The children will start by thinking about what a sentence is and what it needs. They will also be identifying and writing simple and compound sentences. Learning the conjunctions, but, and, and so the children will link their ideas together in sentences. The children will explore past and present tense and use this correctly in writing. They will also learn different sentence types focusing on statements, commands and questions and thinking about the punctuation used. The children will add description to their sentences using adjectives to create expanded noun phrases.

Autumn 2:

A Christmas Carol

In this unit, the children will write a simple report about the human body linked to their Science learning. They will also be retelling parts of the story as well as writing a letter from Scrooge’s viewpoint.

The children will build on their sentence type knowledge from previous unit by learning about exclamations and the punctuation needed. They will also learn how to compose a list sentence using commas. The children will continue to explore and use the conjunctions taught in the previous unit and learn how to use commas to separate two main clauses. The children will revisit simple and compound sentences and identify complex sentences using because to write their own. They will continue to use adjectives in writing and adverbials to show passing of time. 

Phonics

In Year 2, we will be continuing with the extended code where we learn the more spellings of some of the sounds they have learnt from Year 1. Below are the units we will cover this Autumn.

Unit 27- /ae/ more spellings (<ei ey a eigh>)

Unit 28- /d/ (<d dd ed>

Unit 29- /ee/ more spellings (<ey ie i>)

Unit 30- /i/ (<i ui e y>)

Unit 31- <y> (/y/ /i/ /ie/ /ee/)

Unit 32- /oe/ more spellings (<ou ough>)

Unit 33- /n/ (<n nn ne gn kn>)

Unit 34- /er/ more spellings (<ar ear our>)

Maths

Autumn 1:

Number and Place Value

Counting to 100 in 1s, 5s, 10s. Understand each digit in a number has its own value. Read and write numbers to 100 in numerals and words. Making 2-digit numbers using a set of digits within a simple rule. Write numbers as a partition sum.

Number lines, estimation and place value

Compare and order 2-digit numbers using comparing symbols and vocabulary. Identify benchmarks of half way, quarter and three quarters on a number line. Use benchmarks to estimate where given numbers lie on a number line. Reading numbers in contest i.e. reading temperatures in Celsius and estimate and read thermometers.

Autumn 2:

Using place value and number facts

Use place value to solve problems and real life problems including number facts. 

Addition and subtraction

Addition to 20 using the make ten strategy. Use different strategies to add single digit numbers to a 2-digit number. Add and/or subtract 10 to a number. Add and/or subtract a multiple of 10 to a number. Use place value to add and subtract one or two digit number to a 2-digit number. Add three numbers tomorrow. Add and subtract using mental methods. To understand that commutativity is in addition but not subtraction.

Science

Autumn 1:

The Human Body

Building on their understanding of the human body and senses from Year One, this year children will look at some systems that operate within our bodies, including the skeletal system, the muscular system, the digestive system and the circulatory system. Children will learn that our skeletons give our body shape, protect vital organs and help us to move. They will look at the shape of different bones in our body and begin to recognise their function. Children will also recognise that muscles have many important roles within our body, helping us to move and holding our skeletons together. They will have their first look at our digestive system where they will learn that food gives us energy, so we can move and grow. Children will learn about the circulatory system, which is made up of a complex network of blood vessels, arteries and veins. The role of the heart will be explored, and children will understand that blood is pumped around our bodies. Finally, children will learn that there are very tiny living things called microorganisms that we can only see with a microscope. They will reflect upon the need for good personal hygiene, such as washing hands, to limit the spread of harmful bacteria.

Autumn 2:

Living things and their environments

This unit helps children to understand the difference between things that are alive, things that are dead and things that are inanimate (have never been alive). Asking questions about the differences between these things will help children to think scientifically. Children will build on their substantive knowledge of different types of animals as they learn about habitats including rainforests, deserts, meadows and underground habitats. Some of these habitats will be familiar to children, others may not. Studying a variety of habitats helps children to ask and answer questions about habitats and their features and helps children to grow a body of knowledge in this area. Children will learn that microhabitats are habitats that are very small or limited, for example, under a log.

RE

Autumn 1:

Christianity - Gospel

The children will give clear, simple accounts of what Bible texts (such as the story of Matthew the tax collector) mean to Christians. They will recognise that Jesus gives instructions to people about how to behave. Give at least two examples of ways in which Christians follow the teachings studied about forgiveness and peace, and bringing good news to the friendless. The children should be able to give at least two examples of how Christians put these beliefs into practice in the Church community and their own lives (for example: charity, confession). They will think, talk and ask questions (reflect) about whether Jesus’ ‘good news’ is only good news for Christians, or if there are things for anyone to learn, exploring different ideas.

Autumn 2:

Judaism – Why is learning to do good deeds important to Jewish people?

The children will consider what a good deed is and then explore how good deeds (mitzvot) are an important part of being Jewish. The children will learn through the case study of a Jewish girl named Zoe who will share her experiences of being part of a Jewish family. The children will look in detail at specific good deeds performed by Jewish people for example, Tzedakah (giving to those in need) and visiting the sick. They will also look at the story of Ruth and identify the good deeds performed and reflect on these. The children will learn about how new baby girls are welcomed into the Synagogue and compare this to what they know about how different religions welcome new babies. They will conclude by reflecting how all mitzvot are ways to help mend the world and make it better.

Christianity – Christmas Story

The children will explore The Christmas Story building on their learning from Year 1. The children will create story maps, role-play key parts of the story and reflect on their meaning to Christians.

PHSE

Autumn 1:

Get HeartSmart

In this unit, the children understand that the choices they make can help or hurt their own and others’ hearts. They explore different actions that can have a positive or negative impact on themselves and others. The children share and discuss ways that they have helped their own or others’ hearts. Pupils also start thinking how different families may look and how our own family may show us love.

Autumn 2:

Don’t forget to let love in

This unit is all about letting love in and being kind to yourself. We start thinking about how others show us love and then take a closer look at ourselves, thinking about appearance, strengths and what makes us unique. The children think about positive adjectives to describe themselves and share the best thing about them. The children understand the difference between truth and lie statements and decide what to let into our hearts and what to throw away. We find our own pulses and describe what happens to our bodies after physical activity. 

PE and Sport

Autumn 1:

Gymnastics

In this unit pupils learn explore and develop basic gymnastic actions on the floor and using apparatus. They develop gymnastic skills of jumping, rolling, balancing and travelling individually and in combination to create short sequences and movement phrases. Pupils develop an awareness of compositional devices when creating sequences to include the use of shapes, levels and directions. They learn to work safely with and around others and whilst using apparatus. Pupils are given opportunities to provide feedback to others and recognise elements of high quality performance.

Ball Skills

In this unit, pupils will develop their fundamental ball skills such as throwing and catching, rolling, hitting a target, dribbling with both hands and feet and kicking a ball. Pupils will have the opportunity to work independently, in pairs and small groups.

Autumn 2:

Dance

Pupils explore space and how their body can move to express and idea, mood, character or feeling. They expand their knowledge of travelling actions and use them in relation to a stimulus. They will build on their understanding of dynamics and expression. They will use counts of 8 consistently to keep in time with the music and a partner. Pupils will also explore pathways, levels, shapes, directions, speeds and timing. They will be given the opportunity to work independently and with others to perform and provide feedback beginning to use key terminology.

Target Games



Pupils develop their understanding of the principles of target games. Pupils learn how to score points and play to the rules. They develop the skills of throwing, rolling and striking towards targets. They begin to self-manage their own games selecting and applying the skills they have learnt appropriate to the situation.

Geography

Autumn 1:

Spatial Sense

Throughout this unit children will be forming an understanding that maps, made by cartographers, give us information about different locations. They will look at simple map symbols and understand what they represent. Children will encounter new and ambitious vocabulary that features throughout the unit, offering children many opportunities to rehearse and apply it in their talk tasks and written work.

History

Autumn 2:

Romans in Britain

This unit introduces children to the Roman invasion of Britain. The pupils will encounter the significant individuals Julius Caesar and Emperor Claudius. They will also look closely at how the Roman army was organised and evaluate what made them so successful. In addition, the children will learn about the significant rebellion led against the Romans by the Celtic queen of the Iceni, Boudicca. The children will analyse continuity & change between life in Britain before, during and after the Romans, looking at what continued and stayed the same versus what changed. At the end of the unit, the children will consider the legacy of the Roman invasion on life on Britain. They will learn that the Romans left their influence on the way we speak, read and write, and how they left behind the roads and towns they had built.

Art

Autumn 1:

Colour, Shape and Texture

By looking at Matisse’s cut-outs the children revise what they have already learnt about shape and colour, are introduced to the use of colours that are complementary to each other and to the idea of composition (how different ingredients in art, like shape and colour are combined to create a design). They make their own collages with colourful paper to experiment with compositions using organic shapes and complementary colours. Visual texture (how an artist shows how something feels) is studied, looking at the Durer’s Young Hare and Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait. Through study of these paintings, and exploration by drawing clothes of differing textures with mixed media the children learn how an artist uses different colours and different marks to create visual texture.

DT

Autumn 2:

Cooking – Gingerbread

In this unit of work children cook gingerbread biscuits. The children are introduced to the concept that spices (in this case ginger) can be used to flavour food. Recipes for gingerbread are very old and first arrived in Europe when spices were brought from the middle East during the Crusades (religious wars between Islam and Christianity) in the medieval period. Spices were expensive and therefore gingerbread was seen as a treat. Consequently it was traditionally eaten at Christmas time. Children then make the biscuits and then taste and evaluate what they have made.