Welcome to Year 2
Year 2 Key Information
Teacher 2A: Miss Garside Email: bgarside@inspire.victoriousmat.org
Teacher 2B: Miss Smith / Mrs Shemeld Email: jsmith@inspire.victoriousmat.org / sshemeld@inspire.victoriousmat.org
Who to follow on Twitter: @miss_bgarside /@MissSmith_KS2 / @MrsShemeldY3
Weekly Spelling and Times Tables Test: Monday mornings
PE days: Autumn 1 – Wednesdays and Thursdays
Autumn 2 – Tuesdays and Thursdays
Spring 1 – Wednesdays and Thursdays
Spring 2 – Wednesdays and Thursdays
Summer 1 – Thursdays
Summer 2 – Thursdays
Forest School:
11th and 18th September (the Class Teachers will advised which date is for 2A and which is for 2B)
23rd October and 6th November (the Class Teachers will advised which date is for 2A and which is for 2B)
Spring / Summer dates TBC
Note on SATS: As of the year 2023-24, Y2 SATS will become non-statutory, but we will still do our own assessments to make our end of KS1 judgements
Long Term Plan:
What’s happening in Autumn term?
Autumn
In Autumn 1, we will be learning all about some inspirational people from modern history. We will focus on learning about the life and achievements of Alan Turing, Emmeline Pankhurst and Hugh Mason and how they have impacted our lives today.
In Autumn 2, we will be learning all about Polar Regions. We will be identifying them on a map, comparing all about the key features of both the Arctic and Antarctica and learning about the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen who was the first person to reach the South Pole.
Autumn Class Reading Text
Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway
Truly heartwarming and uplifting. I’d love to book a room there myself’ Philip Ardagh ‘Hotel Flamingo is bursting with charm, friendship and fabulous characters!
Einstein the Penguin by Iona Rangeley
When the Stewarts spend a sunny, frosty December day at London Zoo, they’re enchanted by one small penguin. At the delight of young Imogen and Arthur, Mrs Stewart insists the penguin “must come and stay with them whenever he likes.” But not one Stewart expects the penguin to turn up at their door that evening, rucksack labelled “Einstein” on his back…
What’s happening in Spring term?
In Spring 1 we will learn about and compare Cape Town and Manchester. Using Digimaps, the children are going to locate each country and city, identify and compare physical and human features and make information texts.
The children will also look at art work from the famous artist, L.S.Lowry. We will develop our sketching and painting skills throughout this unit of work.
In Spring 2 our new topic will be ‘The Explorers.’ We will conduct research to find out more about a number of famous explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Neil Armstrong, Amelia Earhart, Matthew Henson and Felicity Aston. We celebrate their achievements and discuss their relevance in history.
Spring Class Reading Text
The BFG by Roald Dahl
In The BFG, the dream-hunting giant takes orphan Sophie back to his cave in Giant Country, where he lives surrounded by nine other fearsome giants who spend every night guzzling down humans. Or, as the giants call them, human beans.
The Nothing to see here Hotel by Steven Butler
This book is so good you won’t blunking believe it!’ Tom Fletcher ‘Hilariously funny and inventive, and I love the extraordinary creatures and the one thirty-sixth troll protagonist…’ Cressida Cowell ‘A rip-roaring, swashbuckling, amazerous magical adventure.
What’s happening in the Summer term?
What’s happening in the Summer term?
In Summer 1, we will be improving our maps skills and putting them to good use, as we navigate our way around Dove Stones Reservoir.
In Summer 2, we will be learning all about the events of the Great Fire of London.
We will visit Staircase House, where we will travel back in time to 1666. We will discover how the fire started and the impact and changes it had (both positive and negative) to the people in London.
Summer Class Reading Text
Amelia Fang Series by Laura Anderson
Meet Amelia Fang – a little vampire with a big heart! Amelia lives with her parents Count Drake and Countess Frivoleeta, and her pet pumpkin Squashy, in Nocturnia – a city in the Kingdom of the Dark, where glitter is terrifying and unicorns and sparkly fairies are the stuff of day-mares.
Reading
At Inspire we believe reading is the heart of our curriculum. It opens doors, sparks 
your child’s imagination and stimulates curiosity. It is therefore crucial your child reads every night and that you sign their reading record to show that this homework has been done. Children will have the opportunity to change their reading books regularly, as well as choosing a new library book from our Reading Retreat once a week.
Spelling
In Year 2, spelling is an important part of the curriculum.
The children learn a number of Year 2 spelling rules and also focus on common exception words which they need to remember. The spelling lists for Year 1 and 2 are in the back of their diaries. Spelling shed is a fantastic app for practising spellings and we have noticed a huge improvement in spelling scores when children have used it often. Each child has their own login in the back of their diary.
Times Tables
At Inspire we believe that the sky is the limit. Knowing your times tables (and their associated division facts) supports mathematical learning and understanding. By the end of Year 2, pupils should know their 2, 5, 10 and 3 times tables in order, out of order as well as the division facts. The answers should be known instantaneously without the need to work out the answer in their heads or on their fingers.
Our times tables are tested every Monday and the children will move through them at their own pace. Every child has their own login details for Times Tables Rockstars. They can use this at home as well as in school to help them to learn and practise their times tables.