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Highfield Parent

Year Two

Year 2 - Text 1

As our pupils enter Year Two, they take their place at the top of the Infant School and they begin the process of transition to our Junior School. We encourage our Year Twos to be more independent and to focus on their organisational skills. We also look to ensure that they are confident in the skills that will be the foundation of their learning when they move up to Junior School.

In preparation for Year Three, we introduce some of the Junior routines into Year Two. At the beginning of the day, they play out with the Junior School and, at the end of the day, they are invited to complete their homework with the Juniors in our homework room. They will now receive homework every night which they will write in their new Homework Diaries. Parents will be able to check the work set in the Homework Diaries and sign it to show that they have seen it and to comment, if necessary, on how their child managed their homework.

Homework

Homework will be set in the following way:

  • One piece every night (usually English or Maths in support of their classwork) which should take no more than 20 minutes
  • Spellings and a spelling practice homework will be given out every Monday for a test the following Monday
  • Spelling Practice Books should be handed in on Tuesday for sentences to be marked and will be sent home again for practice
  • A formal written comprehension homework will be set each week
  • Children need to read every night and have their Reading Record signed

Your child's Homework Diary, letters and library books will be in their reading folder. Children will now be in the habit of presenting their homework with a title and a date (underlined) and putting their completed work in the Homework tray. Children in the homework room will have their work checked by the member of staff who is on duty.

English

Year 2 - Text 2

In Year 2, we have a traditional approach to the teaching of English with weekly lessons in grammar, spelling, creative writing, comprehension and handwriting. The children are introduced to writing in different styles: story writing, poetry, reports, recounts, persuasive writing, letters and instructions, and they begin to understand the importance of presenting their work neatly and legibly as we focus on their ability to form their letters correctly and uniformly; with some children being able to join their letters before the end of this year. Grammar lessons cover skills in line with the National Curriculum as the children in Year 2 sit the National Curriculum Tests, in school, in the Summer Term. The children are also set 12 weekly spellings to learn and be tested on.

In their Comprehension lessons, children are progressing from decoding words with a basic understanding of a text to really starting to think about characters, setting, purpose, plot and audience. They listen to, discuss and express their views on a wide variety of stories, poems and non-fiction texts which are at a level beyond that which they can read independently. The focus is on encouraging the children to read for pleasure and instilling in them a life-long love of literature. A lesson each week is dedicated to a formal written comprehension and a homework is set. Comprehension skills are developed in all subjects that involve reading and understanding a text across the curriculum. Reading continues to play an important role in Year 2. The children read to their class teacher or to a classroom assistant regularly each week and are set reading to do each evening with a parent/guardian. Year 2 also sees the introduction of our Highfield Reading Stars challenge which encourages the children to become more independent readers and help develop a love of reading which will benefit them in future years. The children are awarded badges during assembly time as they reach each milestone of 10, 20 and 40 books.

Maths

There are 7 strands to the maths curriculum in Year Two:

  • Using and Applying (problem solving)

    Pupils solve problems involving counting, adding, subtracting, doubling or halving in the context of numbers, measures or money.

    Pupils answer a question by selecting and using suitable equipment.

    They describe simple patterns and relationships and they.

    Describe ways of solving puzzles and problems.

  • Counting and Understanding Number

    Pupils count reliably at least 20 objects.

    They compare and order numbers, using the related vocabulary; they use the equals (=) sign.

    Pupils read and write numerals from 0 to 20, then beyond; they use their knowledge of place value to position these numbers on a number track and number line.

    They can say the number that is 1 more or less than any given number, and 10 more or less for multiples of 10.

    Pupils use the vocabulary of halves and quarters in context.

  • Knowing and Using Number Facts (This is the mental part of our maths teaching)

    Pupils derive and recall all addition and subtraction facts for each number to at least 10, all pairs with totals to 20 and all pairs of multiples of 10 with totals up to 100.

    They count on or back in ones, twos, fives and tens.

    Pupils derive and recall multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables.

    They recall the doubles of all numbers to at least 10.

  • Calculating

    Pupils relate addition to counting on, recognising that addition can be done in any order.

    They understand subtraction as 'take away' and ‘find a difference' by counting up.

    Pupils solve practical problems that involve combining groups of 2, 5 or 10, or sharing into equal groups.

    They use the vocabulary related to addition and subtraction and symbols to describe and record addition and subtraction.

Understanding Shape

Pupils visualise common 2D shapes and 3D solids; they sort, make and describe shapes, referring to their properties.

They visualise and use everyday language to describe the position of objects and their direction.

Measuring

Pupils estimate, measure, weigh and compare objects.

They use vocabulary related to time; order days of the week and months; read the time to the hour and half hour

Year 2 - Text 3

Handling Data

Pupils answer a question by recording information in lists and tables.

They use diagrams to sort objects into groups according to a given criterion.

In Year Two, children begin to take responsibility for setting out their sums in a clear and practical way. They write in squared exercise books and learn to put one digit in each square. They are then able to align their columns and realise that taking the time to set their work out properly, helps them to avoid making careless errors.

Humanities

In Year Two, pupils continue their study of History and Geography by studying the following topics:

History

  • Schools - past and present
  • Castles – exploring buildings of long ago
  • Famous People and Events- The Great Fire of London, The Titanic

Geography

  • Mapping skills
  • Case Study of a School by a Volcano (Japan)
  • Contrasting Locality Overseas - Peru
  • London-learning about our capital city

RE

In Religious Education, Year Two start to look at different religions in greater depth in order to increase their understanding and awareness of the religions which are practised and celebrated within their community and the wider world. The following topics are covered in Year Two:

  • The Torah – Judaism
  • Celebrations
  • Stories Jesus Told
  • Sikhism

Science

Science is taught in the classroom, Science Lab or the outdoor classroom: Highfield Haven. Children are taught investigative skills such as fair testing, taking measurement and making simple predictions through each of these topics:

  • Forces and Movement
  • Health and Growth
  • Grouping and Changing Materials
  • Electricity
  • Plants and Animals in the Local Environment
  • Variation

Year 2 - Text 4

French

French is taught by a Mrs Lockwood. The children enjoy practising their oral skills with songs and rhymes and become more familiar with useful phrases and expressions. They study greetings, numbers, colours, days of the week and months as well as finding out about France and responding to instructions in French.

PHSE

This is a vital component in the children’s personal and social development. The children enjoy regular circle time sessions where any issues from the week can be brought up in a safe and friendly environment in addition to a dedicated lesson each week. There are 3 core themes to the curriculum which cover a variety of topics within them. These are:

Health and Wellbeing - Healthy Lifestyles, Hygiene, Changing & Growing, Emotions and Keeping Safe

Relationships - Communication, Bullying, Fairness and Family & Friends

Living in the Wider World - Rules & Responsibilities, Communities and Money & Finance

These core themes are supplemented with work on the Fundamental British Values (FBV)

  • The Rule of Law
  • Mutual Respect
  • Individual Liberty
  • Democracy
  • Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Art and Design

The children are guided under the expert tuition of our Art Teacher.  In art history they learn all about the life and work of North West artist L. S. Lowry. Children have access to books about Lowry in our art room library, where they enjoy reading stories about his life and looking at photos of his work. They respond to his work using clay. In painting sessions children develop their knowledge of colour theory and study the wonderful work of Alma Thomas. They learn mono and polystyrene printmaking skills. In textiles classes they acquire new skills in weaving, using small cardboard looms. Children also learn new skills through our drawing and collage units.

ICT

In Year 2, the children are able to develop the basic skills of the previous year and build their confidence using different features of both Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Programming is introduced here and the children get their first look at how commands are linked together to produce an automated result. Year 2 children also have the opportunity to experiment with image creation software and see how basic design skills are used to create exciting images.

Music

Music is taught in the Music Room by Mrs Street.  They learn musical theory as well as experimenting with sound on a variety of musical instruments and percussion. They also prepare for their musical Nativity which is led by Year Two at the end of the Autumn Term.

PE and Games

Year 2 - Text 5

Children require fit and healthy bodies in order to thrive physically and mentally. At Highfield, we run an exciting PE and Games programme which runs alongside extra-curricular activities to ensure that your child is able to keep fit, active and engaged with physical activity during their time at Highfield. Within the PE and games curriculum (two lessons per week), children will participate in striking and fielding games, perfecting their hand/eye coordination and their ability to receive a ball. They will also practise and develop their dance and gymnastic skills and, in the Summer term, they will prepare for Sports Day. In their double Games lesson, they will develop their ability to aim with accuracy and their ability to travel with the ball. They will also develop their ability to work as part of a team. They will continue to improve their flexibility and body control in gymnastics.

The latest from Highfield Priory

The Highfield swimming team had a fantastic time at the Preston Schools Swimming Gala at Westview last week. 🏊‍♀️ 🏊‍♂️

Comprising of pupils from Years 4-6, our swimmers came second and third in the freestyle relays and second overall in the meet! 🥳 🥳

Scarlett, Shomi and Anoushka all qualified for individual finals, with Scarlett coming second in the front crawl and third in the back stroke, Shomi placing third in the front crawl and second in the backstroke, and Anoushka finishing fourth in the breast stroke final.

Well done to the whole team who showed great determination and teamwork!Photos from Highfield Priory School's post
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4 days ago

The Highfield swimming team had a fantastic time at the Preston Schools Swimming Gala at Westview last week. 🏊‍♀️ 🏊‍♂️

Comprising of pupils from Years 4-6, our swimmers came second and third in the freestyle relays and second overall in the meet! 🥳 🥳

Scarlett, Shomi and Anoushka all qualified for individual finals, with Scarlett coming second in the front crawl and third in the back stroke, Shomi placing third in the front crawl and second in the backstroke, and Anoushka finishing fourth in the breast stroke final.

Well done to the whole team who showed great determination and teamwork!Image attachmentImage attachment
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