Class Teacher: Mr Rosser (Year 2 and 3)

Term 5 and 6

Our enquiry is: How do cities grow?

This term, the children will be exploring the big question: How do cities grow? To help us investigate this, we will work through a series of mini-enquiries: What is a city? Who were the better engineers? What difference does the Nile make? Who lives there? Who isn’t the same? How do you keep a plant alive? To answer these mini-enquiry questions, students will draw upon a range of skills and apply their understanding of core concepts across multiple disciplines, including History, Geography, and Science.

Phonics - if relevant

Some children in our class follow the Read Write Inc. phonics programme. Children are assessed regularly and work in groups that closely match the sounds that they need to learn.

Families can support children at home by reading the books that are sent home multiple times across the week so that the children become fluent story-tellers.

English

We will be doing daily handwriting, first ensuring that letter formation is accurate and then beginning to join when children are ready. Students will also participate in daily spelling sessions to ensure they consistently improve their spelling accuracy and apply their phonetic knowledge confidently. The reading lessons this term are based on two books: The boy who grew dragons by Andy Shephard and So you think you’ve got it bad by Chae Strathie. These lessons will develop children’s retrieval skills, help them to understand new vocabulary and enhance their inference skills. The class writing lessons this term will be based upon two books: Fayda and the song of the river by Laura Nsafou and Marcy and the riddle of the sphinx by Joe Todd-Stanton . These lessons will explore literary techniques as well as grammar, and will provide opportunities to create fiction and non-fiction pieces of work.

Maths

Across the term, the children will develop their mathematical skills by focusing on mastering fractions, measurements, and statistics, building fluency in key concepts and applying a range of techniques to deepen their understanding. Furthermore, students will engage with the concepts of geometry by developing a thorough understanding of the properties and classifications of various shapes. The children will also have daily mastering number lessons to secure basic number knowledge. Families can support at home by encouraging children to complete short sessions on either Numbots or TTRockstars.

R.E

In R.E., we are exploring whether scriptures are central to religion by considering the differences between scrolls and books, and what the Bible means to some Christians. The children will also investigate the symbolism of water, including its use in rituals and the significance of baptism, as well as the ceremonial use of fire, exploring what it can symbolise and the meaning of an eternal flame.

PSHE

This term’s on Safety will focus on developing pupils’ awareness of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. Pupils will learn basic first aid and how to respond appropriately in an emergency, explore the impact of cyberbullying, understand different influences on their behaviour, and develop strategies for staying safe when out and about.

Students will also take part in a dedicated day of learning focused on age-appropriate sex education; therefore, Year 2 and Year 3 will be taught separately for this session.

PE

Our P.E. days are Monday and Fridays.
This term, our P.E. lessons will focus on developing agility, reaction, and response skills, alongside improving static balance through a range of floor work and small-base activities. Pupils will also enhance their health and fitness through ball-chasing exercises, building control and coordination. These fundamental skills will support their application in a variety of sports, including Athletics, Tag Rugby, and Basketball.

Science

This term, our Science focus on plants will involve exploring how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants, and understanding what plants need to survive and stay healthy. Pupils will identify the parts of flowering plants and their functions, investigate how water is transported, and learn about the life cycle of plants, including pollination, seed formation, and dispersal.

Art

This term, our Art unit on Ancient Egyptian scrolls will involve exploring traditional Egyptian art styles and techniques. Pupils will design and create their own scrolls. They will also develop their creativity further by producing their own zines.

DT

This term, our Design and Technology unit will focus on cross-stitch and applique techniques as pupils create Egyptian-style collars. They will develop their designs, apply their stitching skills, and complete their collars with careful finishing touches.

Music

This term, our Music unit will focus on ballads. Pupils will explore what a ballad is, learn the story behind a song, perform ballads, write their own lyrics, and sing their original compositions.

Computing

This term, our Computing units will cover three key areas.

In Computing Systems and Networks, pupils will learn to communicate using technology, send emails with attachments, recognise fake emails, and understand the importance of being kind online.

In Programming with Scratch, pupils will explore coding through tinkering, storytelling, and planning remixes, creating and evaluating their own animations.

In Online Safety, pupils will focus on safely sharing information and understanding the rules of social media platforms.

Home learning

For home learning, children should be doing the following every week:

• Reading as often as possible-ideally 5 times a week. Please make a note of which book and which pages your child has read.
• Practising times tables on TT Rockstars (go into Garage to practice at the right level) OR practising subtracting and number bonds on Numbots.
• Spelling Shed – complete the assignment (specific words) set each week by Mr Rosser. Students should aim for at least 7 games per week. Students without access to an electronic device may pick up a paper copy of the weekly word list and write each word five times.

Numbots: https://play.numbots.com/#/account

TT Rockstars: https://ttrockstars.com/

Spelling Shed: https://www.spellingshed.com/en-gb/

Children have logins for the websites above in their reading records. Please let Mr Rosser know if the children need another copy of their log-in details.

Term 5 and 6 overview