Year Two: Badgers Class
Miss Ferguson
Mrs Davies, Mrs Makolski & Mr Bates
Welcome to Year Two and Badgers class. Here you will find useful information about what we have been learning and what we will be learning over the half-term.
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What an incredible autumn half-term it has been for our Year 2 children! They have shown tremendous dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm across all areas of their learning.
The children began this half-term with an exciting and practical project, making nutritious bird cakes filled with oats, raisins, mealworms, and lard to help our feathered friends through the winter months. This hands-on activity perfectly complemented their English work on instruction writing, where they learnt to use time connectives and imperative verbs to write clear, step-by-step guides that others could follow.
In maths, the children have made excellent progress with shape recognition, confidently identifying vertices and sides on 2D shapes, and even spotting 2D shapes on the surfaces of 3D shapes. They've also been applying their addition and subtraction skills to solve problems and compare number sentences, demonstrating their ability to follow multi-step instructions and check their own work.
Our geography learning transported the children to the fascinating rainforest ecosystem of Kampong Ayer, where they discovered the different layers of the rainforest and the amazing wildlife that calls each layer home. This diverse ecosystem captured their imagination and sparked wonderful discussions.
Science lessons brought worms into the spotlight! The children learnt about these important creatures, their diets, and the microhabitats where they thrive. The highlight was creating class wormeries, giving the children the opportunity to observe changes and care for their new class pets over time.
The children have been flourishing as budding artists, exploring different textures and tones while learning about famous artists throughout history. Their fine motor skills have developed beautifully through careful brushwork, precise cutting, and creative experimentation. The Ferris wheels were particularly impressive! In preparation for Remembrance, each child painted their own red stone to contribute to a whole school giant poppy, a touching tribute that brought the community together.
During Anti-Bullying Week, we were incredibly impressed by the children's mature understanding of what bullying is and isn't. They engaged in thoughtful discussions about how to seek help if needed and how to support others, demonstrating the caring values at the heart of our school community.
The children have been developing their research skills by formulating questions and using non-fiction sources to find answers, particularly about bats. This has opened up a world of fascinating information and helped them become confident, independent learners.
A special mention must go to the children's outstanding work on their Christmas performance! They have learnt their lines, stage directions, and songs with remarkable dedication. Their acting is full of expression, their singing is amazing, and they are bursting with excitement to share their hard work. We're incredibly proud of how they've developed their confidence and performance skills, especially those who have practised at home.
We were delighted to welcome visitors from St. Mary's Church, who led a beautiful assembly about Advent. The children listened attentively and asked thoughtful questions about hope, preparation, and the meaning of this special time of year.
Year 2 have had an absolutely brilliant autumn half-term, and we couldn't be prouder of everything they've achieved. Their enthusiasm, hard work, and kindness continue to shine through in everything they do. Well done, Year 2!
Please see our Learning Web below which outlines our learning for this half term:
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Year 2 have had a wonderful time developing their writing skills this half term. The children explored 'Amazing Grace' by Mary Hoffman, learning to write in first person and reflecting on their own hopes and aspirations. They've created engaging and imaginative stories through drafting and redrafting, which they then shared with Reception children! The children have focused on using expanded noun phrases and varied punctuation. We've also explored winter-themed story writing, using descriptive language to craft creative phrases about hibernation and the seasons.
The children have made fantastic progress with numbers up to 100, learning to write numbers in words and partition them using part-whole models and place value mats. They've tackled addition and subtraction, including the challenge of bridging 10 (such as 8+3 and 7+5). Working brilliantly as a team, they've explored different strategies for calculating across the 10 boundary, and it's been wonderful to see their growing confidence.
Our Science learning has been hands-on and engaging! The children have explored living things through outdoor investigations and developed an excellent understanding of woodland habitats. They've learned about food chains, understanding predators, prey, and producers. The children have also investigated micro-habitats, using classification keys to sort minibeasts. The enthusiasm for exploring nature has been wonderful to see!
In Geography, we've explored Kampong Ayer in Brunei, the world's largest water village. The children discovered how people live there and compared homes in Kampong Ayer to their own, learning brilliantly about different cultures. They created fantastic boat designs with impressive detail and thought. We have also been comparing schools from the past to today. The children were amazed to learn how strict teachers used to be and that children were rarely allowed to speak! They were relieved that schools have changed so much.
The children have thoroughly enjoyed designing and creating their own Ferris wheels, using design criteria and practicing their cutting and joining skills to bring their creative ideas to life with impressive results!
We have loved exploring Purple Mash to design and improve musical sequences. There are clearly some budding composers in our classes showing great enthusiasm for creating digital music!
In PE, the children have developed flexibility and calm through yoga sessions, even trying animal yoga poses! They've also worked brilliantly in teams during French skipping. In Music, the children have been learning harvest songs and sounding wonderful!
The children have settled seamlessly into Year 2 life and been excellent role models. They've reflected thoughtfully on their hopes and fears, discussing strategies for managing feelings, and worked together to create classroom agreements.
It's been an excellent half term, Year 2. We've loved seeing you flourish and look forward to more memorable experiences ahead. Well done on all your hard work!
Please see our Learning Web below which outlines our learning for this half term:
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The children in Badgers class have made a very positive start to the year. We are very much looking forward to working with you all and making this year a very successful one!
Please see our Learning Web below which outlines our learning for this half term:
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Please do contact our Year 2 Lead, Mr McGovern if you would like any further information on our Year 2 curriculum.
Follow these links to support your children's learning at home: