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Year 2 – Silver Birch

 

Welcome To Year Two Silver Birch

Miss Murphy (Mon, Tues, Weds (a.m.), Fri)

Mrs. Byrne (Thurs am) Mr Sutton (Thurs pm)

 

Support Staff - Mr Plant (Mon, Tues, Weds am)

Mr Davies (Thurs, Fri am)

Miss Molloy (pm)

 

Nurturing hearts, Inspiring minds

 

A warm welcome back to the 2025 – 2026 academic year.  

 

We hope you and your families have enjoyed a lovely summer holiday.  Autumn 1 is a term of new beginnings, new classrooms, new teachers, new friends and new learning. It is a busy, exciting time and we are sure our children in Years 1 and 2 will settle brilliantly and have a fantastic first half term. 

KEY DATES THIS HALF TERM: 

Welcome Wednesday – Wednesday 17th September 2025 8:45 – 9:00a.m. 

Parents Evening – Wednesday 22nd October 2025 

CURRICULUM - AUTUMN 1

 

English: 

We are using a new scheme of work to deliver our English curriculum this year – Pathways to Write. Our text this half term is: 

 

LOOK UP! By Nathan Byron 

 

Through this text children will use expanded noun phrases, conjunctions and punctuation to write a diary account. 

 

ELS spelling is taught three times a week. 

 

Maths

Time – o'clock (start of half term) 

Place Value  

Shape  

 

Religion

 

We are using a new scheme of work this year – Lighting the Path. 

The first unit of work (branch) will be centered around Creation and Covenant.   

 

During this unit, the children will learn about different parts of the Bible and hear the story of Noah. We will think about how we can be good stewards for our earth in the same way Noah was. 

 

This half term's value is GRATITUDE. We will be looking for how the children demonstrate this value this half term and know they will show their appreciation in lots of ways as their new school year begins. 

 

 

Science

Materials 

  

History

We are using a new scheme of work this year – KAPOW

 

Through this scheme, the first history unit is How was school different in the past? 

Children will develop an understanding of the fact that although schools may have been in the local area for a long time, they have not always been the same as they are today. 

 

Computing: 

Computing Systems Around Us  

Children will develop a wider understanding of IT in use at home, in school and in wider society. 

  

Art

We are using a new scheme of work to deliver our art curriculum this year – Access Art. 

 

Our first unit of work is called Explore & Draw 

This introduces the idea that artists can be collectors & explorers as they develop drawing and composition skills 

 

 

PSHE

Mental and Emotional Health 

  1. What is the difference between big feelings and small feelings? 

  1. How can I keep safe online? 

  1. What makes others happy? 

These are also linked to our Rights Respecting Curriculum. 

 

PE 

Gymnastics  

Dance - The Great Fire of London 

Games – Attack, defend and shoot 

 

PE days are on WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY 

 

On WEDNESDAY, children come to school in their SCHOOL PE Kit for outdoor games. Children will need jogging bottoms as the weather gets colder.

 

On FRIDAY, children should come to school with their SCHOOL PE KIT in a BAG . They will change for PE in school. 

 

Please ensure your child’s school PE kit is clearly labelled.  Please see our main website for details of school PE kit uniform.

 

Music 

Tony Chestnut  

Carnival of the Animals 

 

READING BOOKS  

These should be brought to school EVERY DAY to enable us to record when guided reading sessions have been done in school. Books will be changed on a FRIDAY

 

Home Reading  

Your child is expected to read for at least 10 minutes, five times a week.  

However, they are not limited to five times as we would like them to read as often as possible to develop a real love for books and take pleasure in exploring different types of books.  

 

When you read with your child, please record this in their reading record.  

 

When you record what your child has read, please include the following

✓ The date they have read on. 

✓ The name of the book they have read.  

✓ The pages that they have read that day. 

✓ A couple of sentences about what you have noticed or how they have read.  

 

When you read with your child, please question them on what they have read, ask them lots of questions about the story as this develops their comprehension and understanding. Please use the reading booklet provided at the start of the year to help you with the sorts of questions you might ask, dependent on the colour band your child is reading. 

 

Comprehension is a key skill assessed in Year 2 so asking questions will help your child greatly with their understanding. 

Spellings - your child will have a set of spellings to learn each week. In the homework book, please work with your child to write each word in a sentence. Underline the spelling word in the sentence. Please use PENCIL.

 

Spelling books should be brought in on a FRIDAY so we can do the spell check in the back. This enables you to see how your child did in the spell check so you can help further at home

 

Maths -  your child may be given a workbook for the weekend to practise what we are learning in Maths. This may not be every weekend. This does not have to be returned to school.

 

Please use NUMBOTS for additional activities should you wish to use them. MyMaths is no longer being used for homework.

 

 

Phonics Videos

Click the links below to view the video:

 

Articulation of Phonemes

Phase 2 teaching blending

How To Read With Your Child

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