Year 2
By Year 2, pupils are becoming independent learners and we love seeing their self-assurance grow and their decision-making skills develop.
Our phonics teaching uses the Read Write Inc scheme and, once phonics is mastered, we embed spelling patterns and grammar through Spelling Shed, which includes interactive games to deepen understanding.
In Maths, we continue to follow the Inspire programme, which supports a mastery approach. Using a three-step teaching sequence—Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract—we engage children in practical work before applying their knowledge to different questions, including problem solving and reasoning.
Reading is a big focus in Year 2. Children take books home every night and are encouraged to change them as needed, under teacher supervision. This ensures that they read a variety of texts for different purposes and become well-rounded readers. In class, we use the VIPERS scheme to deepen their understanding through targeted questioning, focusing on fluency, expression, and comprehension and we use the Letter Join handwriting scheme to improve writing skills.
Each week, children have three one-on-one sessions with an adult, which could be used for reading, Maths, or English writing support, tailored to each child’s needs.
French lessons continue to be lively and fun, with songs, rhymes, and games. We also add more role play to give children plenty of opportunities to practice speaking and become confident linguists.
In Year 2, specialist PE lessons help children master key skills in coordination, balance, reactions, and timing. This sets a solid foundation for Year 3 Games, where pupils will start playing Netball, Football, Cricket, Hockey or Rugby.
Children start to take on exciting additional responsibilities. Every half term, four children from each class are voted onto the School Council, where they can voice their opinions on school improvements and projects. These are rotated positions so that each child gets the opportunity to be part of the council over the course of the year and become a role model for the younger children.
Homework in Year 2
As well as spellings to learn each week, children are given a homework task, such as researching the termly topic, or revising key Maths and English skills from the previous weeks.
In the Spring term, there are two weekly homework tasks to complete, which help to prepare children for the move to Year 3.
Getting Ready for Prep
At the end of Year 2 your child will move into Year 3 in the Prep School and our support and preparation ensures that this transition is as smooth as possible.
